Rating the Candidates on the Real Issues--9/26/08

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest and best score, here is how The Liberty Sphere rates John McCain and Barack Obama on the real issues at stake in tonight's debate--9/26/08.

Solving the present financial crisis:

McCain--10
Obama--0

Explanation--McCain's thrust is with more government accountability, reduced government spending, and therefore reduced government interference in private enterprise. Obama has sided with the Democrats in Congress, and George Bush, in spending 700 billion of taxpayers' money for a bailout of a mess created by federal government meddling in business affairs.

Size and scope of government:

McCain--10
Obama--0

Explanation--McCain wants to reign in government spending, which he describes as 'raging out of control.' This means fewer programs and smaller government. Obama has proposed 800 billion dollars' worth of new programs, requiring an unprecedented expansion of the size and scope of government.

Taxes:

McCain--10
Obama--4

Explanation--McCain has stated he wants to cut the capital gains tax which will pump billions of dollars into a slumping banking and mortgage economy. He also opposes raising taxes on small businesses. McCain supports extending the Bush tax cuts well beyond 2010 when they are set to expire. Obama, on the other hand, wants to raise taxes significantly on small businesses and their owners because his definition of 'rich' includes small business owners whose businesses make over $250,000 per year. This will hurt these people who employ 80% of American workers, forcing them out of business. Obama also opposes reducing the capital gains tax. The one bright spot in the Obama economic plan is his tax cut for 95% of Americans. For that he gets a rating of '4,' but the fact that he does not couple this with necessary spending reductions prevents his tax cuts from benefiting anyone in the long term.

Energy policy:

McCain--8
Obama--5

Explanation--McCain supports drill here, drill now on the outer continental shelf. Obama has repeatedly stated he opposes it, though he claimed tonight he is for it. McCain also supports not only more oil drilling, but development of wind, solar, nuclear, coal, hydrogen fuel cell, and natural gas--an 'all of the above' approach. Obama, on the other hand, has repeatedly nixed not only offshore oil drilling, but coal, nuclear, and natural gas, although tonight he claimed he is for all of these. We do give him points, however, on his support for wind, solar, and hydrogen fuel cell. Both McCain and Obama lose points on refusing to allow oil drilling in a very small part of ANWR.

Environmental policy:

McCain--5
Obama--0

Explanation--McCain has a penchant for siding with environmentalist extremists on issues that we find deplorable. However, his stance on this is nowhere near the dangerous and socialistic notions of Obama, who essentially has bought into the 'man is to blame for climate change, period' point of view, failing to consider natural phenomena which have nothing to do with human activity.

The War in Iraq:

McCain--10
Obama--0

Explanation--McCain supported the mission but not how it was conducted. When McCain's views on how the war should be conducted were implemented, we began to win outright in Iraq. Obama still says he would have opposed the troop surge, which is responsible for the dramatic turnaround. No one with common sense could oppose something that is helping America to win.

U.S. foreign policy:

McCain--10
Obama--0

Explanation--McCain has been to war, knows the issues involved, knows foreign leaders personally, and understands the meaning of the term 'leadership.' Obama knows nothing. He would sit down with thugs, dictators, and Commies, thus legitimizing their views on various things such as annihilating Israel, terrorism, and aggression. Frankly, I am frightened of the possibility that this nation could elect to public office a complete novice such as Obama when the world grows more dangerous by the day.

Total score on the first debate:

McCain--63 out of a possible 70
Obama--9 out of a possible 70

Notice we did not consider such peripheral issues such as 'how the candidate looked on TV,' 'did they ever stutter or stammer a bit?' or 'how often they frowned or smiled or wiped their nose,' or even worse, 'did they appear angry, frustrated, or giddy?' Hell, why not assess whether or not we think they need to go to the bathroom!

These things are petty, juvenile, and should not be part of a serious discussion.

Frankly, we hate TV debates for that very reason. They tend to lend themselves to an emphasis on ALL of the wrong things rather than the real issues--a casualty of television 'journalism.'