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The Issues

Where do the candidates stand on the most important issues for Latinos

By Ruth Morris |
2008-10-01
| Vista Magazine

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(FOTO: Vista) Obama (FOTO: Vista) McCain (FOTO: Vista)

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DiCaprio pide a los votantes que se registren (en inglés)
Ya es hora, ¡ve y vota!

You only have to look as far as the presidential candidates' websites-- the top, right-hand corner, to be exact-- to weigh the importance of the Latino vote. There, you'll see an invitation to learn more about the campaigns, "en español."

With roughly 9 million votes at play, Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain have Latinos in their sights as they turn into the final stretch of the presidential elections. Hispanic voters are a hot demographic, not just because their numbers are growing so fast, but because many happen to live in the battleground states that could make or break a run at the White House-- including Florida, Colorado and New Mexico.

A recent poll by the Pew Hispanic Center found that 66 percent of registered Latino voters side with Obama, the Democratic nominee, compared with just 23 percent who support McCain, of the GOP. But with six weeks to go, the race promises to be fast and furious... and close. "Make no mistake about it: The Latino community holds this election in its hands," said Obama, speaking to the National Council of La Raza this summer.

So what do the two presidential candidates have to say on the topics that matter most to Hispanic voters?
-----------------------------

EDUCATION/McCain
John McCain wants to keep education funding at current levels, and to give parents more of a choice in where their kids go to school. He believes parents should be able to send their children to a better school if they aren’t happy with the current one, and he would make tutoring more accessible to students who need it.
McCain wants to build on the No Child Left Behind Law, which requires annual state tests in reading and math, and seeks to bring all students up to their grade level. McCain also takes a hard stand on teachers who don't perform up to par. "We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies," he said at the Republican convention, "... attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work."
"I am an immigrant myself, and when my parents brought me here it was for one reason and one reason alone. We knew the only way to improve was through education," said Rosario Marin, a Mexican-American who served as U.S. Treasurer from 2001 to 2003. Now a member of the McCain campaign, she says it's no surprise education comes up again and again as Latinos' most pressing concern when they go to the ballot box. "We value education. We always talk about people who are well educated, and we want our children to be well educated," Marin said.

EDUCATION/Obama
Barack Obama wants to spend more on education. Specifically, he says he would double funding for charter schools-- institutions that are run independently but receive public money. His education plan would also replace teachers that aren't performing well, but only after giving them a chance to improve, and it would offer higher pay to teachers doing a good job. Obama also supports a tax credit to pay up to $4,000 of college costs for students if they participate in 100 hours of community service a year. He says he would find the money for his plan by erasing corporate tax deductions, and by delaying NASA's moon and Mars missions, among other cutbacks.
“Obama understands that Latinos are the fastest growing segment of our population and he also understand that we are very youthful. Unless we ensure that the growing Latino population is well educated, our country will not be able to compete economically,” said Federico Peña, Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Energy under Bill Clinton. Peña said Obama will address high dropout rates among Latino students by bolstering middle school programs for ‘at risk’ youths. Obama also supports the Dream Act to help undocumented students legalize their status and afford college.

WAGES AND WEALTH/McCain
McCain says he will create jobs by cutting taxes. If big corporations and small businesses have low taxes it helps them to grow, he says, which in turn means hiring more workers. He also wants to open new markets to U.S. goods and services, while retraining people who work in industries that are suffering. In his convention speech, he gave details: He said the government would pay part of a worker's wage when he or she takes on a part time job and trains in a new field. McCain also says he would double the child tax exemption to $7,000.
"Sen. McCain is completely aware of the fact that it's better for people to spend their money than for the government to spend their money," said Marin. "The way to expand an economy is to put more money in people's pockets. It has a ripple effect in the economy."

WAGES AND WEALTH/Obama
Obama has vowed to cut taxes for working and middle-class families, and for companies that create jobs in the United States rather than shipping jobs overseas. He says he'll eliminate capital gains taxes on start-up businesses that are poised to create very good positions-- high-wage work in high-tech industries. And he wants to invest billions of dollars over the next decade in renewable energy-- like wind and solar power, and biofuels. This will create millions of jobs that can't be outsourced, he says.
“What Obama is talking about is creating manufacturing jobs in the United States, in clean energy. This is a whole new sector of the economy,” said Peña. Of the plan to compensate service hours with money towards college, he added, “That’s going to affect many Latino families. For our community, one of the biggest hurdles to a college education is the tuition.”

HEALTHCARE/McCain
McCain's health care plan focuses more on competition. Employer-based coverage would still be an option. But for those who prefer to buy their own insurance, McCain would give every family a refundable tax credit-- effectively cash-- of $5,000. The money would be sent directly to the insurance provider the family chooses. This would prompt people to shop around, the theory goes, which would force insurance providers to compete more aggressively for their business and lower premiums.
"We don't believe that one size fits all," said Marin of the plan. "The senator wants to have more choices, to allow everybody the coverage of their choice, not to have the government mandate what kind of coverage you should have."

HEALTHCARE/Obama
Obama says everyone should have access to the same quality health care as a U.S. Senator. To do this, he proposes a national heath plan geared towards the uninsured. The plan would not turn anyone away, and would charge affordable monthly premiums and deductibles. Employers that don't offer health care coverage to their workers would have to contribute money to this national plan. Obama also says he would make health care coverage mandatory for children.
“We are going to reduce the cost of healthcare by getting rid of a lot of paperwork and bureaucracy…and then we’ll make it available to people who can’t afford it, and support employers so they can afford it (for their workers.)”

IMMIGRATION/McCain
Both senators supported the comprehensive immigration bill that sank in Congress last year. In fact, McCain co-authored it-- a move that enraged many in his own party. The bill was broad and complex, but it basically bolstered border security while providing a path to citizenship to millions of undocumented workers. First, though, they would have to pay fines and back-taxes, and then wait in line behind people already trying to come to the United States legally. On the campaign trail, McCain has stressed the border security and enforcement aspects of immigration reform.
Marin notes that McCain supported immigration reform despite the political peril. "What's amazing is that Latinos didn't know that McCain was actually doing this for them," she said of the bill. "Once they know, I think they will appreciate the senator's efforts. Latinos tend to vote for the president they believe has their best interests at heart. They don't vote for the party; they vote for the person."

IMMIGRATION/Obama
“Barack himself has an immigration experience,” Peña said. “His father was Kenyan, his mother was from Kansas. He lived overseas for a few years in elementary school. He gets it. He understands what it means to have a parent from another country.” Peña said McCain had “totally flip-flopped” on immigration on the campaign trail. Obama has said he World take up immigration in his first year in office.

VALUES/McCain
Marin said the McCain-Palin ticket would win over Hispanic voters on family values. Like Palin, Marin has a child with Down Syndrome, and she appreciates Palin’s decision to keep her baby. Palin’s strong pro-life message resonated with the conservative base in her party. “The way I grew up in Mexico, our values were very Republican values. Family is the center of our society…and a very significant number of Latinos are Catholics,” said Marin. “Latinos are really Republican, but they don’t really know it.”

VALUES/Obama
Peña referred to Obama’s work as a community organizer on the south side of Chicago, working with the Catholic church and minority outreach groups. Palin joked during her convention speech that unlike a community organizer, she had responsibilities in her earlier jobs. “We in the Latino community appreciate people who work in our community,” Peña said. “Being a community organizer is not something to laugh at.”

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