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PUBLISHED February, 2008
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The Parental is Political

Who's Who Among Presidential Candidates: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama

by Julie Marsh

Who's Who Among Presidential Candidates is a series of distillations of individual candidates' views on 24 topics loosely grouped into four categories, as presented on non-partisan website On The Issues.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton is the junior Senator from New York (2001-present). Prior to that, she was the First Lady of the United States (1993-2001) and First Lady of Arkansas (1978-1979 and 1982-1992). She has a JD from Yale Law School, and was a lawyer with the Rose Law Firm based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama is the junior Senator from Illinois (2004-present). Prior to that, he was an Illinois state Senator (1996-2004). He has a JD from Harvard Law School, and was a lecturer at University of Chicago Law School and a community organizer in Chicago.

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

Foreign Policy

Obama: Expressed willingness to meet with foreign leaders Kim Jong-Il, Fidel Castro, and Hugo Chavez.

Clinton: Will not commit to meeting with those leaders without preconditions.

Homeland Security

Clinton and Obama: Both spoke in opposition to the Patriot Act; both voted for it.

War and Peace

Clinton: In 2002, voted to authorize use of military force in Iraq.

Obama: In 2002, publicly stated his opposition to use of military force in Iraq.

Free Trade

Clinton: Supported NAFTA during Bill Clinton's administration, but voted against CAFTA in 2005 due to increasing reservations regarding free trade agreements.

Obama: Also voted against CAFTA in 2005 and would revamp NAFTA with cooperation of Canadian and Mexican leaders.

Immigration

Clinton: Opposes granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Obama: Supports granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Clinton and Obama: In 2006, both voted for the secure border fence.

Energy and Oil

Clinton: In 2005, voted for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (reduction of foreign oil imports by 40% by 2025).

Obama: By 2020, 20% of nation's power supply should come from renewable sources.

Clinton and Obama: In 2005, both voted to ban drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

DOMESTIC ISSUES

Gun Control

Clinton and Obama: In 2005, both voted against prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers.

Crime

Clinton: Opposes mandatory minimum sentences. Supports alternative sentencing for non-violent offenders.

Obama: Supports creation of a civil rights division to eliminate racial profiling and disparaties in sentencing.

Drugs

Clinton and Obama: Both support use of drug courts for non-violent, first-time offenders.

Civil Rights

Clinton and Obama - In 2006, both voted against the Marriage Protection Amendment (constitutional ban of same-sex marriage). Rated 96% and 100% respectively by the NAACP (pro-affirmative-action stance).

Jobs

Clinton and Obama - In 2007, both voted to increase the minimum wage.

Environment

Clinton and Obama - Both opposed to Yucca Mountain nuclear storage. Scored 100% and 60% respectively on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection.

ECONOMIC ISSUES

Budget and Economy

Clinton: In 2005, voted for amendment to limit credit card interest to 30%.

Obama: In 2005, voted against amendment to limit credit card interest to 30%; believed 30% was too high.

Government Reform

Clinton: Supports public financing of campaigns.

Obama: Also supports public financing of campaigns, but has also stated repeatedly that he does not take money from PACs or federal lobbyists.

Tax Reform

Clinton and Obama: Both support repeal of Bush tax cuts, and both voted against repeal of Alternative Minimum Tax. Rated 80% and 100% respectively by Citizens for Tax Justice (support of progressive taxation).

Clinton: In 2005, voted for reduced taxes on capital gains and dividends. In 2006, voted for extension of these reduced tax rates.

Obama: In 2005, voted against reduced taxes on capital gains and dividends. In 2006, voted against extension of these reduced tax rates.

Social Security

Clinton and Obama: Both oppose any privatization of social security.

Obama: Supports lifting cap on social security taxes on earnings over $97,500; states effects would be limited to upper class only.

Clinton: States that lifting cap would amount to $1.3 trillion tax increase over ten years, not limited to upper class.

Welfare and Poverty

Clinton and Obama: Support faith-based community roles in addressing social and economic needs.

Technology

Clinton and Obama: Support expansion of high-speed Internet access and increased use of technology in schools.

SOCIAL ISSUES

Education

Clinton: Supports school-based merit pay; opposes merit pay for individual teachers.

Obama: Supports merit pay for individual teachers, with agreement from teachers on criteria for measurement.

Health Care

Clinton: Mandates purchase of insurance for everyone. States care will be uniformly affordable due to health care tax credits.

Obama: Mandates purchase of insurance for children. States care will be uniformly affordable due to subsidies; therefore, no need for mandate for adults.

Clinton and Obama: Enforcement mechanisms not specified.

Abortion

Clinton and Obama: Both consistently pro-choice.

Families and Children

Clinton and Obama: Both support expansion of Family and Medical Leave Act.

Corporations

Clinton and Obama: In 2005, both voted to repeal tax subsidy for domestic companies that move jobs overseas.

Principles and Values

Clinton and Obama: Both self-identify as Christian. Both rated 100% by Americans United for Separation of Church and State (support of church-state separation).

SUMMARY

Based on how their views align with the VoteMatch quiz topics, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are classified as Hard-Core Liberals. Their positions on nearly all issues are quite similar. They differ with respect to health care mandates, driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, merit pay for individual teachers, tax rates on capital gains and dividends, and their 2002 stances on the Iraq War.

Both Clinton's and Obama's elected public service experience is relatively recent, although both have been active in public life for many years prior to elected office. They are in a tight race for pledged delegates, and many superdelegates are still uncommitted. Upcoming primaries and caucuses may determine a clear front-runner, or the nomination may not come until the Democratic National Convention in August 2008.