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So, I have spent some of my spare time today comparing the stated platforms for John McCain and Barack Obama. There are some similarities at points in their platforms, but not on all points by any stretch. Additionally, some items are given greater weight by one candidate compared to the other on the candidates' website. I have not gone into exhaustive depth on them, admittedly, going with more of what is easily findable on from the front pages of their websites. I have also kept to a few issues of particular interest to me. Either or both candidates might have additional information buried somewhere. A buried platform which is not in easy access is not something I would personally consider a strong commitment to a platform.
( On Energy: )
( On Health Care: )
( On Education: )
( On Poverty: )
My overall thoughts? McCain does have a few good ideas, but most of what he proposes are items from the right wing that have not worked: reducing taxes on corporations but not on the poor; oil and gas exploration and drilling that won't do anything about dependance on non-renewable resources; cut more taxes and give more money away. I do, admittedly, like the prize for a long-range fully electric vehicle. Still, he mostly does not cut current programs and wants to cut taxes, meaning spend and starve.
Obama has a considerably better plan for most Americans on almost every count I can find. He wants to reduce taxes on the poor and middle class, who have had decreasing wages and significantly increasing costs over the past 7 years, but increase them on the wealthiest, who have gotten by any measure significantly wealthier in the last 7 years. He is looking to spend money to jumpstart the economy by handing money to the poorest - the people most likely to spend - while getting us out of a war which is costing us over $10 billion per month. He is looking to streamline costs and increase some programs, but matches this with decreases in other spending and increases on taxes on the rich.
To my wealthy friends: I am happy you are wealthy, I truly am. You are my friends and I wish the best for you always. I hope to be wealthy one day myself, and I will be happy to pay high taxes once I get there as I will still have plenty left over. I view my taxes, when spent well, as an investment in my family, my neighbors, my friends, my neighborhood, my city, my state, myself and my country. I am not happy when my taxes are spent unwisely, such as on an unnecessary war. If you do not care for any level of taxes at all, well, I will have to agree to disagree with you there; but my friendships are not built on tax policy :-)
To my libertarian friends: I am sorry, but we do have conclusive proof that sometimes the free market is a considerably more expensive and less efficient choice than a government program. Healthcare, energy, water and prisons are several notable ways where government either provides a higher quality of service (prisons a la breakouts), a better price for that service (water in many places), or both (water in many more places, healthcare and regulated energy).
Mr. Obama has a lot more particulars for programs. A great deal of his spending increases are covered by tax increases on those most able to afford them and cutting costs in useful ways, such as insurance and tax paperwork - quite possibly all of them, in fact. I do not have the time today to measure the full costs of each candidates' program; sorry.
( On Energy: )
( On Health Care: )
( On Education: )
( On Poverty: )
My overall thoughts? McCain does have a few good ideas, but most of what he proposes are items from the right wing that have not worked: reducing taxes on corporations but not on the poor; oil and gas exploration and drilling that won't do anything about dependance on non-renewable resources; cut more taxes and give more money away. I do, admittedly, like the prize for a long-range fully electric vehicle. Still, he mostly does not cut current programs and wants to cut taxes, meaning spend and starve.
Obama has a considerably better plan for most Americans on almost every count I can find. He wants to reduce taxes on the poor and middle class, who have had decreasing wages and significantly increasing costs over the past 7 years, but increase them on the wealthiest, who have gotten by any measure significantly wealthier in the last 7 years. He is looking to spend money to jumpstart the economy by handing money to the poorest - the people most likely to spend - while getting us out of a war which is costing us over $10 billion per month. He is looking to streamline costs and increase some programs, but matches this with decreases in other spending and increases on taxes on the rich.
To my wealthy friends: I am happy you are wealthy, I truly am. You are my friends and I wish the best for you always. I hope to be wealthy one day myself, and I will be happy to pay high taxes once I get there as I will still have plenty left over. I view my taxes, when spent well, as an investment in my family, my neighbors, my friends, my neighborhood, my city, my state, myself and my country. I am not happy when my taxes are spent unwisely, such as on an unnecessary war. If you do not care for any level of taxes at all, well, I will have to agree to disagree with you there; but my friendships are not built on tax policy :-)
To my libertarian friends: I am sorry, but we do have conclusive proof that sometimes the free market is a considerably more expensive and less efficient choice than a government program. Healthcare, energy, water and prisons are several notable ways where government either provides a higher quality of service (prisons a la breakouts), a better price for that service (water in many places), or both (water in many more places, healthcare and regulated energy).
Mr. Obama has a lot more particulars for programs. A great deal of his spending increases are covered by tax increases on those most able to afford them and cutting costs in useful ways, such as insurance and tax paperwork - quite possibly all of them, in fact. I do not have the time today to measure the full costs of each candidates' program; sorry.
