What the Candidates See

The choice for me during the upcoming presidential election is very clear; it is based on what the candidates see when the look at America. Here is a sampling of what they see:

Barack Obama sees an America with universal healthcare—where all citizens are treated with dignity and worth; John McCain sees a healthcare system that is based on an individual’s ability to pay—if you can’t pay, you can’t have equal access to healthcare.

Joseph Biden sees the disingenuousness of Sarah Palin’s moral compass; Sarah Palin sees eye to eye with the hypocrisy of the right-wing conservatives on the issue of moral values.

Obama sees a timetable for withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and a war that has diverted billions of tax dollars from states and local municipalities; McCain sees the surge expanding from Iraq to Afghanistan.

Joe Biden sees women having dominion over their bodies and the right to choose; Palin sees a need to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Obama sees an economy in crisis as a result of subprime “Russian roulette” under Republican leadership; McCain sees the fundamentals of the economy as “strong” in the face of evidence to the contrary.

Joe Biden sees problems with the righteous indignation of Vice Presidential candidates when put to the test of leadership. Sarah Palin sees righteousness in her holier-than-thou attitude on social issues in the face of her own moral and ethical lapses.

Barack Obama sees a debate on the issues as an opportunity to demonstrate to the American people his readiness to become commander-in-chief at a time of grave economic crisis; John McCain sees multitasking as a painful inconvenience to the presidency, and views fleeing from a presidential debate as the single most effective way to respond to America’s economic woes.

Joe Biden sees Dr. King’s dream and John F. Kennedy’s vision being realized in the person of Barack Obama, who has the White House within his reach; Sarah Palin sees Russia from her house.

Barack Obama sees choosing McCain as a return to the failed policies of George W. Bush and asks why; Obama sees himself as the change that America needs and says “Yes, We Can!” John McCain sees business as usual and four more years of the George Bush presidency under his leadership as “change.”

I see an America taking its place as the respected leader of the free world under the leadership of a qualified visionary who will deliver the change that America needs;

I see Barack Obama as the next president of the United States of America.

What do you see?

Regards, Adrian

The Obama Healthcare Plan Has My Vote

As over 47 million Americans are currently without any form of health insurance, the issue of healthcare has become a very major one for both presidential candidates.

The Obama Plan for universal healthcare would guarantee that all Americans would be covered by the end of his first term in office. It would provide all Americans with access to the same type of healthcare benefits currently enjoyed by members of Congress. It would allow for the treatment of all essential services such as preventative medicine, maternity care and disease management. Individuals who can’t afford the premiums would be given federal subsidies to make the premiums affordable.

On the other hand, the McCain Health Plan doesn't stand up to the light of reason, given the rising costs of health care in the United States. Under the McCain Plan, Americans have to shop for health insurance with their own money and would receive a tax rebate of $2,500 per individual and $5,000 per family. Under the McCain Plan, employers would no longer get a tax deduction for providing health insurance to their employees. Simply put, the McCain Plan would give employers an excuse not to provide health benefits to their employees because the tax incentive to do so would be taken away.

The Obama Healthcare Plan would do the following:

Reduce the cost for businesses
Reduce costs by improving the quality of care that patients will receive
Eligibility would be guaranteed
There will be comprehensive benefits similar to the benefits received by members of Congress
Co-pays, deductibles, and premiums would be more affordable
Enrollment would be made easy
Paper work would be simplified and health costs reined in
Healthcare plans would become portable, meaning that employees would be able to move a plan from one job to another without interruption of coverage
Large employers would be required to cover their employees or pay a fine
No one will be turned away for pre-existing conditions
All Americans would be covered

It is my view that the McCain plan would do nothing to solve America’s healthcare crisis; it would encourage more employers to drop healthcare coverage for their employees and would lead to a swelling of the ranks of the uninsured.

The Obama Plan offers hope for the uninsured; it would shift the charity care burden away from healthcare institutions like Muhlenberg to the federal government and would allow for better delivery of healthcare to urban communities.

The Obama plan has my vote.