Vote with your brain
So... we've all been hearing the rhetoric: change, reform, hope, country first, ect...
But what do Barack Hussein Obama and John Sidney McCain III really believe and really stand for? Because we all know that once the election is over, what these guys really believe in is the direction they will lead the nation in regardless of any campaign promises or tag lines they rode into Washington on.
We'll, I recommend you give this voter issue guide a look for starters. If you have any questions on the accuracy or the basis for the position they are given in this card, drop me a comment or an e-mail.
Comments
From what I see, I can vouch for the accuracy in the guide, based on my research of the candidates.
Posted by: Rob at September 29, 2008 01:12 AMThe voting guide deals with very specific points, sometimes repeatedly. These points are either issues important to religious conservatives, or exist in the list to point out a specific hot-button differences in the McCain/Obama voting record. It is mostly accurate (with a couple exceptions), but it's language isn't straightforward, and is sometimes misleading.
In an effort to be more clear and honest, then:
Traditional Marriage in Federal Law (wrt homosexuals)
McCain is the one who has supported bills and amendments that would keep gays from marrying.
Traditional Marriage in States (wrt homosexuals)
Same as federally (shown above).
Homosexual Education
Obama has repeatedly called for age-appropriate comprehensive sex education. At the high school level, McCain has supported limiting sex-ed, avoiding information about birth-control and possibly homosexuality.
Business Freedom (wrt homosexuals)
McCain supports a business' right to fire or not hire workers if it's learned that they are homosexual, Obama does not.
Opposes Gay Pride
Obama's wife has spoken at a Gay Pride event. McCain has avoided supporting or denouncing gay pride.
Opposes Judicial Activism (wrt homosexuals and right-to-life)
McCain has vocally denounced unpopular judges' decisions to overturn laws they've found unconstitutional.
Cloning (wrt right-to-life)
McCain will oppose science research which appears to weaken pro-life arguments.
Human Life (wrt right-to-life)
Except for once stating and later recanting that he supports Roe v. Wade now and in the future, McCain has been consistently against Roe v. Wade. Obama is consistently pro-choice.
Youth & Abortion
McCain voted to make it a crime for anyone, other than a parent, to transport a minor across state lines for an abortion -- unless they had the minor's parental consent. Obama voted against this bill.
Partial Birth Abortions
McCain is consistently against several abortion scenarios, especially late-term. Obama says states can restrict late-term abortions, so long as there is a provision to protect the health of the mother.
Energy
McCain supports each state's right to choose whether to drill or not. Obama wants to cut down on the expansion of drilling, and focus instead on alternative energies.
Iraq War
McCain has said that we should stay in Iraq as long as it takes to fix the situation, Obama wants to ramp down the number of our troops in Iraq over the next few years to a minimal presence.
Gun Rights
McCain has voted against outlawing assault weapons.
Parental Rights in Education
McCain is for voucher plans to move money from public to private schools. Obama is mostly against them.
Oddly missing from the comparison is the fact that historically, McCain has rarely expressed his religion. Obama has expressed his devout Christianity throughout his career.
Wow Ken. I appreciate the exhaustive (in today's perception) review of the voting guide. From what I read and know about the issues and where the candidates stand. You are right on.
I will flag that if we were able to have a sit down conversation over these positions, I would have to beg to clarify some of your comments that seem more intolerant or inhumane than they appear.
For example:
"McCain supports a business' right to fire or not hire workers if it's learned that they are homosexual, Obama does not."
To be fair, the issue isn't as much one of an employees personal behavior/ identity in hiring and firing, as it is the personal conscience of the employer. McCain supports not forcing employers to hire people that violate their religious beliefs or jeopardize their specific business goals. This protects the private rights of businesses and employers. Whereas Obama supports requiring employers to hire people, homosexual or otherwise, regardless of the employer's interests.
This kind of clarification would need to be made on many of the points that, although technically correct, leave a bad taste in the mouth.
Your last comment about Obama's "devout Christianity" over McCain's faith is a very risky assertion to make. I trust you know that.
To imply that Obama embraces Christianity as it's commonly known and understood would be grossly incorrect. A quick review of Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. and the church he was a member of for 20 years (Trinity United Church of Christ) would quickly reveal that they hold to a very radical, black liberation theology. I'm not sure that's the kind of "devout Christianity" people think of when you use that term.
On the other hand, McCain was raised Episcopalian and now attends a Baptist church and identifies himself as Baptist. That's a little more in line with traditional, orthodox Christianity.
Your post prompts me to consider blogging more about this issue given its timeliness and the struggle that most people have of sorting out truth from half-truth or twisted truth or exaggerated truth. It's a sound bite world and so some honest talk would be a breath of fresh air, I think.
Thanks again for posting Ken.
Posted by: Tim at September 29, 2008 12:04 PMHere is another just released voters guide. Not as narrow or as leading as the other one: http://www.frcaction.org/index.cfm?i=VR08G01&f=AL08I01&t=e
I'll try not to clutter your comments area. I'll just agree that "...some honest talk would be a breath of fresh air." I posted because of the unusual amount of obfuscation I saw in the "voter guide". It really didn't seem like an honest evaluation.
I remember from ISU that you were very honest, so I figured clarification would be welcome. We both of us aren't fans of such weasel-words -- ones that can be interpreted as technically correct, but leave a terrible taste.
But my point about Barack being more devoutly Christian, and McCain much more rarely talking about religion, before this election cycle, stands. McCain's faith seems by all accounts to be skin-deep, and much less of a driving force for him than for Obama.
I will also say I could have been clearer on the cloning issue. McCain and Obama are both steady proponents of stem-cell research, and both are against human cloning. Obama simply voted against a bill that would have outlawed *all* cloning, which is what I think the "voter guide" was referring to, but didn't make clear.
My point is, the more I look at it, the "voter guide" is no such thing, and there are much better resources to (accurately) learn what the candidates think about various issues.
Posted by: Ken Welsch at September 30, 2008 08:53 AMTim, have you been to votesmart.org? I don't know if you will find it helpful (or accurate), but it lists the candidates voting records on particular issues. I have to say that at least based on the information from this particular source, I was not impressed by McCain or Obama's voting record when it came to military or veteran issues. They both seemed to be missing something.
Will there be any Rock-sanctioned times to discuss political issues before the election day?
Posted by: Autumn at September 30, 2008 03:26 PMYeah, I did give it a quick look see, but I mostly liked their button. :-)
McCain is a genuine maverick, there is no doubt. That's why I always smile when people repeat the rhetoric they hear on Obama commercials. Yeah, he voted with Bush 90% of the time, but the 10% that he didn't were over significant issues.
I think you also know that when it comes to military experience and leadership, McCain is head and shoulders above Obama. Since the president is the commander in chief of our armed forces, that ought to speak volumes to every American.
Posted by: Tim at September 30, 2008 04:25 PMActually Ken is on to something here (as are you, Tim) re: Obama's faith being a powerful driving force in his motivations and actions, possibly moreso than McCain's. Obama's faith even bares the label "Christian" and stands in line with a religious tradition that encompases Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Bono of U2 is also a fan of it.
It's just that that particular strand of "Christianity" is far from orthodox and in fact (as with all unorthodoxy) is incredibly dangerous.