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November, 2008: Student Voter Guide for the 2008 Presidential Election

Background: Young people are registering to vote in record numbers for the 2008 presidential election. The class has put together a tool for helping new voters decide on the issues. Here we summarize the candidates' views and help identify differences between them.

We began by looking at the role of the federal government in four crucial areas: national security; justice; government services; and the economy. For each of these functions, we identified several key issues. Once you navigate to an issue, you will find the candidates' views, the party's platform, quotes expressing their opinions. For each area, each student committee expressed its opinion in the section titled "What We Think."

— Current Events & Economics Class, Thomas A. Edison High School, Alexandria, Virginia

National Security

Views on American Justice from the 2008 Presidential Candidates

Views on The Economy from the 2008 Presidential Candidates

Views on Government Services from the 2008 Presidential Candidates

National Security: The Constitution gives the national government the critical responsibility for our common defense. We believe that this includes defense policy, counter-terrorism, and foreign affairs. Each candidate for the 2008 Presidential race must address several issues with each area of National Security. Defense policy includes the role of military force in world affairs, the size of the military, and how we care for our returning veterans. Intelligence and counter-terrorism include issues such as how we best fight terrorism and the lengths we may go to gain intelligence information. Foreign Affairs includes issues such as how we work with our allies, how we relate to counties not considered allies, our role in the United Nations, and our approach to foreign aid.

Below are the issues we looked at associated with National Defense. We have analyzed these issues to develop our views on the two leading presidential candidates, specifically John McCain and Barack Obama. Along side this list of issues, we have provided a section on "What We Think" about the issue and the best candidate to address these issues over the next 4 years. The highlighted issues link to a side-by-side comparison between the two candidates on the key issues that separate them.

Defense

• Future plans for the war in Iraq

• Defense budget

• Treatment of our returning veterans

Intelligence

• The Bush Doctrine

• The Patriot Act

• Torture and Guantanamo Bay

Foreign Affairs

• Expansion of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

• Support of the United Nations

• Relations with Russia

• Relations with China

• Foreign aid

What We Think:
National Security

Senators McCain and Obama have similar goals regarding the treatment of our veterans, relations with China, the role of the United Nations, and what should be done about Guantanamo Bay. But they differ in important ways.

We understand both parties' views on the war in Iraq. We understand the Democrats want us to get out of Iraq and prevent the continued loss of American lives. The Republicans want to stay in Iraq to ensure American and Iraqi security over the long run. We thing that leaving Iraq will create a civil war there, enticing terrorist networks to re-form and threaten the United States.

We support the Eastern European missile defense system, as does Senator McCain. We believe that this will continue to put pressure on Russia to tone down its aggressiveness, and create greater security.

We believe, as does Senator McCain, that we should take measures to ensure our security by preventing attacks against. In other words, we support the Bush Doctrine.

Our Choice: John McCain

Approach: We set out to develop a Student Voter Guide for the 2008 Presidential Election based on what the government of the United States should do for us, the American citizens. By researching the presidential candidates' views and record for each government responsibility, we submit that you, THE VOTER, will have a relatively objective body of information upon which to make an informed decision on Election Day.

— Current Events & Economics Class, Thomas A. Edison High School, Alexandria, Virginia

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Candidate Comparison

Role of Government: National Security

Issue: The War in Iraq

Barack Obama	John McCain
Direct quote: "I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war." [BrainyQuotes]	Direct quote: "Our armed forces will fight for peace in Iraq, a peace built on more secure foundations than are found today in the Middle East. Even more important, they will fight for two human conditions of even greater value than peace: liberty and justice." [BrainyQuotes]
Candidate's stand: • Opposed the war in Iraq from the onset. • Opposed the 30,000 troop surge. • Calls for a timetable for withdrawal of United States forces (by the summer of 2010). [On The Issues] • "The decision to invade Iraq diverted resources from the war in Afghanistan, making it harder for us to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden and others involved in the 9/11 attacks." [Barack Obama]	Candidate's stand: • Voted President Bush the authority to use military force in Iraq. • "John McCain believes it is strategically and morally essential for the United States to support the Government of Iraq to become capable of governing itself and safeguarding its people. He strongly disagrees with those who advocate withdrawing American troops before that has occurred." [John McCain] • Supported the surge.
Party platform: "...we must first bring the war to a responsible end. ...Iraq was a diversion from fighting terrorism." [Democratic platform]	Party platform: "To those who have sacrificed so much we owe the commitment that American forces will leave [Iraq] with victory and honor." [Republican platform]

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Candidate Comparison

Role of Government: National Security

Issue: Relations with Russia

Barack Obama	John McCain
Direct quote: "[Expelling Russia from the G-8] would be a mistake. Look, if we're going to do something about nuclear proliferation — just to take one issue — we've got to have Russia involved. The amount of loose nuclear material that's floating around...without Russia's cooperation, our efforts on that front will be greatly weakened." [CNN, 7/13/08]	Direct quote: "I know Mr. Putin. I'I've looked into his eyes, and I saw three letters — KGB. Putin is going to cause us a lot of difficulties... And they are going to be a thorn in our side." [Siberian Light]
Candidate's stand: • "The United States and Europe should immediately commit the resources necessary to rebuild Georgia's economy..." [8/23/08] • "The Russian government must begin to repair its reputation by fully implementing the cease-fire agreement..." [8/23/08] • "I welcome the desire by Georgia [and] Ukraine, to seek closer ties with NATO." [Barack Obama] • Resists the deployment of missile defenses in Eastern Europe.	Candidate's stand: • "John McCain strongly supports the development and deployment of theater and national missile defenses...to hedge against potential threats from possible strategic competitors like Russia..." [John McCain] • "I said before, watch Ukraine. Ukraine, right now, is in the sights of Vladimir Putin..." [Debate, 10/7/08] • Sponsored bill suspending Russia's participation in the G-8. (The bill did not come up for a vote)
Party platform: "As we promote democracy and accountability in Russia, we must work with the country in areas of common interest. ...continue to support a close United States relationship with states that seek to strengthen their ties to NATO and the West, such as Georgia and Ukraine." [Democratic platform]	Party platform: "...matters of serious concern remain, particularly the Russian government's treatment of the press, opposition parties, and the institutions of civil society." [Republican platform]

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Candidate Comparison

Role of Government: National Security

Issue: The Bush Doctrine

Barack Obama	John McCain
Direct quote: "...part of the reason that we neglected Afghanistan, part of the reason that we didn't go after bin Laden as aggressively as we should have is we were distracted by a war of choice. And that's the flaw of the Bush doctrine. It wasn't that he went after those who attacked America. It was that he went after those who didn't." [Salon]	Direct quote: "Defeating radical Islamist extremists in the national security challenge of our time. At home, my administration will be fully prepared to deter, defect, and respond to any attack." [John McCain]
Candidate's stand: "But I think the basic concept is that increasingly, we have to view security in terms of a common security and a common prosperity with other people and other countries." [Barack Obama]	Candidate's stand: • "I agree with the doctrine. And I'd also like to give President Bush a little credit, as we have this discussion. Right after 9/11, every expert in the world said there would be another attack on the United States of America. And there hasn't been." [Salon] • "Co-authored and championed legislation to strengthen our nation's homeland security, create the 911 commission and to implement the commissions recommendation." [John McCain]
Party platform: "We instigated an unnecessary war in Iraq..." [Democratic platform]	Party platform: "For seven years the horrors of 9-11 have not been repeated on American soil..." [Republican platform]