Margaret BauerCivil Rights
On the issue of gay rights, President Bush has been an outspoken proponent of an amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. He expressed his support for the measure earlier this year and continues to stand by his opinion that gay marriage should not be permissible.
Senator Kerry has stated that he is against Bush’s marriage amendment and supports civil unions for gay couples. As one of the original sponsors of the hate crimes prevention bill in the Senate, Kerry has pledged that he will continue to work to expand hate crimes legislation to protect homosexuals and let gays serve openly in the military, a move that would end the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy adhered to by the Bush and Clinton administrations.
The candidates also diverge on the issue of affirmative action. Bush opposes racial quotas and preferences, while Kerry continues to support affirmative action. In a primary debate in South Carolina, Kerry noted that he remains a staunch supporter of affirmative action, adhering to a “mend it, don’t end it” philosophy.
Kerry has also promised to implement immigration reform in his first 100 days in office, granting legal status to immigrants who meet a set of criteria.
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The Economy
Americans are said to vote with their pocketbooks, but confusing reports on the economy could make that a difficult decision. Even before Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. was in a recession, but that ended by Nov. 2001. Since then, growth has been sluggish, and the unemployment rate is causing distress among workers.
However, the Bush administration recently announced the creation of 144,000 jobs in August. Economists had predicted a slightly more substantial gain, but the news is a significant improvement over the summer’s comparatively disappointing unemployment rate, which is now at 5.4 percent.
The issue of the economy divides the candidates in classic categories. President Bush effected a tax break to aid small businesses soon after entering office, while Senator Kerry claims the cuts aid the rich and neglect those in desperate need. Bush later gave another tax break but has said that further cuts are unlikely. Both candidates propose to halve the national debt over the next four years.
In his State of the Union address in 2004, Bush railed against the dangers of big government. He told Congress “we should limit the burden of government on this economy by acting as good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars.”
The Kerry campaign has used the weak economy and fragile job market as a wedge against Bush. The senator also supports enhanced governmental regulations on trade.
“We value an America that exports products, not jobs-American workers should never have to subsidize the loss of their own job,” said Kerry.
Kerry, who often espouses the economic policies of the Clinton administration, has said that more government intervention is necessary to regulate corporations after scandals at Enron, Arthur Anderson and other large firms.
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Education
In January 2002, Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act in an effort to apply uniform standards of secondary education across the country. This process hinges upon standardized testing to qualify students’ ability. Bush has received mixed reviews on the enactment of the policy: though education funding has risen during the president’s tenure, so too have financial responsibilities for state and local governments in keeping up with standards.
Kerry, who supported the No Child Left Behind Act in the Senate, said that Bush has not fully funded the program. He has complained that the program does not give teachers the respect they deserve, instead concentrating solely on test scores.
“I want standards and accountability,” said Kerry. “But you cannot do it without the resources, and you also can’t do it in a way where you turn schools into testing factories.”
In terms of higher education, the two Yale graduates find even more ways to disagree. Bush has asked Congress for moderate funding to support the college Pell Grant for low-income families. But the maximum grant for the past two years has not risen from $4,050.
Conversely, Kerry has pledged $10 billion to states who keep tuition costs down at state schools. He also has proposed lowering interest rates on student loans. But detractors say Kerry’s pricey plan will never succeed with a Republican-controlled Congress.