Both candidates have detailed plans for a litany of issues facing the nation. For more, check out their sites, barackobama.com and johnmccain.com.
Senator Barack Obama:
Economy: Cut income taxes by $500 per person ($1,000 per family making less than $250,000 a year). In essence, rewrite the tax code. Provide $50 billion to jumpstart the economy; invest in infrastructure, roads, bridges, and hospitals; invest in new energy to spur 5 million new jobs.
Education: Has a detailed plan from pre-school through higher ed. Among new ideas is to grant Early Learning Challenge Grants to promote zero-to-five efforts to help states move toward voluntary, universal pre-school.
Iraq: Supports a 16-month timeline that would bring back the troops by summer of 2010 (more than 7 years after the war began); wants Iraq to start using its $75 billion-plus surplus to help in their own rebuilding.
Healthcare: For the uninsured, provide health insurance like the policies members of Congress have. For those who have insurance, reduce premiums by up to $2,500 per family annually.
Immigration: Voted for DREAM Act (McCains bill). It would grant legal status to some students and give state tuition to others; Crack down on companies that hire undocumented; Co-sponsored the Citizenship Promotion Act to ensure that immigration application fees are reasonable and fair. Introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together. Supports fence along US-Mexico border.
Equal Pay For Equal Work: Says its the first thing he’ll sing into law.
Cuba: Will ease the embargo, so that Cuban-Americans can visit families on island easily; will sit down if necessary with Raul or Fidel Castro, without preconditions.
Venezuela: Will meet with President Hugo Chavez without preconditions
Puerto Rico: Supports a current congressional referendum that would grant Puerto Ricans the right to self-determination.
(Source: barackobama.com; AP; Latina Magazine (October, 2008.)
Senator John McCain
Economy: Lower taxes for corporations and small businesses to spur job growth, and less government regulation.
Education: Various proposals, among them to provide bonuses for teachers who locate to underperforming schools; allocate $250 million in grants to support states that commit to expanding online education opportunities.
Iraq: Keep troops there until victory; advocates counterinsurgency strategy that began in 2007.
Healthcare: Will grant every family $5,000 refundable tax credit to buy the health insurance they want and need.
Immigration: Co-sponsored with Sen. Ted Kennedy the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, which called for secure borders and creation of two visa programs for foreign workers, one for the low-skilled and a second for skilled workers. Co-sponsored DREAM Act that would grant legal status to some students and give in-state tuition to others but mysteriously missed the vote on his own bill. Supports the US-Mexico fence.
Equal Pay for Equal Work: Against it.
Cuba: will continue the embargo and not sit down with tyrants (McCain’s word) Raul or Fidel Castro.
Venezuela: Will not meet with (McCain’s word) petro-dictator Hugo Chavez without pre-conditions.
Puerto Rico: Issue is not on the Senator’s radar or Web site. Spokesperson did not return phone calls at press time.
(Source: johnmccain.com; AP; Latina (October 2008.)
Latino Celebs for Obama:
Jimmy Smits: An Obama supporter and a Democrat through and through, says his spokeswoman.
Luis Guzmán: wears an Obama T-shirt every day of the week.
Jessica Alba: “I want my little girl to live in a better America.”
George Lopez: canvassed for Obama in the Southwest, even bagged groceries at a supermarket.
Latino Celeb for McCain:
Daddy Yankee: “I support him ’til death.”
At a glance
Latino vote:
12 % nationally
50% are of those are under 40
33% are under 33
13% live in battleground states