The economic policies of the Democrat and the Republican candidates are seen as very important in helping voters to decide who will be selected as the next president of the United States. Even with the countless candidates, the fact will still remain that the issue will revolve around the money.
Since money is such an important part of an average American life, how it will be spent by the government and to what degree will the government will curtail or improve the economic freedom of the American individual is on the minds of every voter. Therefore, it behooves the potential voter to known the economic policies of some of the candidates which seem to be the most likely to gain the nomination of their party. Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson are the front runners of their party whose economic policies will attract the most attention of the American voter in this most important presidential election.
Currently, the front-runner among all candidates is Hillary Clinton. As of this writing, she is the person to beat. It is, therefore, important to know the stances which she has taken and will expect to take during her campaign and possible presidency as well as the policies of those who are going to try to knock her off the mountain which she currently has positioned herself. Over the summer, the minimum wage was increased and is set to increase for the next two years until 2009. Senator Clinton was helpful in the passage of that bill and has called for the minimum wage to increase to $7.50 as soon as possible. After an increase freeze of nearly ten years, Senator Clinton, as well as many democrats, believe that an increase in the minimum wage is long overdue and that the Congress should engage itself in catching up to the standard of living which they believe, the minimum wage should reflect.
Senator Clinton, as well as the rest of the major candidates in this race, believes that something needs to be done quickly in order to save Social Security for the future generations. There has been a difference of opinion as to how exactly that should be accomplished. However, the dispute over the saving of Social Security involves the question of where the money comes from, it falls under the economic policies of Senator Clinton. Senator Clinton, as well as most Americans, believes that Social Security, over the last 70 years, has become an important part of our society and in the treatment of the elderly and infirmed. Senator Clinton believes that Social Security needs to be saved now as not to place the burden of saving this institution on the shoulders of our children. “We’ll never accomplish what we need to do for our children if we burden them with a debt they didn’t create. Franklin Roosevelt said that Americans of his generation had a rendezvous with destiny. It’s time to protect the next generation by using our budget surplus to pay down the national debt, save Social Security, modernize Medicare with a prescription drug benefit, and provide targeted tax cuts to the families who need them most. Senator Clinton has proposed to pay for Social Security, not with private accounts as was proposed by President Bush in 2004 and which was defeated with a loud disapproval by many in the American public, but with rolling back of President Bush’s highly popular tax cuts which many economists have credited with being the catalyst of our currently strong economy. Here in lies the conundrum. Most people believe that Social Security is in trouble. There may be a disagreement as to how bad it is but many believe that something should be done quickly. What Senator Clinton will be faced with, is proposing a solution which will solve the problem which will alienate her from the least amount of potential voters.
Senator Clinton is also in favor of universal health care. When she was charged with taking over the health care system in 1994, she failed miserably and has even stated that she is still weary from her experience then. She proposed then, a socialization of medicine under the euphemism, universal health care. The same word is being used today but more and more people are being converted to her cause. As the cost of health care in America is increasing exponentially and with more than 45 million Americans without health coverage, coupled with the horror stories which come out of our nation’s hospitals on a nearly daily basis, more and more people are looking towards universal health care as the answer to their problem. There are much more who oppose the socialization of their health care system as their taxes are expected to rise at an exponential rate as is seen in the UK. However, there are fewer detractors today than there has ever been over this issue. It will serve as one of contention in the 2008 Presidential election.
Another important individual who is running for president in this race is Barrack Obama. He is the first viable candidate that possesses any African American ancestry. He has captured the imagination of many young people who have been turned off by politics in recent years or who have never participated in the political process. He invited support from Oprah Winfrey; a high profile individual who had never been compelled to support any candidate in her more than twenty years in the spotlight. His appeal is widespread. He has received a great deal of support from the Unions; second only to John Edwards. In a speech to union supports and members, he stated: “You gotta pay your workers enough that they can actually not only shop at Wal-Mart but ultimately send their kids to college and save for retirement.” Courting support for his presidential campaign from Iowa members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in July 2007, Obama said: “We are facing a Washington that has thrown open its doors to the most anti-union, anti-worker forces we’ve seen in generations. In this, Obama hopes to garnish support of the Unions away from Edwards and over to his campaign.