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.
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o
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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.