News - Vote! Change vs. Reform

Throughout the campaign process, both Barack Obama and John McCain have offered a new direction for voters in this year’s election. Obama has focused his campaign around the notion of “change” in American policy, while McCain has offered a similar idea of transforming government through the use of the word “reform.” Although both words basically hold the same definition, the desired change or reform that the two candidates say they want to bring to Washington will heavily influence how Americans vote in this year’s election.

The definition behind both of these ideas are actually quite similar in their meanings. Reform is defined as an amendment of something that was previously corrupt or defective, while on the other hand change means to make different.

The employment of these two terms has allowed both candidates to make their arguments to the American people as to how they would institute different policies than those put in place by the current president, George W. Bush. Nonetheless, these two arguments beg the question, ‘what type of change or reform will the two candidates actually bring about if and when they are elected president?’

In terms of how Obama will change the direction of American politics, he first looks to revolutionize how Washington works by ridding government of lobbyists and special interest groups who he says have corrupted America’s way of doing business for too long.

“I am in this race to tell the corporate lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over. I have done more than any other candidate in this race to take on lobbyists — and won. They have not funded my campaign, they will not run my White House, and they will not drown out the voices of the American people when I am president,” Barack Obama said during a speech in Des Moines, IA.

This idea of ridding Washington of corporate lobbyists and special interests also ties into what kind of policy changes he will make if elected president. It drives the Illinois senator’s focus on specific issues like health care and energy, where he says corporate lobbyists have affected decision making on these pertinent issues.

In terms of health care, Obama says for too long people have been offered two extremes - government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Under Obama’s plan, he would provide the American people with a national health care system similar to the plan that the current members of Congress have.

Energy is another issue the Democratic nominee feels has been corrupted by special interest groups acting on behalf of oil companies. He intends to eliminate America’s dependence on foreign oil within 10 years, create millions of new green jobs, implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 and make the United States a leader on climate change.

Obama will also change America’s policies on such pertinent issues as Iraq, foreign policy, economy and education. Major changes on these issues include a responsible, phased withdrawal from Iraq, a drastic change in American diplomacy, an end to the Bush tax cuts that give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and ensuring that all Americans are guaranteed a quality education and the opportunity to attend college.

Like Obama, McCain has talked about “shaking up” Washington by reforming the way government does almost everything. His argument to the American people on this matter has revolved around his maverick status, choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate, and a record of fighting corruption, reducing spending and reaching across the aisle.

McCain believes all the current functions of government were designed before the rise of the global economy, the information technology revolution and the end of the Cold War. He says that America has to catch up to history and change the way business is conducted in Washington.

“I’m not in the habit of breaking promises to my country and neither is Governor Palin. And when we tell you we’re going to change Washington, and stop leaving our country’s problems for some unluckier generation to fix, you can count on it. We’ve got a record of doing just that, and the strength, experience, judgment and backbone to keep our word to you,” McCain said during his acceptance speech in St. Paul, Minn.

McCain’s intentions of reforming Washington are centered on such high-profile issues as cleaning up Wall Street and providing Americans more health care options. He intends to reform Wall Street by asking for more governmental regulation to oversee financial institutions and strengthen them to avoid having to rescue them with a bailout plan. He has also called for the reform of laws that will require more disclosure by financial institutions.

McCain has also called for reform on the topic of health care. He intends to do this by giving Americans more control over their health care choices, requiring health providers to disclose fees and anticipated outcomes to ensure accountability and transparency and encouraging competition in drug markets through the implementation of a tax credit.

McCain also intends to reform such issues as immigration, abortion, campaign finance and the election system. He intends to accomplish this by securing boarders and reinstituting comprehensive immigration reform, overturning Roe v. Wade and putting abortion rights back in the hands of the states, and the reform of campaign finances and the electoral system to restore the public’s faith in politics.

While both Obama and McCain throw around such broad terms as “change” and “reform” in the final week leading up to the election, in the end it will be up to the voters to listen to each candidate’s message and determine whether or not it is the type of change or reform they desire out of American politics.

Barack Obama

Health Care:

Obama’s health care plan provides affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, builds on the existing health care system, and uses existing providers, doctors and plans to implement the plan. Under the Obama plan, patients will be able to make health care decisions with their doctors instead of being blocked by insurance company bureaucrats.

Under the plan, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes except your costs will go down by as much as $2,500 per year. If you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of new, affordable health insurance options.

Education:

Obama says the goal of “No Child Left Behind” was the right one, but unfulfilled funding promises, inadequate implementation by the Education Department and shortcomings in the design of the law itself have limited its effectiveness and undercut its support. Obama’s education plan will implement a “zero to five” plan, expand Head Start programs, reform “No Child Left Behind,” recruit, prepare, retain, and reward America’s teachers and create a college tax credit for students looking to attend college, among many other initiatives serving students in K-12 to higher education institutions.

Economy:

While wages remain flat, the costs of basic necessities are increasing. The cost of in-state college tuition has grown 35 percent over the past five years. Health care costs have risen four times faster than wages over the past six years. And the personal savings rate is now the lowest its been since the Great Depression. Obama’s economic plan intends to jumpstart the economy by enacting a windfall profits tax, provide tax cuts for working class families, eliminate income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000, fight for fair trade, invest in the manufacturing sector to create 5 million new green jobs and provide tax relief for small businesses.

Abortion:

Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women’s rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as president. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision

in that case.

Energy:

America has always risen to great challenges and our dependence on foreign oil is one of the greatest we have ever faced. It’s a threat to our national security, our planet and our economy. Obama’s “New Energy for America” plan intends to provide short-term relief for American families facing pain at the pump, eliminate our current imports from the Middle East and Venezuela within 10 years, create millions of new green jobs and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.

Gun Control:

Obama has long supported gun control laws while serving in the Senate. He endorsed an Illinois ban on handguns and cosponsored a bill in 2000 to limit gun purchases to one gun per month. He has supported states’ and cities’ rights to local gun laws, would like to ban semi-automatics and would like to require gun manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.

Foreign Policy:

In 2002, as the conventional thinking in Washington lined up with President Bush for war, Obama had the judgment and courage to speak out against going to war, and to warn of “an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences.” Obama intends to implement a responsible, phased withdrawal of our troops in Iraq. He also looks to renew America diplomacy by offering open talks with foreign leaders.

John McCain

Health Care:

An important part of the plan is to use competition to improve the quality of health insurance with greater variety to match people’s needs, lower prices and portability. Under McCain’s plan he will offer a $2,500 tax credit for individuals and a $5,000 tax credit for families to offset the cost of insurance. He also intends on making insurance more portable and expanding health accounts benefits.

Education

McCain believes American education must be worthy of the promise we make to our children and ourselves. He understands that we are a nation committed to equal opportunity, and there is no equal opportunity without equal access to excellent education. McCain’s education plan will pursue reforms that address the underlying cultural problems in our education system; he will place parents and children at the center of the education process and believes all federal financial support must be predicated on providing parents the ability to move their children, and the dollars associated with them, from failing schools.

Economy:

McCain believes we must get government’s fiscal house in order. American workers and families pay their bills and balance their budgets. McCain will demand the same of the government. He intends to bring the budget to balance by 2013, support reasonable economic growth through small businesses, lower barriers to trade and provide immediate relief for families struggling to pay for rising gas and food prices.

Abortion:

McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench. Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat.

Energy:

Our nation’s future security and prosperity depends on the next president making the hard choices that will break our nation’s strategic dependence on foreign sources of energy and will ensure our economic prosperity by meeting tomorrow’s demands for a clean portfolio. McCain intends to do this by expanding domestic oil and natural gas exploration and production, reforming the transportation sector, investing in clean, alternative sources of energy, promoting energy efficiency and protecting our environment and addressing climate change.

Gun Control:

McCain thinks guns are a problem, but so are violent websites and videos. He believes in prosecuting criminals, not citizens for gun ownership. Over his career McCain has voted yes on maintaining a current law that allows guns to be sold without trigger locks and yes on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers for crimes committed by third parties. He also opposes waiting periods for law-abiding citizens to purchase guns.

Foreign Policy:

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. McCain advocates continuing the successful counterinsurgency strategy that began in 2007. He also will call for international pressure on Syria and Iran and level with the American people about the opportunities and risks that lie ahead.