By Heather Highley
As Sarah Palin and Joe Biden’s political careers have potential advancement, their views on certain issues are being heard more frequently. Such views as the economy and abortion are important to their character and their future in the White House. The race for vide president pits a young female governor with new age thinking against an older male senator who is set in his ways.
Let’s start with Palin’s view on the economy. In her 2006 campaign for governor of Alaska she focused on reducing government spending and maintaining a balanced state budget. In January 2007, during a state address for Alaska, Palin said, “I have established an aggressive goal of reducing general fund spending by $150 million. … It’s a necessary step to ensure that we can fund essential services tomorrow; and avoid massive ‘single year’ cuts down the road, if and when, faced with tougher times.”
In March 2007, on her 100th day press release, Palin reduced general fund spending by $124 million. “Through a collective effort, Governor was able to reduce general fund spending in the operating budget alone by over $124 million. The capital budget maximizes federal funding and focuses on the Administration’s priorities.”
According to Political Science Professor Spencer Meredith, “Sarah Palin’s view on the economy is not sufficient enough because she has very little experience on the overall economy. It’s much different than a state economy such as Alaska’s.”
An Alaska resident, Anne Kilkenny, will agree with the professor in New Jersey, “Sarah has zero clue about the economy crisis and the bank crisis and the mortgage crisis,” Kilkenny stated in a phone interview.
Since chosen for the Republican vice president nomination, Palin answers most of the economic questions in her presidential running mate John McCain’s point of view. When asked what she thinks of the $700 billion bailout in an interview with CBS’s Katie Couric in September 2008 she stated, “We have to look at the details of the bailout. Unless there are amendments in Treasury Secretary Paulson’s proposal, I don’t believe that Americans are going to support this and we will not support this.”
Biden tracked more on the record than Palin. Because he is in the Senate his votes are marked. In a quick overview of his voting track, in 1997 he voted yes on a balanced-budget constitutional amendment, in 1998 he voted yes on the 1998 GOP budget, in 2000 he voted no on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts, and in 2005 he voted no on $40 billion in reduced federal overall spending.
From ontheissues.org, the 2000 prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts was an amendment that would increase the amount of the budget that would be used to reduce the national debt by $75 billion over five years. The debt reduction would be offset by reducing the tax cut in the budget framework from $150 billion (reference Bill S Con Res 101; vote number 2000-55). And the 2005 $40 billion in reduced federal overall spending measure was to pass a bill that reduces federal spending by $40 billion over five years by decreasing the amount of funds spent on Medicaid, Medicare, agriculture, employee pensions, conservation, and student loans (reference Work, Marriage, and Family Promotion Reconciliation Act, Bill S. 1932; vote number 2005-363).
“I believe Biden’s economy views and voting tactics have been completely inconsistent and wishy washy,” stated taxpayer and registered voter Bonnie Zappacosta. Biden has been said to vote like a Republican until he was announced as the Democratic candidate for vice president. In the vice presidential debate against Palin, Biden stated, “Barack warned about the subprime mortgage crisis. We let Wall Street run wild. John McCain said that the answer is that tried and true Republican response, deregulate, deregulate. And guess what? The middle class needs tax relief. They need it now.”
Palin is known as pro-life but she has become more moderate since being chosen for the Republican ticket. An Aug. 6, 2006 issue of Anchorage Daily News noted Palin said the previous month that no woman should have to choose between her career, education and her child. She is pro-contraception and she’s a member of a pro-woman but anti-abortion group called Feminists for Life.
Throughout Palin’s political career she has been asked several times on her view on abortion and the majority of the time she has given the same answer, “I am pro-life. With the exception of a doctor’s determination that the mother’s life would end if the pregnancy continued. I believe that no matter what mistakes we make as a society, we cannot condone ending another life.”
In the Alaska 2006 gubernatorial debate she was asked is she would still be pro-life if her daughter were raped. She answered she still would choose life unless doctors determined her daughter’s life was in danger.
“I don’t feel as though the government has any right to determine a woman’s choice or what should or shouldn’t be done to a woman’s body. That is personal choice,” states Peggy Ulmer, a registered voter and taxpayer.
Although many others will agree with Ulmer, Palin believes otherwise. “I’ll do all I can to see every baby is created with a future and potential. The legislature should do all it can to protect human life,” indicates Palin during a question and answer with Newsmax.com’s Mike Coppock in August 2008.
Others believe Biden is unsure what he is for – pro-life or pro-choice.
“He says he is pro-choice but sounds unsure when discussing the issue,” suggests registered voter Jessica Henderson. During his political career he has made many decisions concerning abortion and made many comments concerning abortion.
“I strongly support Roe v. Wade. I wouldn’t have a specific question but I would make sure that the people I sent to be nominated Supreme Court shared my values; and understood that there is a right to privacy in the United States Constitution,” Biden states during the 2007 South Carolina Democratic primary debate. Days later it was brought to Biden’s attention that his position changed on abortion from when he first entered the Senate. His response to that was, “Well, I was 29 years old when I came to the U.S. Senate, and I have learned a lot.”
“He uses reassurance often due to the conflict of interest with his Catholic views and political views,” states history teacher Kelly Peck, indicating he feels compelled to be pro-life but his political responsibilities force him to be pro-choice.
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The Candidates on Gun Control
From The Constitution of The United States, “A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.”
Both Palin and Biden hold serious views on this issue. They firmly believe in the Second Amendment but view it differently.
Palin stated in an interview with ABC, “I’m a lifetime member of the NRA. I believe strongly in our Second Amendment rights. That’s kind of inherent in the people of my state who rely on guns for not just self-protection, but also for our hunting and for sports, also it’s a part of a culture in Alaska.”
Biden stated in an interview with NPR in 2007, “I think there is a Second Amendment. People have a right to bear arms, but people don’t have a right to have armor-piercing bullets. They don’t have a right to carry assault weapons, in my view.”
Palin supports ending D.C.’s 32-year-old ban on handguns. The lifelong NRA member and champion of the right to bear arms hunts as much as she can.
Biden voted no on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers, voted no on loosening license and background checks at gun shows, and voted no on maintaining current law of guns sold without trigger locks.
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November 7, 2008 at 1:16 pm
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