The Issues: Where they stand

[BoutDone]

In no particular order of importance other than getting the most talked about out of the way first.

Iraq
Obama: Always against the war. Complete withdrawal of troops by end of 2009. Before, had said a timetable would be irresponsible with knowing the facts. Declines to visit Iraq.

McCain: Supported decision to go to war but disliked Bushs' war execution plan. Supported the surge which is showing signs of success.

Iran
Obama: First said he would meet unconditionally - now says he is not sure that is such a good idea.

McCain: Favors tougher sanctions. No direct high-level talks until groundwork is done first.

Health Care
Obama: Supports $65 billion a year plan for mandatory coverage for children and requiring employers to share costs of insurance. Raise taxes on wealthier families to pay the cost.

McCain: Make health insurance more affordable with $2,500 tax credit for individuals; $5,000 for families. Let them choose their own coverage.

Social Security
Obama: Raise income cap subjecting a higher portion of incomes to tax.

McCain: Open to compromises but, against higher payroll taxes.

Stem Cell Research
Obama: Supports increased funding.

McCain: Supports increased funding.

Global Warming
Obama: Wants ten year, $150 billion program paid for by carbon taxes against businesses. Favors higher fuel efficiency standards.

McCain: Led Senate effort to cap greenhouse gases. Favors higher fuel efficiency standards.

Death Penalty
Obama: Supports death penalty for crimes for which "the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage". ??

McCain: Supports death penalty without qualification.

Voting Record
Obama: Liberal rating of 95.5; 1st place.
McCain: Conservative rating of 82.3; 39th place.

Education
Obama: Reward teachers with higher pay with $18 billion plan taking money away from the space program. Tax credit of up to $4,000 for college expenses in return for community service.

McCain: Favors parental choice of schools including vouchers for private schools.

Trade
Obama: In 2004 called for "enforcing existing trade agreement". Now wants to reopen NAFTA.

McCain: Supports free trade.

Housing
Obama: $20 billion plan for "responsible homeowners" giving a tax credit 10% of mortgage interest to "struggling homowner".

McCain: Supports assistance to "legitimate borrowers" facing foreclosure.

Taxes
Obama: Raise income taxes on "wealthier individuals", raise capital gains taxes, raise taxes on dividends. $80 billion in tax breaks for poor workers and elderly. Let Bush tax cuts expire in 2010.

McCain: No new taxes. Twice opposed Bush's tax cuts. Supports cut ting corporate tax rate to 25%. Make Bush tax cuts permanent.

Immigration
Obama: Voted for 2006 bill offering legal status of illegal immigrants after they learn English and pay back taxes.

McCain: Sponsored the 2006 bill offering legal status of illegal immigrants after they learn English and pay back taxes.

[FinanceDude]

Nice job, I am not sure what commentary you will receive, as this is a strong Obama crowd..........

[BoutDone]

Originally Posted by FinanceDude

Nice job, I am not sure what commentary you will receive, as this is a strong Obama crowd..........

I tried to be objective to both candidates. Hopefully the discussion can remain objective.

[d]

Originally Posted by BoutDone

Hopefully the discussion can remain objective.

somehow doubt that.

[Marquette]

With that list, they both look so similar that there must be some buried nuances and some radical differences to explore.... unless it truly pretty much comes down to how you feel about Iraq and universal health care.

I've kind of given up on Bloomberg running so I guess it'll come down to one of these two.

[outtarentals]

Thank you BoutDone for posting an objective comparison between the two candidates. I 'll be sending it on to some undecided friends who are concerned about the prospect of higher taxes on social security, capital gains and dividends, as am I.

[Texas Proud]

Originally Posted by BoutDone

In no particular order of importance other than getting the most talked about out of the way first.

Iraq
Obama: Always against the war. Complete withdrawal of troops by end of 2009. Before, had said a timetable would be irresponsible with knowing the facts. Declines to visit Iraq.

McCain: Supported decision to go to war but disliked Bushs' war execution plan. Supported the surge which is showing signs of success.

ME: Say we won and get out... more along Obama way


Iran
Obama: First said he would meet unconditionally - now says he is not sure that is such a good idea.

McCain: Favors tougher sanctions. No direct high-level talks until groundwork is done first.

ME: Start the bomb... or just give some to Isreal and let them do the dirty work

Health Care
Obama: Supports $65 billion a year plan for mandatory coverage for children and requiring employers to share costs of insurance. Raise taxes on wealthier families to pay the cost.

McCain: Make health insurance more affordable with $2,500 tax credit for individuals; $5,000 for families. Let them choose their own coverage.

ME: Neither... repeal the high cost drug program for Medicaire... get a law that requires that insurance companies that want to do business in a particular area take everybody who qualifies... have something (don't know what) for preexisting conditions... but make the individual rate the same (or maybe 10% higher) than the lowest rate they offer a company...

Social Security
Obama: Raise income cap subjecting a higher portion of incomes to tax.

McCain: Open to compromises but, against higher payroll taxes.

ME Against higher taxes... do a small adjustment to the inflation factor or some other long term reduction... will not hurt anybody now, but we would 'grow' out of the problem

Stem Cell Research
Obama: Supports increased funding.

McCain: Supports increased funding.

ME: Same

Global Warming
Obama: Wants ten year, $150 billion program paid for by carbon taxes against businesses. Favors higher fuel efficiency standards.

McCain: Led Senate effort to cap greenhouse gases. Favors higher fuel efficiency standards.

ME: What Global Warming... well, seriously... I still do not see where the huge expense that people talk about will do any good... it is coming and there is not much we can fix without reducing the population of the planet by maybe 90%....

Death Penalty
Obama: Supports death penalty for crimes for which "the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage". ??

McCain: Supports death penalty without qualification.

ME: For it... actually sentenced someone to death... so it is not as easy as you might think when it is you doing it...

Voting Record
Obama: Liberal rating of 95.5; 1st place.
McCain: Conservative rating of 82.3; 39th place.

ME: Who the heck knows... probably closer to McCain... conservative, but not the religious right wing kind... more libertairian

Education
Obama: Reward teachers with higher pay with $18 billion plan taking money away from the space program. Tax credit of up to $4,000 for college expenses in return for community service.

McCain: Favors parental choice of schools including vouchers for private schools.

ME: That is a state issue... the feds should get out of it


Trade
Obama: In 2004 called for "enforcing existing trade agreement". Now wants to reopen NAFTA.

McCain: Supports free trade.

ME: Free trade... as long as we are not being forced to bend over... and that means WE got to get rid of our sugar import restrictions... are farm susidies... and probably a bunch more crap..

Housing
Obama: $20 billion plan for "responsible homeowners" giving a tax credit 10% of mortgage interest to "struggling homowner".

McCain: Supports assistance to "legitimate borrowers" facing foreclosure.

ME: NOTHING.... to bad... let the market take care of it... so far it is doing a good job

Taxes
Obama: Raise income taxes on "wealthier individuals", raise capital gains taxes, raise taxes on dividends. $80 billion in tax breaks for poor workers and elderly. Let Bush tax cuts expire in 2010.

McCain: No new taxes. Twice opposed Bush's tax cuts. Supports cut ting corporate tax rate to 25%. Make Bush tax cuts permanent.

ME: Either let the Bush tax cuts expire OR reduce the spending by that amount... Congress, your choice... but we need to get the debt down.. not the deficiet, but the DEBT

Immigration
Obama: Voted for 2006 bill offering legal status of illegal immigrants after they learn English and pay back taxes.

McCain: Sponsored the 2006 bill offering legal status of illegal immigrants after they learn English and pay back taxes.

ME: No legal status to anyone who is here illegally... have major sanctions and penalties to companies that hire... no exceptions... put some of the top execs in jail and see how fast illegal hiring dries up...

But, get a good guest worker program going... allow up to 2 million to 3 million come in each year and stay for up to 2 years... and then have to go back home for 1 before applying again...

[outtarentals]

You raise some excellent points, Texas Proud - I happen to agree with most of them. Quite thought provoking too, as I also had to make the difficult decision of sentencing someone to death some years ago.

One area where we differ is the matter of allowing the capital gains tax break to expire. It's been my experience that investors are much more willing to sell an asset and pay the capital gains tax if it is a reasonable amount. Currently, in CA it is 15% Fed plus 9.3% state - about 25% of the long term gain - plus AMT if applicable. Obama has said he wants to raise it back to the 28% level Fed. Add The CA state tax to that - and you're approaching 40%. IMHO at that point, investors will use every loophole they can - and try very hard to avoid selling outright and paying the taxes. It is an uncertain and slippery slope right now, trying to decide what to do with investments.

[Texas Proud]

Originally Posted by outtarentals

You raise some excellent points, Texas Proud - I happen to agree with most of them. Quite thought provoking too, as I also had to make the difficult decision of sentencing someone to death some years ago.

One area where we differ is the matter of allowing the capital gains tax break to expire. It's been my experience that investors are much more willing to sell an asset and pay the capital gains tax if it is a reasonable amount. Currently, in CA it is 15% Fed plus 9.3% state - about 25% of the long term gain - plus AMT if applicable. Obama has said he wants to raise it back to the 28% level Fed. Add The CA state tax to that - and you're approaching 40%. IMHO at that point, investors will use every loophole they can - and try very hard to avoid selling outright and paying the taxes. It is an uncertain and slippery slope right now, trying to decide what to do with investments.

Thanks... but if you read I did not say to raise the rate... I said Congress could choose to let them expire (raise) OR spend less... personally I would prefer them to spend less and keep the tax breaks.

[chinaco]

Originally Posted by BoutDone

In no particular order of importance other than getting the most talked about out of the way first.

I
Health Care
Obama: Supports $65 billion a year plan for mandatory coverage for children and requiring employers to share costs of insurance. Raise taxes on wealthier families to pay the cost.

McCain: Make health insurance more affordable with $2,500 tax credit for individuals; $5,000 for families. Let them choose their own coverage.

You left a few details out.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pd...reFullPlan.pdf

[BoutDone]

Originally Posted by chinaco

You left a few details out.

I started this thread simply to compile a list of the important issues facing America and very briefly how the candidates stand on them.

Each of the issues could easily be debated at great length from both sides. That is good! We need to really dig into what the candidates plans are. How else can we make an intelligent choice?

Obama's 15 page plan is a good start - only not here. I am starting a new thread just covering the candidates stand on health care because it is truly a very important issue.

[Gumby]

Thank you boutdone. Well done. This certainly addresses the concerns I have previously expressed to you. I expect I will weigh in substantively on the health care issue later this weekend when I have a little more time.

[ls99]

The past activities and record of candidates is a fairly good indicator of how the will proceed. A lot is known about McCain, from his congressional/military /voting record.
Less is known about Obama. A commentary from Pittsburgh Tribune:Obama & his friends ..
by Bill Steigerwald · Pittsburgh Tribune Review

[armor99]

Well done Boutdone.. a nice summary of where the two candidates stand on the issues. Now the people can decide which one more closely resembles their own personal views... As it should be..