Okay, lets face it, the last 4 years have been extremely political on everything from human rights to masks, even more so than prior years. Everyone has their views siding typically with the two main parties, Democrats and Republicans, however there are more than just two parties when it comes to running for government positions. I am going to try to make this as unbiased as possible. You as a reader will have your views, which I understand and respect, will teach your children your values. I mean we all do it. But for the purpose of this lesson, I want to Omit actual candidates names when talking about it at first. Testing the knowledge and how the child (specifically mine) feels and understands on all sides. I know my own son knows how our family feels about each candidate but we haven’t discussed in major depth what each one stands for on specific topics. So before we watch the Presidential debate tomorrow night, I want to go through this. This will need to be a multi part article with explaining the different political parties, the different branches in government and more so I will link those once written. If you would like to be notified please subscribe for more information.
History and Importance of Voting
The first presidential election was held on the first Wednesday of January in 1789. No one contested the election of George Washington, but he remained reluctant to run until the last minute, in part because he believed seeking the office would be dishonorable. Only when Alexander Hamilton and others convinced him that it would be dishonorable to refuse did he agree to run.
Before the adoption of the Twelfth Amendment, there was no separate ballot for president and vice president. Each elector cast two votes for president. The candidate with the largest number of electoral votes won the presidency, and the runner-up became vice president.
Why Vote
Because the Constitution did not specifically say who could vote, this question was largely left to the states into the 1800s. In most cases, landowning white men were eligible to vote, while white women, black people, and other disadvantaged groups of the time were excluded from voting (known as disenfranchisement). While no longer explicitly excluded, voter suppression is a problem in many parts of the country, as some politicians try to win reelection by limiting the number of specific populations of voters, such as African Americans.
It was not until the 15th Amendment was passed in 1869 that black men were allowed to vote. But even so, many would-be voters faced artificial hurdles like poll taxes, literacy tests, and other measures meant to discourage them from exercising their voting right. This would continue until the 24thAmendment in 1964, which eliminated the poll tax, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which ended Jim Crow laws. Women were denied the right to vote until 1920, when the long efforts of the women’s suffrage movement resulted in the 19th Amendment.
Your vote may not directly elect the president, but if your vote joins enough others in your voting district or county, your vote undoubtedly matters when it comes to electoral results. Most states have a “winner take all” system where the popular vote winner gets the state’s electoral votes. There are also local and state elections to consider. While presidential or other national elections usually get a significant voter turnout, local elections are typically decided by a much smaller group of voters.
How the Presidential Election works:
The election of the president and the vice president of the United Statesis an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty U.S. states or in Washington, D.C., cast ballots not directly for those offices, but instead for members of the Electoral College.
These electors then cast direct votes, known as electoral votes, for president, and for vice president. The candidate who receives an absolute majority of electoral votes (at least 270 out of 538, since the Twenty-Third Amendment granted voting rights to citizens of D.C.) is then elected to that office. If no candidate receives an absolute majority of the votes for president, the House of Representatives chooses the most qualifying candidate for the presidency; if no one receives an absolute majority of the votes for vice president, then the Senate elects the vice president.
The votes cast during an election for a candidate or about an issue. Whichever candidate or decision about an issue gets the most votes has won the popular vote. (U.S. president and vice president are determined by an Electoral College vote.)
A Candidate must be:
- been born in the US
- be at least 35 years old
- have lived in the US for at least 14 years
Candidates Responses
Coronavirus
Candidate 1: Opposes a national requirement on mask wearing and will leave it up to local and state government
Wants to provide Free Coronavirus testing but leaves it up to the state governments on their plan
Supports a virus
supports opening schools amid the pandemic but will withhold from areas who will not
Would Withdraw from the World Health Organization
Candidate 2: Would mandate masks for public areas and events
Supports nationwide testing and contract tracing, would double down on the effort and would provide federal funding to help
supports an accelerated vaccine that is safe
supports reopening schools based on local conditions if it is safe. Asks Congress to help provide emergency funding to make it necessary, including proper protective equipment
Would not withdraw from the World Health Organization and reverse the decision to do so
Economy and Trade
Candidate 1: Unclear on raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour
Supports a United States-Mexico-Canda Trade
Supports Made in America, will sign that certain essential medicine and medical supplies will be manufactured domestically
Does not support the federal reserve to operate independently of political pressure. Wants the federal reserve to lower interest rates
Supports the up to 12 weeks of paid family leave for workers
Wants to withdraw from the Trans- Pacific Partnership trade
Supports Tarriffs on goods from China
Does not support reparations to descendants of enslaved people
Candidate 2: Supports raising the minimum wage and ending low wages for tipped workers and people with disabilities
Supports a United States-Mexico-Canada trade but thinks the trade deal needs improvements
Supports Made in America and proposes to penalize American companies for moving manufacturing and service jobs over sees when selling their products within the USA. Will ask for the federal government to spend $400 billion for the next 4 years on materials and services and more money on research and development for electric cars, AI and other technology
Doesn’t think anyone, no matter their position, should be commenting about an institution that needs to be independent to fulfill its purpose
Supports universal paid sick days and 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave
Wants to renegade the Trans – Pacific Trade deal
Wants to reevaluate Tariffs on goods from China
Isn’t sure on supporting reparations to descendants of enslaved people and wants to study it better before deciding
Taxes and Entitlements
Candidate 1: Does not support extending $600 a month on federal unemployment insurance supplement but does agree to $300 only to those making more than $100 per week on unemployment by their state
Unclear on cutting social security
Supports the 201 GOP tax cut, gives major corporations tax cuts
Does not support increasing capital gains taxes, thinking of cutting it
Does not support increasing corporate tax rate and would lower it
Supports opportunity zones, which create tax incentives to encourage investment in struggling communities
Candiate 2: Unclear on his support of the extension of $600 per month federal unemployment insurance supplement. He says yes but not sure on the amount
Does not support cutting Social Security but has suggested changes
Does not support the 2017 GOP tax cut and would reverse the decision. Would make it so that anyone earning less that $400,000 would not get an tax increase
Supports increasing capital gains taxes, infant wants to double the rate
Supports increasing the Corporate Tax rates, and would increase it
Would Reforms the opportunity zones, which create tax incentives to encourage investment in struggling communities
Health Care
Candidate 1: Does not Support Affordable Health Care Act, would offer a replacement
Has made it unclear, he said he wants to protect people with pre existing conditions but hasn’t made it clear on how
Does not support a public health insurance option for government financed care
Does not support lowering the Medicare eligibility age
Does not support the medicaid expansion
Supports right-to-try legislation, which allows patients with life-threatening diseases or conditions to have access to experimental drugs or procedures
Supports importing certain prescription drugs from Canada, where they are sold at a lower cost
Does not support allowing undocumented immigrants to get insurance through Medicaid or other public insurance programs, wants to bloc them from becoming eligible tax payer funded welfare, healthcare and free college tuition
Candidate 2: Supports the Affordable Health Care Act
Supports requiring health insurance to cover preexisting conditions
Support a public health insurance option for government financed care and would build on to it creating more options
Supports lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 60
Supports the medicaid expansion
Unclear on supporting right-to-try legislation, which allows patients with life-threatening diseases or conditions to have access to experimental drugs or procedures
Supports importing certain prescription drugs from Canada, where they are sold at a lower cost
Supports allowing undocumented immigrants to get insurance through Medicaid or other public insurance programs
Criminal Justice
Candidate 1: Does not support ‘defunding’ the police
Does not support ending qualified immunity, which shields police from lawsuits
Supports lowering mandatory minimum prison sentences
Does not support federal legalization of recreational marijuana. will leave it up to the states
Supports the death penalty
Supports privatizing prisons
Supports eliminating cash bail
Candidate 2: Does not support ‘defunding’ the police, wants to add $300 million a year on community policing initiatives and reforms
Wants to reform ending qualified immunity, which shields police from lawsuits
Would eliminate lowering mandatory minimum prison sentences
Does not support federal legalization of recreational marijuana but would decriminalize it
Does not support the death penalty
Does not support privatizing prisons and encourages the federal usage of them
Does not support eliminating cash bail
Voting and Government
Candidate 1: Supports quickly filling the Supreme Court vacancy following Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death
Does not support adding more seats to the Supreme Court
Supports vote-by-mail but only under some circumstances
Supports voter ID laws, which require voters to show identification at the polls
Does not support restoring voting rights for people convicted of felonies who have completed their sentences
Does not support statehood for Washington, D.C
Does not support statehood for Puerto Rico
Unclear on supporting the elimination of the Senate filibuster
Supports congressional term limits
Does not support eliminating the electoral college
Candidate 2: Does not support quickly filling the Supreme Court vacancy following Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death
Does not support adding more seats to the Supreme Court
Supports vote-by-mail
Does not support voter ID laws, which require voters to show identification at the polls
Supports restoring voting rights for people convicted of felonies who have completed their sentences
Supports statehood for Washington, D.C
Supports statehood for Puerto Rico but thinks Puerto Ricans should decide
Supports eliminating the Senate filibuster but only as a last resort
Does not support congressional term limits
Does not support eliminating the electoral college
Foreign Policy
Candidate 1: Somewhat supports committing to NATO
Supports withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban
Supports the Israel-United Arab Emirates peace deal
Supports moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
Does not support Iran nuclear deal
Does not acknowledges that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign
Does not support ending assistance for the Saudi-led war in Yemen
Supports direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, without prior concessions
Supports current restrictions on U.S.-Cuba relations
Supports the creation of Space Force
Supports increasing the Defense Department budget from current levels
Candidate 2: Supports committing to NATO
Supports withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban
Supports the Israel-United Arab Emirates peace deal
Thinks its complicated to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
Supports Iran nuclear deal but only if Iran returned to compliance
Acknowledges that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign
Supports ending assistance for the Saudi-led war in Yemen
Does not support direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, without prior concessions
Does not support current restrictions on U.S.-Cuba relations
Unclear on supporting the creation of Space Force
Does not support increasing the Defense Department budget from current levels
Climate and Environment
Candidate 1: Does not believe climate change is real and recent warming is largely driven by human activity
Does not support an active role for the federal government in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and will withdraw us from the Paris Climate Accord
Does not support rejoining the Paris agreement
Does not support banning fracking
Supports fossil fuel extraction in public water and on public land, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Does not support banning fossil fuel exports
Supports Keystone XL pipeline
Supports nuclear power
Candidate 2: Believes climate change is real and recent warming is largely driven by human activity
Supports an active role for the federal government in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and introduced the Green New Deal
Supports rejoining the Paris agreement and will encourage countries to increase their commitment
Does not support banning fracking but would end new drilling on public land
Does not support fossil fuel extraction in public water and on public land, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Unclear on his support banning fossil fuel exports
Does not support Keystone XL pipeline
Open to supporting nuclear power
Immigration
Candidate 1: Supports ‘zero tolerance’ policy that led to family separations at the border
Supports building additional wall on the U.S.-Mexico border
Does not support a moratorium on deportations
Supports banning sanctuary cities
Supports the United States accepting fewer than 50,000 refugees per year
Supports increasing the number of high-skilled immigrants but not during the pandemic
Candidate 2: Does not support ‘zero tolerance’ policy that led to family separations at the border
Does not support building additional wall on the U.S.-Mexico border
Supports a moratorium on deportations
Does not support banning sanctuary cities
Does not support the United States accepting fewer than 50,000 refugees per year
Supports increasing the number of high-skilled immigrants but after reform
Abortion
Candidate 1: Supports nominating antiabortion justices to the Supreme Court
Does not support additional abortion restrictions
Supports that there should there be restrictions on late-term abortions
Candidate 2: Does not support nominating antiabortion justices to the Supreme Court
Does not support additional abortion restrictions
Supports public funding for abortions
Supports that there should there be restrictions on late-term abortions
Education
Candidate 1: Does not support making public colleges tuition-free
Does not support universal prekindergarten
Supports federal funding to send students to private schools
Does not support banning charter schools
Supports cross-examination of accusers of sexual assault at colleges and universities
Candidate 2: Supports making public colleges tuition-free but only for families making less that $125,000
Supports universal prekindergarten
Does not support federal funding to send students to private schools
Supports banning charter schools but only the for – profit charters
Does not suppors cross-examination of accusers of sexual assault at colleges and universities
Gun Control
Candidate 1: Does not support a federal assault weapons ban
Does not support a widespread, mandatory program for confiscating guns
Does not support requirement for gun owners to register their firearms
Unclear on his supporting of requiring background checks on every gun purchase
Supports banning rapid-fire rifle attachments known as bump stocks
Candidate 2: Supports a federal assault weapons ban
Does not support a widespread, mandatory program for confiscating guns. Does support state level red flag laws and a voluntary buy back program on assault weapons and high capacity magazines
Supports requirement for gun owners to register their firearms but only for assault weapons
Supports requiring background checks on every gun purchase
Supports banning rapid-fire rifle attachments known as bump stocks
LGBTQ Rights
Candidate 1: Has given many mixed messages on his supporting of same-sex marriage
Supports ban on transgender people in the military
Does not supporting extending federal anti-discrimination protections to gay and transgender people
Candidate 2: Supports same-sex marriage
Does not support the ban on transgender people in the military
Supports extending federal anti-discrimination protections to gay and transgender people
So revealing which candidates are which, Candidate 1 is Donald Trump and Candidate 2 is Joe Biden.
