Paper on US Presidential Campaigns

This has been the strangest of American election flows the most exciting in 40 years in terms of the closeness of the contest, yet one in which both major candidates have utterly fai direct to capture the national imagination. The lead in the polls has changed choke half a dozen times since September and, even at this late stage, only the very bravest d be forecast the outcome.Campaigning, alas, tends to bring out the lather in venire. As the standard-bearer of the incumbent party, he should have long since locked up this election. Yet his turgid style, his maddening tendency to condescension, and his craven unwillingness to hold up from the script provided by his advisers have combined to squander the peace and prosperity factor that should have guaranteed victory.It should be said, too, that his Republican opponent, George W Bush, has improved considerably as the campaign has progressed. Not only has he won the personality contest, a vital component of any American election, hands d proclaim he has held his own in the second debate, adroitly foc social functiond his attack on Gores weak points, and avoided the gaffes that everyone expected. In short, he has done enough to garner a plausible president. that that does non mean he would be a good president.His short attention span, his pervasive escapes of curiosity, his general lightness of being, remain unnerving. He has mastered his lines, save all too often does not seem to understand them. On the domestic front, Gores ideas for using the massive work out surpluses ahead are far more convincing his ideas on abortions, global warming, education, and campaign-finance reform more clearly address the problems facing America. Gore-appointed justices in the Supreme Court would offer added protection against a brotherly lurch to the right.Al Gore believes that a woman should have a right to legal abortions, and that they should be safe and rare. Gore supports FDA approval of abortion pad Mifeprex and he wants to reinforce security around clinics to protect the doctors who perform abortions, and the patients who seek their services. I think its up to the woman, and I strongly support a womans right to chose, and I support the FDAs approval, assuming its safe for the woman who takes it, said Gore. Bush on the other hand disagrees completely saying that the FDAs decision was totally wrong.Ensuring Clean and Reliable Sources of Electricity Al Gores plan would ensure clean and reliable sources of electricity by enhancing our nations capacities to reliably generate and distribute electricity and by providing market-based incentives to clean up aging power plants. Gore revived the issue of global warming, a field from his past that he has generally ignored this year. Seizing on a new UN report asserting that pollution appears to be raising world temperatures, Gore tried to portray global warming as a populist issue.He called the effort to stop global warming a fight against huge pol luters, in an attack similar to those he has made on drug companies, insurance companies, & health-maintenance organizations. It does not have to happen and wont happen if we gravel our minds to solving this problem, Gore said of the predicted rise in temperature and problems that would create. Gores turn to global warming suggests he now thinks he can use the subject to cast an unfavorable light on Bush, who has expressed skepticism about the danger. Bush says, Its an issue that we need to take very seriously. I dont think we know the solution to global warming yet and I dont think weve got all the facts before we make decisions.In the field of education Gore says We cant reform education with half an agenda. We cant make education our top priority if huge tax cuts for the wealthy are already the first, second, and third priority. Thats really the choice we face a commitment to education for life or a set of priorities that could leave us with budget deficits for life. He argues t hat if you drain the money away from the public schools for private vouchers, it hurts the public schools. George W. Bush has a narrower education agenda because his massive tax cut leaves a few(prenominal) resources to invest in education.Vice President Al Gore supports reforms to eliminate gray areas in legislation. He backs McCain-Feingold Bill because its that important that all of the issues manage prescription drugs for seniors that is opposed by the drug companies, will be easier to pass if we limit the influence of special interests. Whereas Bush supports an effort to ban corporate semisoft money & labor union soft money. Bush thinks that there needs to be instant disclosure on the Internet as to whos prone to whom.Gore supports using $2.2 trillion of the Social Security surpluses to shore up the program and pay down the debt, thus saving billions of dollars in interest, which can be redirected to ensuring the solvency of the Social Security trust fund until at least 205 0. He supports the elimination of the Social Security earnings limit, which the president signed into law on April 7, 2000. Gore supports an increase in benefits for widows and eliminating the motherhood penalty the resulting reduction in benefits for women who take time off from work to raise children.I do not believe its right to play games with Social Security or pit young against old in a scramble to fulfill extravagant and competing campaign promises, he said in a speech in Kissimmee, in central Florida. I believe we have to strengthen Social Security by giving unprecedented new opportunities for families to save more, invest more and get higher returns, Gore said. Bush does not rule out the possibility of ascension the eligibility age for baby boom-era recipients as part of trade-off for private investment accounts.Bush freely admits that he would rely on advisers. They are an indisputably reassuring bunch, led by Colin Powell, his likely Secretary of State, and Dick Cheney, his running mate and a former Secretary of Defense. But what if the advisers disagree? Again, I come back to Bushs lack of depth. The Republican might have won the campaign. But Gore deserves to win the election and the presidency Gores views are clearly more analytic and realistic to this country and thats why I would vote for Gore.