Many upperclassmen, family members, and faculty will be voting in the upcoming presidential election, so it is important to be knowledgeable about current issues and aware of the potentially controversial viewpoints of the candidates. Where do the candidates stand on abortion, the economy, education, the environment, health care, immigration, and war? Here is a quick summary of the positions of the candidates competing for the GOP nomination.
Newt Gingrich
Abortion: Does not want a constitutional abortion ban and is against Planned Parenthood. (Pro-life)
Economy: Wants to repeal the financial industry regulations that were a result of the Wall Street meltdown and restrict federal power to set low interest rates.
Education: Wants to shrink the Education Department.
Environment: Wants to allow oil and natural gas industries to drill in offshore undeveloped reserves.
Immigration: Supports giving legal status to illegal immigrants with deep roots in the U.S. and who have lived otherwise lawfully, yet wants to direct more Homeland Security resources to the Mexican border.
Healthcare: Prohibits insurers from cancelling or charging hefty increases to insurance holders who get sick.
War: Supports Iraq war and opposes early withdrawal from both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Ron Paul
Abortion: Says federal government should have no authority either to legalize or ban abortion. (Pro-life)
Economy: Intends to eliminate the Federal Reserve and eliminate most federal regulations, which will ultimately decrease general government involvement.
Education: Wants to abolish the Education Department and end the federal role in education.
Environment: Wants to remove restrictions on drilling, increase coal and nuclear power, eliminate the gasoline tax, and enable tax credits for alternative fuel technologies.
Immigration: Intends to take whatever measures necessary to secure the border, end the right to citizenship of native-born children of illegal immigrants, and implement aggressive deportation.
Healthcare: Opposes mandatory insurance and all federal grants for coverage.
War: Wants to bring most or all troops home from foreign posts as soon as possible
Mitt Romney
Abortion: Says states should decide their own abortion laws. (Pro-life) Economy: Proposes lower taxes, less regulation, a balanced budget, and more trade deals to spur growth. Aims to replace jobless benefits with unemployment savings accounts.
Education: Supports No Child Left Behind.
Environment: Supports drilling in the Gulf, the outer continental shelves, Western lands, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and offshore Alaska.
Immigration: Favors a complete U.S.-Mexico border fence, opposes education benefits to illegal immigrants, and supports employers requiring cards for work, leading to “self-deportation.”
Healthcare: Proposes generous subsidies to help future retirees buy private insurance rather than going on Medicare.
War: Has not quantified the troop numbers needed to guarantee a successfully completed mission in Afghanistan.
Rick Santorum
Abortion: Favors constitutional abortion ban and opposes abortion. (Pro-life) Economy: Anticipates eliminating corporate taxes for manufacturers and reducing regulations.
Education: Wants a significantly smaller Education Department but not its elimination.
Environment: Favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, decreasing the strict rules that impede drilling elsewhere, and eliminating energy subsidies in four years.
Immigration: Supports a complete border fence, opposes education benefits to illegal immigrants, supports streamlining citizenship process.
Healthcare: Intends to deprive Obama’s health care law of money needed to implement it.
War: Says he would order bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities unless they were opened for international arms inspectors.
