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 Written by Marcos Antonio Ramos, Translated by Gloria Bishop, edited by Randy Hinger
The presidential candidates for the two main parties have been defined and confirmed at the Democratic and Republican conventions. There are high expectations in regards to the issues of the economy and the war, which have reduced the popular support for the Republican administration of President George Bush to its lowest level. The month of July started in the midst of bad news in the economic field and with the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The Republican candidate John McCain, referred to as a “Maverick”, has always been perceived as an independent and unpredictable politician within his party, but lately he has been inclined to support and adopt the proposed measures of his former rival, the current president. Serving as a Navy Captain, he was imprisoned by the Vietcong during the Vietnam War. He is not necessarily a church man, although he is a Christian and now frequently attends a Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona. For the Democrats, he simply represents a continuation of the Bush policies and of the armed occupation in Iraq. On the other hand, the Democratic candidate Barack Obama, with greater intellectual credentials than McCain, is perceived as the messenger of change among a difficult economic situation, which the country has undergone during the last few years, and in the crisis of the Middle East. After attending for a long time the Unity of Christ Church (Congregationalist) in Chicago, he separated himself from it due to the radical preaching from its pulpit.
For Hispanics, senator McCain has always been an acceptable politician, not too contrary to immigration. In the past, he along with his democratic colleague Ted Kennedy have made attractive propositions on the subject, but the opposition to illegal immigration continues to be very strong, especially among the Republican Party. For his part, senator Obama appears to be more flexible and therefore closer to what the Hispanic pressing groups are requesting. He has an advantage due to the fact that democrats generally receive the majority of the Hispanic votes. Bush obtained more than 40% in 2004, but as of right now McCain has not been able to surpass 28% of the Hispanic support, according to the latest polls.
In more comprehensive terms, none of the two main candidates are extremist in political agendas. But McCain lacks experience in economic issues and promises to stay in Iraq “a hundred years” if necessary. Obama is not announcing the immediate withdrawal from Iraq, but was opposed to the war since the beginning, stating it should have been confined to Afghanistan, which according to him has been improperly handled due to the crisis in Iraq. He offers economic solutions based on higher taxes to large corporations and individuals with high incomes, but lower taxes for people with less resource.
Not even the most optimistic hope that these candidates will be able to resolve the enormous problems left by this administration, some of which can be attributed to a deficient government and others due to unrelated causes. For those who do not deeply participate in the political arena, it suffices to say that McCain is more to the right and has more experience than Obama, but Obama, being a person of color, represents a new image for the USA and the world.
Note: Marcos Antonio Ramos is a doctor in History and Theological Divinity, in addition to being a professional journalist. He regularly writes for various publications and is a winner of the National Journalism Award in Santo Domingo. He is a corresponding member of the Royal Spanish Academy. In addition to being a professor of an accredited Theological College in Miami, FL he is a researcher for the Cuban Studies Institute of Coral Gables University in Miami.
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