Mendoza, Maria Racela R.
This coming November 2008, the American people will again decide on what their nation’s fate will be through the leaders they shall choose. The whole world is involved as we wait for the decision to be made, as we are all affected by what the outcomes will be.
John McCain and Barack Obama both have qualities that make them good leaders. Jennifer Agiesta, in her article published in Washington Post, reported that the people are having a hard time choosing who to vote for.
The Two Candidates' Brief Historical Background
John McCain has been a senator in the United States Senate from 1987. Barack Obama, on the other hand, has been a senator in the United States Senate only since 2005. Prior to that, Obama was a senator in the Illinois State Senate from 1997 to 2004.
John McCain graduated from Episcopal High School in 1954. He then followed through with his studies in the United States Naval Academy where he graduated 894th of 899 class in 1958. As a teen, he was a free spirit that did not do so well under the strict rules of the Academy. After graduating, John McCain moved on to National War College and graduated in 1973.
Barack Obama’s educational history is quite different from McCain’s, as Obama’s childhood was made up of a diverse culture. He studied in the Franciscus Assisi Roman Catholic Primary School in Jakarta, Indonesia, from kindergarten through the third grade. Obama was registered on January 1, 1968, under the name Barry Soetoro, an Indonesian citizen whose religion was listed as Islam.
Senator Obama's kindergarten teacher, remembers him as an exceptionally tall and curly haired child who quickly picked up the local language and had sharp math skills. He wrote an essay titled, 'I Want To Become President'.
His third grade teacher, Fermina Katarina Sinaga asked her class to write an essay titled 'My dream: What I want to be in the future.' Senator Obama wrote again, 'I Want to Be A President,' according to the teacher.
In the fourth grade, Obama went to the Basuki School, also located in Jakarta. Then he went back to Hawaii and studied in the Punahou School from the fifth grade to the twelfth grade. After which he went to Occidental College in L.A. for two years; then he went to Columbia University in New York, BA in political science, 1983. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1991.
Their Positions on Sensitive Issues
HEALTH CARE
John McCain opposes universal health care; although on the other hand, he supports imporitng prescription drugs to lower costs. He would offer a refundable $2,500 tax credit and $5,000 for families. He would open health care markets by allowing providers to practice nationwide, rather than restricting them regionally, allowing the purchase of health insurance across state lines.
However, Barack Obama claims that medical bills and health-related issues are the number one cause for personal bankruptcy. This is why it is one of his definite priorities to promote affordable, accessible, and high-quality health care. Also, he would mandate thatall children have health care coverage. He would create a national public insurance program that would allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health care similar to that available to federal employees. He supports universal health care, and believes that the government should buy prescription drugs in bulk to reduce costs. His plan would require all employers to contribute toward health coverage for their employees or toward the cost of the public plan. He wants hospitals to be graded on performance and switch to more cost-effective, comupterized record-keeping systems. Obama would create a national health insurance exchange to reform the private insurance market.
MINIMUM WAGE
McCain has voted both for and against minimum wage bills.
Obama would raise the minimum wage,index it to inflation and increase the Earned Income Tax Credit. He has voted for increases in the minimum wage.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Senator Obama wants Homeland Security money targeted more towards high-risk areas such as nuclear facilities, chemical plants, and ports. Also, he wants more quality tracking of nuclear technology and spent nuclear fuel so that it doesn't end up in terrorist hands.
Senator McCain wants intelligence officials to have all the tools they need to fight terrorism. He opposes enemy combatants without giving them legal rights.
This coming November 2008, the American people will again decide on what their nation’s fate will be through the leaders they shall choose. The whole world is involved as we wait for the decision to be made, as we are all affected by what the outcomes will be.
John McCain and Barack Obama both have qualities that make them good leaders. Jennifer Agiesta, in her article published in Washington Post, reported that the people are having a hard time choosing who to vote for.
The Two Candidates' Brief Historical Background
John McCain has been a senator in the United States Senate from 1987. Barack Obama, on the other hand, has been a senator in the United States Senate only since 2005. Prior to that, Obama was a senator in the Illinois State Senate from 1997 to 2004.
John McCain graduated from Episcopal High School in 1954. He then followed through with his studies in the United States Naval Academy where he graduated 894th of 899 class in 1958. As a teen, he was a free spirit that did not do so well under the strict rules of the Academy. After graduating, John McCain moved on to National War College and graduated in 1973.
Barack Obama’s educational history is quite different from McCain’s, as Obama’s childhood was made up of a diverse culture. He studied in the Franciscus Assisi Roman Catholic Primary School in Jakarta, Indonesia, from kindergarten through the third grade. Obama was registered on January 1, 1968, under the name Barry Soetoro, an Indonesian citizen whose religion was listed as Islam.
Senator Obama's kindergarten teacher, remembers him as an exceptionally tall and curly haired child who quickly picked up the local language and had sharp math skills. He wrote an essay titled, 'I Want To Become President'.
His third grade teacher, Fermina Katarina Sinaga asked her class to write an essay titled 'My dream: What I want to be in the future.' Senator Obama wrote again, 'I Want to Be A President,' according to the teacher.
In the fourth grade, Obama went to the Basuki School, also located in Jakarta. Then he went back to Hawaii and studied in the Punahou School from the fifth grade to the twelfth grade. After which he went to Occidental College in L.A. for two years; then he went to Columbia University in New York, BA in political science, 1983. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1991.
Their Positions on Sensitive Issues
HEALTH CARE
John McCain opposes universal health care; although on the other hand, he supports imporitng prescription drugs to lower costs. He would offer a refundable $2,500 tax credit and $5,000 for families. He would open health care markets by allowing providers to practice nationwide, rather than restricting them regionally, allowing the purchase of health insurance across state lines.
However, Barack Obama claims that medical bills and health-related issues are the number one cause for personal bankruptcy. This is why it is one of his definite priorities to promote affordable, accessible, and high-quality health care. Also, he would mandate thatall children have health care coverage. He would create a national public insurance program that would allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health care similar to that available to federal employees. He supports universal health care, and believes that the government should buy prescription drugs in bulk to reduce costs. His plan would require all employers to contribute toward health coverage for their employees or toward the cost of the public plan. He wants hospitals to be graded on performance and switch to more cost-effective, comupterized record-keeping systems. Obama would create a national health insurance exchange to reform the private insurance market.
MINIMUM WAGE
McCain has voted both for and against minimum wage bills.
Obama would raise the minimum wage,index it to inflation and increase the Earned Income Tax Credit. He has voted for increases in the minimum wage.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Senator Obama wants Homeland Security money targeted more towards high-risk areas such as nuclear facilities, chemical plants, and ports. Also, he wants more quality tracking of nuclear technology and spent nuclear fuel so that it doesn't end up in terrorist hands.
Senator McCain wants intelligence officials to have all the tools they need to fight terrorism. He opposes enemy combatants without giving them legal rights.
REFERENCES:
http://johnmccain.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_mccain
http://washingtonpost.com
1 comment:
Your article seemed inclined towards Obama ;-)
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