Melendez 1 Ismael Melendez, Jr. Professor Edward J.

Jackson Political Science 2314 5 October 2012 Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, Presidential Candidates This presidential election is the first one that will happen during my adult life. I wasnt very interested in the previous two elections, partly because I was younger and didnt know much of what was happening. This election is important because the decisions that the next President make will have a huge impact on my adult life. Barack Obama is running for reelection, this election is a sort of referendum on this work of his first four years. After a very long and arduous process Mitt Romney won the republican nomination and is running as the contender with the Republican Party. In order for anyone to make a good judgment on an important decision, like voting for the President, they should look at what both sides have to offer. 1. Barack Obama 1.1 Economy Because Barack Obama knows the economy is very the most important topic on the electorates minds, he will continue to work hard to decrease the unemployment numbers. On the white house page it states that President Obama will not be satisfied until every American who wants work can find a job (Economy). One of his main priorities is creating jobs. During this four year he has rescued the auto industry through the emergency measure he took to save the collapsing auto industry when he began his presidency. The stimulus package he created gave tax credits to middle class families; spending also included money for infrastructure, education,

Melendez 2 and energy related projects ("Stimulus Package En Route to Obama's Desk."). The president also helped business [created] more than 4.6 million private sector jobs in the past 30 months, the number of manufacturing jobs has increased, the strongest since 1989 (Jobs). According to the Congressional Budget office the recovery act helped create 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010 (The Recovery Act). As part of the President attempt at reform and fiscal responsibility his administration has tried to identify misspent tax dollars in his campaign to cut waste (Reform and Fiscal Responsibility). Some simple changes the president asked of the governmental bureaucracy was to buy in bulk which should save us up to $200 million over the next four years (Reform and Fiscal Responsibility). Federal agencies, like the health and human services department, have started using new technology that to combat fraud and slash erroneous payments (Reform and Fiscal Responsibility). As part of the presidents effort to maintain the middle class, he signed legislation that led to a payroll tax cut which added to families income, he also singed the American opportunity tax cut credit which helped families be able to afford college for their children. President Obama helped create the Consumer financial protection bureau was created in 2010 as a result of Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act), the agencies main to project consumers form banking institutions abuses and deceptive practices (Learn about the Bureau). The Affordable Care Act, the presidents landmark health reform law, has obligated health insurers to let young adults up to age 26 stay on their parents plan (Deficit-Reducing Health Care Reform). That age group was the one which had least individuals with health insurance.

Melendez 3 The ACA is supposed to give approximately 34 million Americans (Deficit-Reducing Health Care Reform), more people access to affordable health care by the end of its implementation. The fourth part of the President plan to revitalize the economy is supporting small business by among other things, reforming our patent system, improving our infrastructure, and investing in our workers. 1.2 Education Obamas education plan has included a lot of changes that greatly improve the educations of children and help make college more affordable for middle class families. The Obama administration is aware that program of early education, like head start, help children from disadvantaged background a better opportunity of succeeding in school. Part of the Race to the Top- Early Learning Challenge federal competition is challenging states to make proposition of changes to their early learning program to make them more accountable and successful (Early Childhood Education). The president has set a goal to once again lead the world in college completion by the year 2020. Part of his plan for K-12 education is to turn back around low achieving schools which are not working. They are working to increase the standards and develop smarter data system to measure the success and growth: of students so they are prepared for college (K12 education). 1.3 Immigration Barack Obama co-sponsored legislation in 2005 as a senator, called Secure America and Orderly Immigration act (McCain, John), it incorporated legalization, guest worker program, and border enforcement components. The bill was never voted on.

Melendez 4 The white house website states that the president has dedicated unprecedented resources to secure our border. During this past four year he has also tried to make the immigration system more fair by removing the threat of deportation to many students who came to this country, brought by their parents, and who are on their right direction by studying for a career. To those who are working in the United States without paper President Obama wants business to be held accountable for undermining American workers and exploiting undocumented workers (Fixing the Immigration System for America's 21st Century Economy). 2. Mitt Romney 2.1 Economy Romney business plan included reducing the power of labor unions, his campaign site does recognize the important contributions to workers by unions, as a result of their hard sacrifice, hard work, and hard worn battles (Labor). His campaign is very adamant about right to work states but doesnt explain what that is within the context of the This plan would make it illegal to automatically make new employers part of a union. The problem with this is that the power of organized labor is reduced which leads to lower wages, and lower rate of employer sponsored health and pension plans. According to the Economic Policy Institutes brief, The Compensation Penalty of Right to Work Laws, [Right-to-Work laws directly [limit] the financial viability of unions, reducing their strength and ability to negotiate favorable contracts, higher wages, and better benefits. Mitts plan for taxes mostly focuses on business that are subject to rules and regulations that all too often encourage tax gamesmanship while discouraging reinvestment in the American economy (Tax).

Melendez 5 The Romney campaign position on trade is to open the markets globally to sell items made in the USA, the campaign also wants to ensure that we need to ensure that our entrepreneurs can sell their high-quality products and services around the world (Trade). This assumes that other countries will have to play by our rules, which the most likely wont, they are sovereign countries that will exercise their rights as such. In many other countries where the wealth disparity, where much of the wealth lies among the plutocracy of many nation countries will make products at low wages to out compete the United States in our own land. China is the greatest example. China is a great focus they are designated as currency manipulators and the Romney wants to prevent the illegal entry of goods into our market (Trade). Romneys plan for the economy is also to decrease the number of regulations, of which the most active regulator is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He thinks that the saving that these regulations provide compared to the costs and damage to the economy. The two specific regulations Romney would eliminate are Obamacare and Dodd Frank. He wants to Ensure that environmental laws properly account for cost in regulatory process. (Regulation). The human capital in the United States is a mismatch between what the job market needs and the skills workers have. A good point that is brought up is that Only 5 of the 47 programs have had their results thoroughly evaluated since 2004 (Human Capitol). Mitts plan is to retrain workers, but give that ability to the states, through block grant federal funds. His plan would also try maximize Americas economic potential by Attracting the Best and the Brightest.

Melendez 6 Corporations are people, my friend (The Romney Economy). 2.2 Education Mitt Romney is able to point out two of the biggest problems in our education system which is bad school and ineffective use of money. Part of Romneys reform is giving scholarship and more choices to private school to low income students. Instead of innovating and fixing schools he wants to give out some money so students go to private charter schools. He says he wants to invest in innovation, without providing more details about that, Romney plan also includes teachers based on their performance instead of their tenure. Romney points out that students are more in debt now out of college and are graduating to a terrible job market. He wants to see more participation in the student aid program by the private sector, and Replace Burdensome Regulation with Innovation and Competition (Education). 2.3 Immigration Mitt Romney campaign site described the candidates position on immigration, it was sensible in that it stated a fact that America is a nation of immigrants. It demonstrated that the campaign knows it is and important topic especially to Latino population. The campaign site also stated that part of Romney plan on immigration is to attract more educated citizen because the country failing education system wont produce enough science and technology workers. The thing is that these nations also need low wage earners to pick the fruit from the fields, clean the restrooms, and clean the houses of many American. The immigrants will do it, many times without health benefits, overtime pay. Romney wants to stop illegal crossing on the border by securing it with a high tech fence. This will not deter illegal immigration; the only way would

Melendez 7 be if this high tech was really automated turret guns on it to kill all the illegal immigrants (Immigration). The importance of the presidential election is at a very critical time because whoever is elected will either continue their plan to fix the economy, or will introduce chaos as they change the course of America with a new plan. Within the next administration there will probably be the opportunity to put new judges on the Supreme Court; these judges serve indefinitely and who have a great amount of power. I think Barack Obama presents the most sensible plan, I think the recovery is going at a regular place, if it werent for his leadership as President I think the country would have faced a much worse recession in 2008. The president also has more moderate views that do not worry me like some of the very radical conservative stuff said by republican presidential candidates. I think with the strong impact of the Tea Part on the republican party has altered its core beliefs, which does not make republican party appealing to now.

Melendez 8 Works Cited "Deficit-Reducing Health Care Reform." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/economy/reform/deficit-reducing-health-carereform>. "Early Childhood Education." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/early-childhood>. "Economy." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/economy>. "Education." Mitt Romney for President. Romney for President, Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://www.mittromney.com/issues/education>. "Fixing the Immigration System for America's 21st Century Economy." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/fixingimmigration-system-america-s-21st-century-economy>. Gould, Elise, and Heidi Shierholz. The Compensation Penalty of "Right-To-Work" Laws. Issue brief no. 299. Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute, 2011. Print. "Human Capital." Mitt Romney for President. Romney for President, Inc., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.mittromney.com/issues/human-capital>. "Immigration." Mitt Romney for President. Romney for President, Inc., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. <http://www.mittromney.com/issues/immigration>. "Jobs." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/economy/jobs>. "K-12 Education." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/k-12>.

Melendez 9 "Labor." Mitt Romney for President. Romney for President, Inc., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.mittromney.com/issues/labor>. "Learn about the Bureau." Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. United States Government, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://www.consumerfinance.gov/the-bureau/>. McCain, John. "Bill Summary & Status 109th Congress (2005 - 2006) S.1033 All Information." Thomas. The Library of Congress, 12 May 2005. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN01033:@@@L>. "The Recovery Act." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/economy/jobs/recovery-act>. "Reform & Fiscal Responsibility." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/economy/reform>. "Regulation." Mitt Romney for President. Romney for President, Inc., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.mittromney.com/issues/regulation>. "Stimulus Package En Route to Obama's Desk." CNN. Cable News Network, 13 Feb. 2009. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. <http://articles.cnn.com/2009-02-13/politics/stimulus_1_stimulus-packagepackage-that-president-obama-seven-house-democrats?_s=PM:POLITICS>. "The Romney Economy." New York. NewYork Magazine, 03 Oct. 2011. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://nymag.com/print/?/news/politics/mitt-romney-2011-10/>. "Tax." Mitt Romney for President. Romney for President, Inc., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.mittromney.com/issues/tax>. "Trade." Mitt Romney for President. Romney for President, Inc., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.mittromney.com/issues/trade>.