Barack Obama is getting a lot of press for being a great speaker, an encouraging figure, and a strong leader. I agree he is enjoyable to listen to, but what are his policies? Below are a list of his stances on issues and (because this is my blog after all) whether I support them or not. All of the information is from the website OnTheIssues.org.
I support:
Supports charter schools and private investment in schools. ('98)
Explore nuclear power as part of alternative energy mix. ('07)
Free public college for any student with B-average. ('98)
America cannot sanction torture; no loopholes or exceptions. ('07)
Opposes gay marriage; supports civil union & gay equality. ('06)
Let's be a nation of laws AND a nation of immigrants. ('07)
Baptized as an adult in the Trinity United Church of Christ. ('06)
Hopes to remove all troops from Iraq by 2013, but no pledge. ('07)
Interesting but ambiguous:
Smokes cigarettes now; smoked some pot in high school. ('07)
Doesn't take PAC money or federal lobbyists' money. ('07)
Full name: Barack Hussein Obama; family calls him "Barry". ('06)
Voted with Democratic Party 96.0% of 251 votes. ('07)
Replace partisan bickering with politics of hope. ('07)
I do not support:
Protect a woman's right to choose. ('04)
Constitution is a living document; no strict constructionism. ('06)
Regulate financial instruments to protect home mortgages. ('07)
Supports federal programs to protect rural economy. ('04)
Supports affirmative action in colleges and government. ('98)
Tax incentives for corporate responsibility. ('04)
Hold corporations responsible for pensions & work conditions. ('07)
End tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas. ('07)
Insist on labor and human rights standards for China trade. ('04)
Keep guns out of inner cities--but also problem of morality. ('06)
Government healthcare like members of Congress have. ('07)
The market alone can't solve our health-care woes. ('06)
National smoking bans only after trying local bans. ('07)
Reform must include more border security, and border wall. ('07)
Give immigrants who are here a rigorous path to citizenship. ('07)
Chicago's Soldier Field stadium construction created jobs. ('07)
Make the minimum wage a living wage. ('07)
Burdens of globalization are placed on the backs of workers. ('07)
Obama will strengthen unions and workers' rights. ('04)
Cutting benefits & raising retirement age are wrong answers. ('07)
Privatization puts retirement at whim of stock market. ('07)
Reduce Bush tax cuts to pay for health care & other programs. ('07)
Airlines got into trouble after deregulation. ('07)
Actually Barack no longer smokes, he stopped right before he announced he was going to run. I heard that his wife said she wouldn't vote for him unless he quit, because that wasn't a good example.
ReplyDeleteP.S. smoking sucks.
Wow, I actually agree with Barack more than I thought I did.
ReplyDelete"Wow, I actually agree with Barack more than I thought I did."
ReplyDeleteWell then my plan backfired. Haha, just kidding.