In theIr own words

an issues-based voter guide to the 2012

presidential candidates
abortion

Mitt roMney
im firmly pro-life. i will support justices who believe in following the Constitution and not legislating from the bench. and i believe in the sanctity of life from the very beginning until the very end.1 id like to see roe v. Wade overturned.2

barack obaMa
today marks the 38th anniversary of roe v. Wade.... i am committed to protecting this constitutional right. i also remain committed to policies, initiatives, and programs that help prevent unintended pregnancies.3

Marriage
i oppose same-sex marriage.4 same-sex couples should be able to get married.5

conscience protection
i will guarantee americas first liberty: the freedom of religion. 6 this [healthcare regulation in obamacare] is a violation of conscience. We must have a president who is willing to protect americas first right: our right to worship god according to the dictates of our own conscience.7 the administration strongly objects to sections 536 and 537 [protecting the religious conscience rights of military chaplains so that they cannot be forced to perform same-sex marriages in the military] because those provisions adopt unnecessary and ill-advised policies that would inhibit the ability of same-sex couples to marry.8 (the obama administration also reaffirms that healthcare insurers must conform to the coverage required in the federal health care law, even if they hold religious beliefs to the contrary.)9

HealtH care/obaMacare
We must rein in the skyrocketing cost of healthcare by repealing and replacing obamacare10 and assure that the marketplace allows for individuals to have policies that cover their family up to whatever age they might like. i also want individuals to be able to buy insurance, health insurance, on their own as opposed to only being able to get it on a tax advantage basis through their company.11 We couldnt keep traveling down the same road. For the sake of our families, our businesses and the fiscal future of this country, we had to change course. and thats why, in this very room, i signed the affordable Care act into law.12

1 http://www.lifenews.com/2011/06/14/republican-candidates-proudly-wear-pro-life-label-at-debate 2 http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/download-files/gov-romney-r-ma-profile.pdf 3 http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/01/22/statement-president-roe-v-wade-anniversary 4 http://transcripts.cnn.com/transCriPts/1106/07/pmt.01.html 5 http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/05/10/obama-supports-same-sex-marriage 6 http://www.npr.org/2012/08/30/160357612/transcript-mitt-romneys-acceptance-speech 7 http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/post/romney-wading-into-religious-issues/2012/02/06/giQavqLrvQ_blog.html 8 http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/legislative/sap/112/saphr4310r_20120515.pdf 9 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/health/policy/administration-rules-insurers-must-cover-contraceptives.html?pagewanted=all 10 http://www.npr.org/2012/08/30/160357612/transcript-mitt-romneys-acceptance-speech 11 http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/newsroom/meet-the-press-clips-transcript-sunday-september-9/ 12 http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-affordable-care-act-and-new-patients-bill-rights

2012 wallbuIlders. download at www.wallbuIlders.com/2012voterguIde (attrIbutIons: romney photo by gage skIdmore, obama photo by change.gov)

Mitt roMney
When it comes to the school your child will attend, every parent should have a choice, and every child should have a chance.13

barack obaMa
the ideal of a public education has always been at the heart of the american promise. its why we are committed to fixing and improving our public schools rather than abandoning them and passing out vouchers.14

education/scHool cHoice

second aMendMent
My view is that we have the second amendment right to bear arms....i do not believe in new laws restricting gun ownership and gun use.15 i believe that the Constitution confers an individual right to bear arms. but just because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government cant constrain the exercise of that right.16

energy/keystone
north america will be energy independent by taking full advantage of our oil and coal and gas and nuclear and renewables.17 the Keystone Pipeline will happen if i have to build it myself.18 [the] secretary of state recommended that the application be denied [for the Keystone Pipeline]. ...and i agree.19 [drilling is] not a strategy to solve our energy crisis. We cant just drill our way to lower gas prices.20

econoMy/taxes
i will not raise taxes on the middle class....We will cut the deficit and put america on track to a balanced budget....that means reducing taxes on business, not raising them. it means simplifying and modernizing the regulations that hurt small business the most.21 i do want to bring taxes down for middle income people. in particular, i want middle income americans not to have to pay taxes on interest and dividends and capital gains.22 now, ive cut taxes for those who need it, middleclass families, small businesses.23 (but statistics from President obamas u. s. treasury department show just the opposite).24

israel and a palestinian state

We stand with the israeli people. We link arms with them. if we disagree with them, like this president has time and time again, we dont do it in public like hes done it, we do it in private. and we let the israeli leadership describe what they believe the right course is going forward.25 i look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes, committed to the destruction and elimination of israel.26 the united states believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with israel, Jordan, and egypt, and permanent israeli borders with Palestine. the borders of israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines.27

13 http://www.npr.org/2012/08/30/160357612/transcript-mitt-romneys-acceptance-speech 14 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,516295,00.html#ixzz26yh6qbFK 15 http://www.cfr.org/us-election-2012/republican-debate-transcript-south-carolina-january-2012/p27077 16 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/us/politics/16text-debate.html?pagewanted=print 17 http://www.npr.org/2012/08/30/160357612/transcript-mitt-romneys-acceptance-speech 18 http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7411632n 19 http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/18/statement-president-keystone-xl-pipeline 20 http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2012/02/23/president-obama-university-miami#transcript 21 http://www.npr.org/2012/08/30/160357612/transcript-mitt-romneys-acceptance-speech 22 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48959273/ns/meet_the_press-transcripts/#.uFs1-oY2gpa 23 http://www.npr.org/2012/09/06/160713941/transcript-president-obamas-convention-speech 24 http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/07/obama-s-taxmageddon-tax-increase-would-hurt-job-creation 25 http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/full-transcript-abc-news-iowa-republican-debate/story?id=15134849#.uFeb-iY2gpa 26 http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/09/romney-no-way-there-will-be-israeli-palestinian-peace-2/ 27 http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama-speech-backlash-call-reinstate-1967-mideast-borders/story?id=13639200#.uFssy4Y2gpa