Every four years America has a choice. It’s a choice that determines our country’s next path, or, in this case, whether or not we continue down our current road or we take an exit and get in another lane. Elections are a part of what makes America great. The electoral process is woven in the fabric of our nation and every four years, the process proves that America is a place where anyone can achieve anything, and it’s an enduring reminder that America can change its cause and its citizens can participate in the process.
The election coming up in November is no different. We again are faced with a choice. Some say this election is the most important election of our lifetime. This election will certainly prove to be important, and one every citizen should inform themselves about. This time around, American citizens owe it to ourselves, and to each other to learn, to debate, and ultimately to vote.
The beginning or this process involves learning about the our candidates, their stance on important issues, and the important dates, among other essential election information.
Four years ago, America chose then Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois as the 44th President of the United States, as well as then Delaware Senator Joe Biden as Vice President. The ticket is now up for reelection this fall. They will face former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney, and Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
The current Commander-in-Chief is now 51, and he became President after serving a few years in the U.S. Senate, however, before that he was a member of the Illinois State Legislature, and previously had been a candidate for Congress. He was born in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and an American mother from Kansas. After graduating high school he attended Occidental College in California, but later transferred to Columbia University in New York City. He also attended Harvard Law School, and worked as a community organizer in Chicago. He gave a rousing speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, which catapulted him into the national spotlight. Later that year, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and, a few years after that, he announced his run for the U.S. Presidency, which, of course, was successful. His vice president, Joe Biden, is a 69-year-old former attorney originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, as well as Delaware, where he served as a U.S. Senator for over 35 years.
The President and Vice President, of course, share many of the same views on key issues. Both believe in a women’s right to choose, as well as the right for same sex couples to marry, or to be joined in a civil union. They believe in taxing the rich more, investing more in green energy, and providing universal healthcare, which they passed in 2010. They have shown support for stricter gun control, and have taken steps which would allow young illegal immigrants to stay in America only if they were brought here by no fault of their own.
Their opponents will be former Governor Mitt Romney and Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan. Mitt Romney is a wealthy businessman born in Michigan to a former Governor, George Romney. He’s now 65-years-old and is well-known for his Mormon faith. He has five children with his wife, Ann. In 1999 he was chosen to head the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where he was praised for pulling those Olympic games out of debt and being able to run a successful Olympic event. Romney is most known for his term as governor of Massachusetts, where he, most notably, signed into law his healthcare law that provided near universal healthcare, while also putting into place individual mandates. This law has come under heavy fire and criticism for being nearly the exact same plan as that of President Obama. Romney ran for the Republican nomination for President in 2008, but lost to John McCain. Last June, he announced he would be running again, and this time he succeeded in gaining the nomination. His running mate is Paul Ryan, a 42-year-old, former legislative aide from Wisconsin. He and his wife ,Janna, have three young children. Ryan, most notably, now serves as Chairman of the House Budget Committee in Congress.
Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan, like that of their counterparts, share similar views. Romney has been known to be somewhat of a “flip-flopper” on key issues such as gay marriage and abortion. As it stands today, he believes that an abortion should only occur in the case of rape, incest, and when it’s necessary to save the woman’s life. He also supports a constitutional amendment defining marriage between a man and a woman, which would ban all same-sex marriages.
Paul Ryan’s views are, for the most, part fairly comparable. He also believes marriage should only be between a man and a woman. On abortion however, he believes the only exception should be when the woman’s life is at risk. They both believe in slashing corporate and estate taxes and believe in cutting taxes for higher earning individuals. Both advocate strong personal responsibilities and believe unemployment and welfare benefits discourage people from finding work. Romney and Ryan would try to overturn the health care law signed by President Obama, push for strong cuts to the federal budget, and try to solve immigration by issuing a new system of identification cards which would, they believe, deter immigrants from wanting to find illegal employment in America and subsequently, encourage them to deport themselves.
The big issue concerning Paul Ryan is Medicare. As part of his plan to decrease the deficit and cut more of the federal budget, his plan would privatize Medicare and give people, those now born after 1958, a fixed sum of money from the government to go out and buy private insurance. Romney has mostly agreed with this plan, but actually now has his own plans about how to deal with Medicare and other entitlements. This has been the critical issue with Congressman Ryan and one that he will continue to come under attack for.
A few important dates you should look for in the coming weeks and months should include the Republican National Convention from August 27 to August 30, and the Democratic National Convention, from September 4 to September 6. Also important are the debates. There will be three presidential debates, and one vice presidential debate. The presidential debates are scheduled for October 3 in Denver, Colorado, October 16 in Hempstead, New York, and October 22 in Boca Raton, Florida. The one and only vice presidential debate will occur on October 11 in Danville, Kentucky. Finally, November 6 is Election Day.
This election will surely be a memorable one and will produce stories that will be told for generations. Like all elections, this one is truly important. This election will see Americans of every background, every ethnicity, every age, and every political stripe cast their votes and help choose America’s course for the next four years. This November Americans will take with them the hopes of not only themselves, but also of their children, community, country, and the world.
Participate in our democracy and vote for the candidates you think are the best choice. Educate yourselves on the issues, debate, but, most importantly, don’t forget to go and cast your ballot and help carry on the promise that America is a place where citizens can help change the country and the world.
