The pundits keep telling us Senator Obama and Senator Clinton are identical on the issues. So I went over to On The Issues and waded through their extensive list of votes and quotes broken down by issue. Know what? The pundits are right. Mostly.
ON THE ISSUES
In the summary, On the Issues rates each senator as Hard Core Liberal. What that means, of course, is that Clinton and Obama would each “answer personal questions to minimize government involvement, but would answer economic questions to include government intervention.” In other words, leave social choices alone but level the playing field by managing economic activities.
Conservatives are just the reverse, more concerned with managing our personal activities and leaving the money game with as few rules as possible. Of course, we all know giving tax breaks to the rich doesn’t create jobs, lack of regulation fueled the housing crisis, and as Larry Beinhart points out in The Myths and Harsh Effects of Bush’s Economic Class War, the recession of 2001 never ended and the growth that President Bush and the Republicans have been touting for seven years is really a debt bubble.
Conservatives use the rhetoric that liberals are immersed in a politics of envy: we’re jealous of the money those rich guys have and want to take it away. We know the truth. Those conservatives are just immersed in a politics of envy: they’re jealous of all the privacy and sex we free-thinkers have and want to take it away.
So for comparison purposes, I’m including Senator John McCain, as well, although he’s not exactly the opposite of a Hard-Core Liberal. He’s a Populist-Leaning Conservative.
PERSONAL ISSUES
- Abortion Is A Woman’s Right
Barack Obama STRONGLY SUPPORTS
Hillary Clinton STRONGLY SUPPORTS
John McCain OPPOSES - Sexual Orientation Protected By Civil Rights Law
Barack Obama STRONGLY SUPPORTS
Hillary Clinton STRONGLY SUPPORTS
John McCain SUPPORT - Organized Prayer In Public Schools
Barack Obama OPPOSE
Hillary Clinton OPPOSE
John McCain SUPPORT - Death Penalty
Barack Obama OPPOSE
Hillary Clinton OPPOSE
John McCain STRONGLY SUPPORT - Mandatory “Three Strikes” Sentencing Laws
Barack Obama OPPOSE
Hillary Clinton OPPOSE
John McCain STRONGLY SUPPORT - Drug Use Is Immoral: Enforce Laws Against It
Barack Obama NO OPINION (2001: questions harsh penalties for drug dealing)
Hillary Clinton STRONGLY OPPOSE (Divert non-violent drug offenders away from prison, Address drug problem with treatment and special drug courts)
John McCain STRONGLY SUPPORT - Allow Churches To Provide Welfare Services
Barack Obama SUPPORT
Hillary Clinton SUPPORT
John McCain STRONGLY SUPPORT - Link Human Rights To Trade With China
Barack Obama STRONGLY SUPPORT
Hillary Clinton STRONGLY SUPPORT
John McCain STRONGLY OPPOSE
ECONOMIC ISSUES
- Require Companies To Hire More Women/Minorities
Barack Obama STRONGLY SUPPORT
Hillary Clinton SUPPORT
John McCain SUPPORT - More Federal Funding For Health Coverage
Barack Obama SUPPORT
Hillary Clinton SUPPORT
John McCain SUPPORT - Privatize Social Security
Barack Obama STRONGLY OPPOSE
Hillary Clinton STRONGLY OPPOSE
John McCain STRONGLY SUPPORT - Spend Resources To Stop Global Warming
Barack Obama STRONGLY SUPPORT
Hillary Clinton STRONGLY SUPPORT
John McCain STRONGLY SUPPORT - Make Income Tax Flatter And Lower
Barack Obama STRONGLY SUPPORT
Hillary Clinton STRONGLY SUPPORT
John McCain OPPOSE - Immigration Helps Our Economy – Encourage It
Barack Obama SUPPORT
Hillary Clinton SUPPORT
John McCain SUPPORT - Support and Expand Free Trade
Barack Obama OPPOSE
Hillary Clinton OPPOSE
John McCain STRONGLY SUPPORT - Continue Foreign Aid to Russia, Israel, Others
Barack Obama SUPPORT
Hillary Clinton SUPPORT
John McCain STRONGLY OPPOSE
In the summary provided by On the Issues, they leave four questions out of the philosophy because, they say, they do not fit the above general liberal/conservative theory. The four questions are very interesting.
- Absolute Right To Gun Ownership
Barack Obama STRONGLY OPPOSES
Hillary Clinton STRONGLY OPPOSES
McCain STRONGLY SUPPORTS - Parents Choose Schools Via Vouchers
Barack Obama OPPOSES
Hillary Clinton STRONGLY OPPOSES
John McCain STRONGLY SUPPORTS - More Spending On Armed Forces Personnel
Barack Obama SUPPORTS
Hillary Clinton STRONGLY OPPOSES
McCain SUPPORTS - Reduce Spending on Missile Defense (”Star Wars”)
Barack Obama SUPPORTS
Hillary Clinton STRONGLY SUPPORTS
McCain SUPPORTS
RATINGS BY INTEREST GROUPS
Bold are issues of particular importance to me, and you can see the differences among the candidates. Find your most important ones and look up the interest groups online.
Hillary Clinton:
Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 60% by the ACLU, indicating a mixed civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)
Rated 89% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 96% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 35% by the US COC, indicating a mixed business voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 75% by the NCJA, indicating a mixed record on criminal justice. (Dec 2005)
Rated 82% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes. (Dec 2003)
Rated 100% by the CAF, indicating support for energy independence. (Dec 2006)
Rated 89% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes. (Dec 2003)
Rated 0% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 17% by CATO, indicating a pro-fair trade voting record. (Dec 2002)
Rated 100% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 100% by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 8% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 85% by the AFL-CIO, indicating a pro-union voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 100% by the AU, indicating support of church-state separation. (Dec 2006)
Rated 100% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 21% by NTU, indicating a “Big Spender” on tax votes. (Dec 2003)
Rated 80% by the CTJ, indicating support of progressive taxation. (Dec 2006)
Barack Obama:
Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 100% by the CTJ, indicating support of progressive taxation. (Dec 2006)
Rated 89% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 100% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 75% by the NCJA, indicating a mixed record on criminal justice. (Dec 2005)
Rated 100% by the CAF, indicating support for energy independence. (Dec 2006)
Rated 8% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 100% by the AU, indicating support of church-state separation. (Dec 2006)
John McCain:
Rated 75% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion. (Dec 2006)
Rated 0% by the ACLU, indicating an anti-civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)
Rated 33% by the HRC, indicating a mixed record on gay rights. (Dec 2006)
Rated 7% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 61% by the US COC, indicating a mixed business voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 29% by CURE, indicating anti-rehabilitation crime votes. (Dec 2000)
Rated 85% by the NCJA, indicating a “tough-on-crime” stance. (Dec 2005)
Rated 45% by the NEA, indicating a mixed record on public education. (Dec 2003)
Rated 17% by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence. (Dec 2006)
Rated 53% by the LCV, indicating a mixed record on environment. (Dec 2003)
Rated 83% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 100% by CATO, indicating a pro-free trade voting record. (Dec 2002)
Rated 25% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 0% by SANE, indicating a pro-military voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 18% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 15% by the AFL-CIO, indicating an anti-union voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 33% by the AU, a mixed record on church-state separation. (Dec 2006)
Rated 40% by the ARA, indicating a mixed record on senior issues. (Dec 2003)
Rated 72% by NTU, indicating “Satisfactory” on tax votes. (Dec 2003)
Rated 50% by CTJ, indicating a mixed record on progressive taxation. (Dec 2006)
WHAT THIS TELLS ME
The only real difference between Obama and Clinton was on Armed Personnel Spending. The rest seems to be a matter of degree. But it reinforced my decision to vote Democrat, no matter what. That means if my girl loses(!), I suppose I’ll go to the booth for Obama. I still think she’d get the job done ten times better, but at least Obama would be fighting the same fight, just not as well. Of course I picture the dream team: Hillary/Barack 2008.
The people who have no candidate this election year are the conservatives. Happy happy day.
Filed under: politics | Tagged: barack obama, candidates, clinton, hillary, john mccain, larry beinhart, mccain, on the issues
I think this breakdown is fantastic. I really admire the work you did. I think there are differences that can’t be measured by policy statements necessarily, so I way favor Hillary Clinton (and I guess you do too) but this is very helpful.
According to a newly-released poll from The Associated Press and Ipsos, Clinton would beat McCain by a wide 9-point margin, 50 percent to 41 percent. But when Obama faces McCain, the two are statistically tied — Obama holds a two point edge over McCain, within the poll’s margin of error.
(http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/28/poll-shows-clinton-has-better-shot-of-beating-mccain/)
Rove also suggests Obama sharpen his repudiation of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s controversial sermons, pledge to name specific Republicans to his administration, and spend more time back in the Senate to burnish his chops as legislator. Obama, Rove says, also needs to stop responding to Clinton’s attacks and offer more concrete policy proposals.
“You have talent, intelligence and tapped into something powerful early in your campaign. But running for president is unlike anything you’ve ever done,” Rove writes. “While you’ll almost certainly win the nomination, Democrats are nervous about the fall. You’ve given them reasons to be.”
(http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/29/rove-tells-obama-how-to-win/)