Pre-election Presidential Debates
Leading up to the General Election on Nov. 6, presidential candidates President Barack Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney participated in three presidential debates.
The first debate took place on Oct. 3 at the University of Denver.
During this debate, a myriad of topics were discussed. One central focus was the economy and both candidates talked about cutting the deficit and economic growth.
Obama said that he believes that the United States should invest in education and training and develop new sources of energy. He also said that he wants to change the tax rates to help small business, which will reduce the deficit in a balanced way.
Romney focused on his Five-Step Plan. Step one is to help North America become energy-independent, which he said will create four million jobs. Step Two is to open up more trade, particularly with Latin America, and crack down on China if China tries to “cheat” the United States. Step Three is to make sure that the American people have the skills they need to succeed and ensure that the United States has the best schools in the world, from which, he said, we are far away. Step Four is to create a balanced budget. Step Five is to champion small business, because Romney said small businesses are the businesses that create jobs.
Romney also said he would cut government spending on programs that are not critical, and he will determine that by asking the question, “Is the program so critical that it’s worth borrowing money from China to pay for it?” If not, he will cut it. He said he will, for example, cut government subsidies to the Public Broadcasting Service. He said he would do this despite the fact that he “loves Big Bird”—a quote that quickly went viral through social media sites such as Twitter.
During the debate, the candidates also discussed “Obamacare”—the Affordable Care Act—and their intentions for it. Romney said that he would repeal it, because the cost of the ACA will be too high. He claimed that the ACA will cost the average family an additional $2,500 a year. He also said that to pay for the ACA, money would be cut from the Medicare program, something with which he does not agree. He also said that three-quarters of the businesses polled said that they would hire fewer employees to pay the extra cost of the ACA. Romney did say, however, that he would not simply repeal the act, but would replace it with another system.
Obama defended the Affordable Care Act by pointing out what he considers it benefits, including that people with pre-existing conditions can not be denied medical insurance coverage, that insurance companies can not create a lifetime limit on care, and that children could be covered under their parents’ insurance until the children are 26 years old.
The candidates also discussed their different views on the role of the federal government.
Obama said that he believes the primary purpose of the federal government is to keep the American people safe.
Romney said that the role of the federal government is to promote and protect the principles of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. He explained that the responsibility of the federal government is to protect American citizens’ lives and liberties, so he does not believe in cutting the military and wants to maintain military strength. He also said that the federal government should continue to demonstrate religious tolerance and promote religious freedoms.
The second debate was held at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on Oct. 16.
This debate featured a “town hall” format, with attendees asking the candidates questions.
Topics similar to those of the first debate were covered. However, new issues were brought up, such as women in the workplace and the fact that women statistically make less money than men in the same positions.
Both candidates also discussed how they would handle immigration, both legal and illegal, and immigration processes. Issues of gun and weapons control also were discussed.
Another issue both candidates spoke about was the outsourcing of American jobs overseas.
Romney said he intends to try to decrease the outsourcing of American jobs by making the United States attractive for entrepreneurs to start small businesses, to invest and to grow, which he believes will help create many jobs. He said that China is a currency manipulator because China has held down the value of its currency.
Obama said he wants to close the loopholes that allow companies to deduct their expenses when they move to China. He said that Romney’s plan would not create jobs, and that the way to create jobs was to double exports.
The final debate between the two presidential candidates was held on Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. This debate focused on foreign policy.
Moderater Bob Scheiffer said that according to the current policy, responsibility for security in Afghanistan will be passed over to the Afghans in 2014, with only a small number of U.S. troops remaining in Afghanistan for training. Schieffer then asked, hypothetically, if Afghans were not ready to handle Afghanistan’s security in 2014, whether troops would remain in Afghanistan or leave as planned.
Romney said that there has been substantial progress over the past few years, so the Afghans will be trained to take over security for Afghanistan as planned by 2014.
Obama said that there has been progress over the past few years and predicted that the Afghans will be fit for the responsibility. He also said that after more than a decade, it is time for nation-building at home in the United States.
While foreign policy was supposed to be the main focus of the debate, much of the debate was filled with talk that the candidates already had addressed in the first two debates, such as education, health care and budget deficits.
