Presidential Comparison Series Part 1

With the Presidential election only a few months away I thought that it would be prudent to compare the choices for you. Most blogs that you read only discuss the big two candidates from the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. I will go further than that because there really is more choice than Barack Obama and John McCain. On the Libertarian Party ticket there is former Congressman Bob Barr. Then over at the Constitution Party they have nominated Chuck Baldwin for President. Then of course there is also the perennial also ran Ralph Nader that is mounting an Independent bid for President. You really don’t see all the candidates thrown up in a side by side comparison. So I have decided that it if no one else will do it, and then it is up to me to do it. Please let me be clear, I am not endorsing or supporting any of these candidates for President. This is simply an exercise in comparison to help you, our loyal reader to make a more informed decision this November.

The format that will be used is going to be by the issues. I will take and issue and explain the stance that each candidate has. It is then up to you the reader to decide what candidate best aligns with your priorities. In this series of blog posts I will attempt to dissect two issues per post to try to limit the number of posts in the series. Of course the first installment of the series, the one that you are reading right now will only contain one issue. Now without further ado, let the games begin.

The first issue that I intend to investigate is the candidate’s position on immigration. Or more specifically what the candidates propose to do about the rampant illegal immigration that is plaguing our great nation. The first candidate to face the firing squad is going to be Democratic Senator Barack Obama.

Barack Obama

The first item that draws the attention when one investigates Senator Obama’s campaign website is the terminology that is used. While he does use the term “illegally”, he doesn’t tie it directly to the word immigrants; instead he uses the favorite terminology of the left “undocumented immigrant”. According to Senator Obama’s website there are three points to the immigration problem: The undocumented population, a broken immigration bureaucracy, and ineffective raids. Now on to Obama’s plan to cure the ills of a “broken” system.

The first point that Senator Obama mentions is to create secure borders. To do this he is calling for increased personnel, infrastructure, and technology at the border. Senator Obama doesn’t offer any ideas or suggestions to do this; he simply states that it needs to be done.

The next point that Obama addresses is an effort to “improve” the United States immigration system. To do this he claims that we must increase the number of legal immigrants. I would like to point out that he doesn’t say by what means this would be accomplished and it leaves one to speculate. He also claims that we must fix the “dysfunctional” bureaucracy but he does not elaborate on any real steps to do this.

The third solution from the Obama plan is to remove the incentives that draw the illegal immigrants in the first place. Once again it states that Senator Obama will remove all incentives by going after businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

Solution number four states the following; “Bring people out of the shadows.” I am not making this up, this is one of the solutions that Senator Obama offers to cure the immigration problem. He wants to allow illegal immigrants in to learn English, pay a fine, and then be eligible to reenter the United States legally. Finally a solution that is somewhat of a solution, it still doesn’t go into detail about how this would be accomplished, but it is a start (maybe).

The final solution that Obama offers us is that we work with Mexico to spur Mexico’s economic development. He believes that if we help Mexico’s economy grow the illegal immigrants will want to stay in their home country.

I will let you draw your own conclusions from this, but I know what I think. I think that Senator Obama likes to hear himself talk. The majority of his plans are nothing more than campaign time rhetoric.

John McCain

Arizona Senator John McCain is the next candidate to go up against the firing line. Let’s see what he is made of, shall we.

When one first enters the section of McCain’s website that is devoted to immigration and border security the first thing that you are presented with is an excerpt from a speech that he gave touting his attempt to push his so-called comprehensive immigration reform bill. That is the bill that all intelligent human beings read and immediately saw it for the amnesty bill that it was. McCain claims that it’s failure wasn’t due to the fact that they opposed it, but because they didn’t believe that the borders would be secured. Further down the page McCain states that his plan would be a two step process.

The first step in John McCain’s immigration plan is simply stated as securing our borders. This is actually a well thought out plan when compared to Senator Obama’s plan. McCain’s plan calls for the setting of guidelines and objectives for securing the border. Surprisingly this calls for the building of a physical fence and a virtual barrier. By virtual one can assume that means a technological fence. He calls for adequate funding of border security. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) and other aircraft as needed. These are just a few of the items outlined in the first step of McCain’s immigration plan.

Step two of McCain’s plan is titled Comprehensive Immigration Initiatives for a Secure Nation. In this step the first thing that McCain wants to accomplish is a verification system that would allow an employer to check on an employee’s eligibility to work in the United States. As an extension of this idea, McCain would also like to prosecute employers that hire illegal immigrants. McCain calls the next part of this step “Meet America’s Labor Needs”. Through this idea, McCain would like to implement temporary worker programs that emphasize the needs of employers. Through this McCain would like to increase the number of green cards available so as to reflect on how many employees that an employer wants. This portion of McCain’s plan shows that it is very well thought out. The next section is titled Address the undocumented. First these illegal immigrants would be required to enroll in a new program so as to resolve their immigration status. According to John McCain’s plan only illegal immigrants that have committed a crime will be deported. However there is one part of this plan that intrigues me. The part in question would require illegal immigrants to learn English, pay back taxes and fines, and pass a citizenship course in their drive to become legal citizens of the United States. Now the part that disturbs me is the one that calls for a system that is fair, humane, realistic, and would ensure the rights of the individual and families.

These are just some of the points that McCain provided on his website. There are many more, but we don’t have the time to discuss them at length.

I am ending this post at this time due to the sheer size. Rest assured that the next installment will compare the third party candidates on this issue. In the mean time I must give McCain the edge on the immigration issue. The main reason for this is because his plan seems more thought out. Senator Obama’s plan as outlined is more of a position rather than and actual plan. This is one of the reason’s that many bloggers and pundits claim that Obama is more style than substance.