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About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2008)
2008 ss In D epth Political commercials focus on the wrong issues A dam H olmes Staff Reporter T h e e le c tio n se a so n is h ittin g its h ig h p o in t, w ith th a t fa te fu l d a y in N o v e m b e r lo o m in g . D e c isio n s w ill b e m a d e th a t w ill a ffe ct e v e ry o n e fo r th e re st o f th e ir liv e s. P u ts it in to p e rs p e c tiv e , d o e s n ’t it? M e a n w h ile , c a n d id a te s are d o in g th e ir b e s t to re a c h o u t to p e o p le a n d co n v in c e th e m th a t th e y are th e c o rre c t p e r s o n fo r th e jo b . W ith p o litic a l h o p e fu ls ru n n in g for, o r try in g to sta y in o ffice , so m e c a n d id a te s w ill try a n y th in g to c o n q u e r th e ir o p p o n e n ts . H e n c e , p o litic a l c o m m e rc ia ls m e a n t to d is c re d it th e p e rs o n th e y a re ru n n in g a g a in st w o u ld n 't b e a p ro b le m if th e c o m m e rc ia ls w e re a b o u t w h o sta n d s fo r w h a t issu es. T h e p ro b le m is th a t th is is e x a c tly w h a t th e y a re n o t d o in g . W ith th e e x c e p tio n o f a le g itim a te c o m m e rc ia l in v o lv in g re a l issu e s su ch a s O b a m a 's a d s u p p o rtin g ta x c u ts fo r th e m id d le c la s s , m a n y o f th e p o litic a l c o m m e rc ia ls a re n o th in g m o re th a n sm e a rs, d ire ct a tta c k s , a n d n o th in g else. A c o m m e rc ia l th a t c o m e s to m in d is a Je ff M e rk le y / G o rd o n S m ith a d th a t ra n a b o u t a m o n th ag o . B o th c a n d id a te s c ritic iz e d e a c h o th e r a b o u t h o w th e y sp e n t t h e i rj th e t im e sp en t m oney on th e y o u tsid e o f th e ir jo b . T h is h a s n o th in g to d o w ith th e issu es. W h a t th e se p o litic ia n s are try in g to d o w ith th e se c o m m e rc ia ls is ta k e th e e a s y w a y o u t. T h e y d o n ’t ta lk a b o u t o n th e issu e s , in ste a d th e y a ir in fo rm a tio n th a t is n o b o d y 's b u sin e s s. I t's n o t ju s t th e c o m m e rc ia ls th a t are try in g to d is c re d it p o litic ia n s th ro u g h m u c k ra k in g th a t b o th e r s m e , it's a lso th a t s o m e tim e s th e se c o m m e rc ia ls m a k e n o se n se . I re c e n tly w a tc h e d a c o m m e rc ia l in w h ic h th e M c C a in c a m p a ig n w a s c o m p a rin g th e a m o u n t o f e x p e rie n c e S a ra h P a lin h a s to th e a m o u n t o f e x p e rie n c e B a ra c k O b a m a h a s. D o e s a n y o n e e lse see th e p ro b le m s w ith th is c o m m e rc ia l? S in c e w h e n is O b a m a ru n n in g a g a in st P a lin ? T h e y n e e d to b e ru n n in g a n ad b o th are ru n n in g fo r V ice- P resid e n t. M a n y M c C a in c o m m e rc ia ls still fo cu s o n th e to p ic th a t O b a m a d o e s n 't h a v e e n o u g h e x p e rie n c e , o r th a t h e is n o t u p to "th e c h a lle n g e ." I th in k it's p re tty c le a r th a t w h e n c a n d id a te s h a v e m a d e it th is far in th e ra ce , a m a jo rity o f th e A m e ric a n p e o p le fee l th e y are e x p e rie n c e d e n o u g h to h o ld o ffice. If e x p e rie n c e is w h a t th e y 're c o n c e rn e d a b o u t, th in k a b o u t w h o M c C a in c h o se fo r V ic e -P re sid e n t. S tic k to th e issu e s , M c C a in c a m p a ig n . If th is e le c tio n is g o in g to re m a in c iv iliz e d , w e n e e d to c u t th e n o n se n se an d sta rt fo c u sin g o n w h a t rea lly m a tte rs. L u ck ily , th e re h a v e b e e n so m e c o m m e rcia ls a irin g la te ly th a t are d o in g ju s t th at. H o w e v er, it's n o t e n o u g h to m a k e a h u g e im p a ct. A ll th e se c a n d id a te s n e e d to fo cu s o n w h e re th ey sta n d o n th e issu e s, a n d n o t m a k e lo w -b lo w a tta ck s a g a in st th e ir o p p o n e n ts. If w e c a n a c c o m p lish th e se g o a ls, m a y b e w e c a n ru n a n e x c e p tio n a l c a m p a ig n fo r th e n e x t m o n th o r so , a n d e n d u p w ith th e rig h t p e rso n in office. McCain: Repeal tax on imported sugar-based ethanol, increasing competition, and lowering prices of gasoline at the pump. John McCain will roll back com-based ethanol mandates, which are contributing to the rising cost of food. i Obama: Provide a 50 million dollar boost to "keep Americans from losing their jobs." Providing a tax cut for 150 million middle-class Americans. Provide 5 million "green jobs," based from producing and providing alternative energy sources. McCain: Leave troops in Iraq until the coun try implements a safe effective security force. Wants to ensure that all Al Qaeda forces are defeated. Obama: Remove troops from Iraq slowly, with drawing all of them by 2010. Provide 200 billion in humanitarian aid to Iraq and its neighboring countries. McCain: Against, wants to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Give the decision to individual states. .. ' Si Obama: Pro, based on Roe vs. Wade and in support of women's right to choose. Students reveal their pick fo r president Bob Barr Ralph Nader 6(1%) 1 0 ( 2 %) Mil McCain: Work with each state to create state-wide insurance plans. Introduce more generic medica tions, import medications from other countries. Create one care and cost requirements bill that all major health care companies must adhere to. Obama: Lower medication costs by shipping them in from other countries (safely) and saving the average American $2,500. Promote use of generic medications and require hospitals to collect and report health care cost and quality data. c o McCain: Reward high-performing schools, pro vide incentives for all schools to improve. Give options to children and parents who are stuck in low-performing schools. cc o 3 •a LU Obama: Reform No Child Left Behind Act. Create a "zero to five" plan, which would start following progress and providing aid to children and their families. Make math and science a priority, and close low-performing charter schools.
