2000 Election Essay, Research Paper
I have selected to write about the 2000 election and who the two major candidates are and what their plans and ideas are for the presidential seat. This topic has interested me since the beginning of the New Year. With two terms ending for President Bill Clinton, the new election has had a lot at stake. At one end of the ring there is Vice President, Democrat, Al Gore in the hunt for the presidential seat. The other end is Republican, Governor of Texas, George W. Bush following in his father s footsteps. No matter the candidate s party, each of them has many ideas and plans if they are elected.
Democratic candidate, Al Gore, is our current vice president. Gore presently 52 is from Washington, D.C., and has a great deal of political experience. He has held a position in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977-85, the U.S. Senate from 1985-93, and has been Vice President since 1993. Gore also has past military experience serving in the Army from 1969-71.
When asked about the important issues facing the U.S. today such as; Education, Foreign Policy, Health Care, Social Security and Taxes this is some of Gore s positions on each. For education he wants to use $170 billion of budget surpluses for an Education Reform Trust Fund that would finance universal preschool, recruit high-quality teachers, increase salaries of teachers, reduce class size so that there is one teacher for every 20 or fewer students, and build new schools or modernize existing ones. Plus, ensure that there’s a qualified teacher in every classroom. Also, use state assessments and accountability systems to identify failing schools and make sure they are improved quickly and to reward schools that are succeeding.
In Foreign Policies Gore supports a strong military, but favors the reduction of weapons of mass destruction. He also supports free trade, human rights, favors expanding NATO, and supports comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Gore also has a passion with the environment. As a senator he became an expert on global warming, the depletion of the ozone layer, the destruction of the rain forest, and new earth friendly technology. (www.infoplease.com/spot/algore.html) He supports strongly environmental protection.
As for Health Care Gore thinks there should be coverage for every child by 2005 by expanding the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which funds state programs with federal money. The plan would cover children in families earning up to 250 percent of the poverty level (about $41,000 for a family of four). (The plan currently covers those children in families that earn up to 200 percent of the poverty level.) Gore’s plan would allow families that earn more than the 250 percent to buy into CHIP or Medicaid. He would also allow uninsured parents buy into CHIP. Also allow people between the ages of 55-65 to buy into Medicare. Gore supports Patients’ Bill of Rights that would guarantee patients critical health protections and access to specialists, give patients the ability to appeal decisions by HMOs, and expand patients’ and doctors decision-making roles.
Gore s ideas about Social Security are devote all Social Security Surpluses to Social Security and debt reduction. Opposes raising retirement age. Would extend solvency of Social Security through 2054 by strengthening Social Security by using long-term interest savings. Dedicate all Social Security money to the trust fund “lock box” that would only be used to pay benefits to retirees.
His idea s for taxes are as follows; pay off national debt by 2012, dedicate the entire Social Security surplus to reducing the national debt and strengthening Social Security, would then apply the resulting interest savings to strengthen the Social Security Trust Fund, would increase the Earned Income Credit earnings threshold, would use the $2.17 trillion non-Social Security surplus for $480 billion in targeted tax cuts; $360 to strengthen the Medicare program; $870 billion in spending on domestic programs; $300 billion would be left as a “rainy day fund.”
Choosing Senator Joseph Lieberman as his running mate, Vice President Al Gore has a fine lie to walk on. Gore picked Lieberman for his strong moral compass and rectitude. Lieberman has been to the right of Gore on several issues. He shares the vice presidents views on the environment, abortion, gun control and civil rights. He also favors free trade. Lieberman is also the first Jew on the ticket of a national party. He is an Orthodox Jew, which prevents him from working or riding in vehicles from sundown on Friday to sundown on Sunday.
George W. Bush is the 46th Governor of the State of Texas and the Republican nominee for President of the United States. Bush, currently 54, has been Governor of Texas since 1995. He was also a candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in 1978. His military experience is serving in the Texas National Guard for 6 years.
When asked about the important issues facing the U.S. today such as; Education, Foreign Policy, Health Care, Social Security and Taxes this is some of Bush s positions on each. For education Bush wants to create a $500 million incentive fund to reward states for improving student achievement. Schools that don’t improve would have a portion of their federal funding diverted to charter schools. He wants to give states control over standards and testing. Also, he wants to create a Charter School Homestead Fund to provide $3 billion in loan guarantees to help build or improve 2,000 charter schools.
On the Foreign Policy issue Bush opposes Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, unlike Gore who supports it. He also supports reduction of weapons of mass destruction, like Gore. He favors a missile defense system and supports using force to defend U.S. vital interests in the world.
Health Care Bush supports giving Medicare recipients freedom to choose between federal and private prescription drug benefit plans. He would give states freedom to expand Children’s Health Insurance Program to cover as many children as possible, and would give $2,000 health-care credit to families that don’t qualify for Medicaid and are not covered by private plans. Individuals would receive $1,000 credit.
On Social Security he wants to just like Gore, dedicate all Social Security money to the trust fund “lock box” that would only be used to pay benefits to retirees. He opposes any tax increase for Social Security and opposes government investment of Social Security in private stocks or bonds. Supported elimination of Social Security earnings limit.
His ideas on Taxes are to increase annual contribution limit on tax-advantaged Educational Savings Accounts from $500 to $5,000, and expand their reach to beyond college and down to kindergarten. He would like to eliminate the death tax, and the national debt by 2016. Also like Gore, Bush would use the $2.17 trillion non-Social Security surplus for a $1.3 trillion tax cut; $475 billion in spending on domestic programs; and $265 billion in a “rainy day fund.”
George W. Bush selected Richard B. Cheney as his running mate. Three months ago, Bush plucked Cheney from his post as CEO of Halliburton Co., a Texas construction and engineering outfit that services oil companies, to head the vice presidential selection committee. (www.infoplease.com/spot/cheney1.html) Cheney s experience and his personal ties with the Bush family made him the favorite.
The United States will be voting for president within a few weeks, the debates and pre-polls have varied very much over the last few months. Each candidate has been in the lead then out of the lead, it will be a close race until the end. Bush and Gore have some ideas that are the same, but most are different.