The 2012 presidential election is quickly approaching. Candidates are Republican Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama.
Republican Mitt Romney was raised in Bloomingfield, Michigan by his parents, Lenore and George W. Romney. He is married to Ann Davies with whom he has five children.
In 2002 Romney was elected governor of Massachusetts. As governor he developed the Massachusetts health care legislation which, through state-level subsidies and individual mandates, provided health insurance to nearly everyone in the state. He also helped eliminate Massachusetts’s $1.5 billion debt through a combination of spending cuts, increased fees and the termination of corporate tax loopholes.
He did not seek reelection for governor in 2006, but instead began campaigning to become the next president of the United States.
President Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is married to Michelle Obama with whom he has two daughters.
President Obama has signed several economic stimulus legislations in response to the 2007–2009 recessions. In foreign policy, Obama ended US military involvement in the Iraq War, increased troop levels in Afghanistan and ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.
Their viewpoints are as follows:
MILITARY ACTION
Obama ended the Iraq war, increased U.S. troop sizes in Afghanistan, and assisted the Libyan opposition. He plans on ending the war in 2014.
Romney plans to end U.S. combat in Afghanistan by 2014. He would also like to increase strength of our armed forces.
IMMIGRATION
Obama believes that immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children should be exempted from deportation and granted work permits. He claims to being committed to creating a path to citizenship for young illegal immigrants enrolled in college or enlisted in the armed forces.
Romney opposes offering legal status to illegal immigrants who attend college, but would do so for those who serve in the armed forces. He plans on establishing an immigration-status verification system that would punish employers if they hire non-citizens.
FOREIGN POLICY
Obama believes that a strike on Iran is unnecessary, unless it is the only way to stop them from getting nuclear weapons. He also plans to expand military and civilian cooperation withIsrael.
Romney finds that Iran is a threat to the U.S, and that China is a currency manipulator. Like Obama, he also hopes to helpIsrael.
ECONOMY
Obama proposes tax breaks for U.S. manufacturers producing domestically or repatriating jobs from abroad, and tax penalties for U.S. companies outsourcing jobs.
Romney plans lower taxes, less regulation, balanced budget and more trade to improve the economy. He also wishes to replace jobless benefits with unemployment savings accounts.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Obama pushes for more oil and gas drilling. He also believes in investing in clean energy.
Romney supports drilling in the U.S. in areas where exploration has already been approved for developers with good safety records.
HEALTH CARE
Obama saw the passage of his universal coverage plan, in which insurers will be banned from denying coverage to people with pre-existing illness, tax credits will back premiums, people without work-based insurance will now have access to new markets, small business gets help for offering insurance and Medicaid will expand.
Romney promises to create a health care system modeled after his universal health care in Massachusetts. He wishes to expand individual tax-advantaged medical savings accounts and let savings be used for insurance premiums as well as personal medical costs.
The student body voted Wednesday, Oct. 31 for their choice in the 2012 presidential race, and the winner was Mitt Romney, 58% to Barack Obama, 42%.