Obama & Romney Information

Barack Obama

Party: Democrat

Age: 51

Political Past:

Obama served as a professor at the University of Chicago Law School for 12 years.His political career began when he was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1996. He was reelected in 1998 and 2002. Obama ran for the US Senate in 2004. Obama was elected president on Nov. 5,  after a lengthy campaign that began in early 2007.

Background: 

Barack Obama, born Barack Hussein Obama, born in Honolulu, Hawaii,  on August 4, 1961. Barack Obama was born of mixed ethnic parentage - American mother, and a father, a citizen of Kenya. At age 3, his parents divorced. While Obama's mother later remarried, his father returned to Kenya and died in an automobile accident in 1982. Barack Obama education evolved and ended in Indonesia and the United States.  Barack Obama and his mother  left Hawaii and moved to the island nation of Indonesia in 1967. In Indonesia, Obama attended local Jakarta schools from the age of 6 to 10. Barack returned to Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1971 and was admitted into the Punahou School from the 5th grade until his high school graduation.Following his 1979 graduation, Obama moved to Los Angeles, where the rest of his  education began.Here, Barack was enrolled at Occidental College in 1979. Two years later, Obama joined New York City's, Columbia University in 1981, majoring in political science with international relations as his specialization.

In 1983, Barack graduated with a B.A. degree. In late 1988, Obama attended the Harvard Law School where he graduated with a J.D.  magna cum laude in 1991, and then returned to Chicago.

Family Life: 

Barack was born in the racial melting pot of Hawaii, with a sister who's half-Indonesian but who's usually mistaken for Mexican or Puerto Rican, and a brother-in-law and niece of Chinese descent. Obama's wife, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, was born on January 17, 1964. Their first daughter, Malia Ann, was born on July 4, 1998, and their second daughter, Natasha, known as Sasha, was born on June 10, 2001. They were born in Chicago and, until moving to Washington on January 5, 2009, two months after Barack Obama was elected President, they had spent almost their entire lives there. The Obamas were accompanied to Washington by Michelle's mother, Marian Shields Robinson, whom they invited to live with them in the White House. Robinson is the only surviving parent of either Barack or Michelle Obama. Growing up, Barack Obama's family influenced his values in ways that later shaped his political philosophy. "Empathy . . . is at the heart of my moral code." 

Religious Views : 

Obama studied for two years at one Muslim school and then two years at a Catholic school. Eventually, Barack Obama abandoned this non-conformism and skepticism to be baptized as an adult in the Trinity United Church of Christ. The United Church of Christ emphasizes the freedom of the individual conscience over adherence to creeds or hierarchical authority. 

Health Care : 

Obama’s The Affordable Care Act is holding insurance companies accountable, putting an end to the worst abuses, such as capping or dropping your coverage when you get sick. The Affordable Care Act is helping people with Medicare save on the care they need to stay healthy—from free preventive services to lower costs on prescription drugs and monthly premiums. President Obama is putting an end to the health insurance company practice of charging women more than men for the same coverage.

Economic Plan :
Obama has now came up with a 12-Point Plan to Repair the U.S. Economy which includes : A $1,000 Tax Cut for Middle Class American Families, Energy rebates, Create Jobs through Fair Trade ,Create 5 Million Green Jobs, New Jobs Through National Infrastructure Investment , Technology, Innovation and Creating Jobs , Support Small Business, Labor, Protect Homeownership and Crack Down on Mortgage Fraud, Address Predatory Credit Card Practices, Reform Bankruptcy Laws, and to Work/Family Balance
Foreign Policy : Barack Obama and Joe Biden will renew America’s security and standing in the world through a new era of American leadership. The Obama-Biden foreign policy will end the war in Iraq responsibly, finish the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, secure nuclear weapons and loose nuclear materials from terrorists, and renew American diplomacy to support strong alliances and to seek a lasting peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Also, adherence to these doctrines or membership in the Mormon Church

Gun Control : 

President admitted that not enough has been done to reduce gun violence and to ensure that guns don't end up in the hands of criminals. Although Obama offered no new policy proposals, he pledged to support "common sense" restrictions, including a new ban on assault weapons. he President made little indication that he plans to push for new legislation, citing opposition in Congress as an obstacle to any further restrictions. 

Education :
President Obama successfully fought to prevent federal student loan interest rates from doubling for more than 7 million students, and capped federal student loan repayments at 10% of income. This means responsible students and their families can make decisions about the future based on career goals rather than the price of tuition. He supported the jobs of thousands of educators and is calling for incentives to keep the best ones in the classroom.  Obama created their own ambitious plans for reform, relieving them of restrictive No Child Left Behind mandates. President Obama is investing in community colleges has already helped spur 46 states to raise standards

Abortion: 
Obama is Pro-Choice. He banned federal funding on abortions except in the case of rape or incest. He supports adoption, the Roe v. Wade case, and Embryonic stem cell research.

Taxes :

His budget includes investments in education, manufacturing, and infrastructure, while brining discretionary spending to its lowest level as a share of the economy in more than 50 years . Asking millionaires to pay their fair share has been a huge contribution to tax cuts. Obama has put forward a specific, balanced plan of spending cuts and revenue increases that reduce the deficit by more than $4 trillion over the next decade, including $1 trillion in spending cuts he signed into law last summer as part of a deal with congressional Republicans.

 Jobs : 

Ways Obama has contributed to uprising of jobs include many options. President Obama refused to let the American auto industry die. He took a chance on Americans, and it paid off. More than 1 million jobs were saved, the U.S. auto industry is roaring back and adding jobs and all government loans were paid back ahead of time. U.S. manufacturing has added more than half a million jobs since January 2010—the most growth in a decade. President Obama has a plan to bring jobs back to the U.S. by eliminating tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, and creating incentives for businesses to bring jobs back to America. President Obama passed Wall Street reform to make sure that Americans would never again have to pay to bail out big banks.

Energy Issues : 

Obama is doubling fuel efficiency standards, which will save consumers more than $8,000 at the pump, create jobs in the American automobile industry, and save 12 billion barrels of oil. the United States has become a world leader in natural gas, and production is at an all-time high  we are producing more oil than we have in 14 years. electricity generated from clean energy sources likewind and solar has more than doubled and his investments in clean energy and energy efficiency have supported nearly a quarter million jobs. Obama has made one of the most significant federal investments in clean coal technology in history

Military Support : 

Publicly opposed wars and intervention but has recently admitted to expanding Afghan conflict into Pakistan. Says Congressional approval not required if UN gives approval. Obama has supported increased funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, a revamped GI Bill and a job training program for returning vets. First lady Michelle Obama began a program of her own to help military families.

War Record
Obama was against the war in Iraq starting from the beginning. He has successfully stayed true to his promise of ending the war in Iraq, declaring that it was over in October 2011.The financial cost of the war he said ran above $1 trillion, an expense that has contributed to America's economic decline.

Voting Record : 
Obama's voting record on some issues has been very controversial He voted yes for giving sex offenders lesser time, and voted no for protecting newborns after a abortion miscarriage. He has helped protect homosexual people and has helped the poor receive jobs. He has raised taxes in order to get alot of issues out of the way, which may or may not be a good thing!

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Mitt Romney 

Party: Republican

Age: 65

Political Past: 

The son of former Michigan Governor George Romney, Romney is a successful business man who founded the investment firm Bain Capital. He ran for the Massachusetts Senate in  1994 but lost.Romney took over the Salt Lake Organizing Committee and helmed a successful 2002 Olympic Games. He was elected governor of Massachusetts in 2003 and made a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008,but lost to John McCain. In June 2011, Romney announced his bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination and by May 2012, he had become the Republican Party's presumptive nominee. 

Background:

Born Willard Mitt Romney on March 12, 1947 in Detroit, Michigan, and raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Mitt Romney attended the prestigious Cranbrook School before receiving his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University in 1971. He attended Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School, and received both a law degree and a Master of Business Administration degree in 1975.

Romney married Ann Davies in 1969; they have five sons, Tagg, Matt, Josh, Ben and Craig. Mitt and Ann Romney are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church. Their openness about their faith brought Mormonism into the national spotlight, and created unique media attention for the Romneys and other famous Mormons.

Family life: 

Mitt Romney grew up in Detroit Michigan where he was born. He  has two older sisters an one older brother. He attended Cranbrook School and grew up as a normal kid. Romney met his wife Ann Lois Romney (born April 16, 1949) in middle school and they have been married since 1969. Like any family, the Romneys have faced hardship: Ann was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998, and more recently fought a battle with breast cancer. She credits her husband's unwavering care and devotion to her for helping her through these ordeals. The Romney’s have five children, all of them being boys. All of them are very successful ranging from doctors to owning and managing companies. They are all over 30 years old and their family all supports Mitt ateempting to become president once again.

Religious Views: 

Mitt Romney has keepin is faith kind of hidden in some sort, not openly talking about it at times. He spent 30 months in France at a Mormon missionary. Mormonism is the doctrines and polity of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, founded in the U.S. in 1830 by Joseph Smith, especially its adoption of the Book of Mormon as an adjunct to the Bible.

Health Care : 

Romney has made strong statements against the Health Care Reform bill passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in 2009. Romney has repeatedly expressed support for repealing the bill, stating in December 2011, "If I'm President, we're going to get rid of ObamaCare and return, under our Constitution--the 10th Amendment--the responsibility of health care to the people in the states."

Economic Plan : 

Romney supports eliminating the estate tax (currently applied only to those inheriting more than $3.5 million) and eliminating all capital gains taxes for those who earn less than $200,000 a year. In early 2009, Romney came out against the stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed by President Obama, calling for increased tax cuts over increased spending. Romney proposes to solve the budget deficit by cutting nearly $5.3 trillion in federal spending while simultaneously slashing tax rates for Americans earning over $150,000 a year. Attempting the produce job growth and help fix unemployment rates.

Foreign Policy : 

In March of 2010, Romney expressed support for President Obama's decision to increase troop levels in Afghanistan, calling it "the right course to take." During the 2008 presidential campaign, Romney repeatedly called for no fixed timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq, and expressed support for the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq in 2002. as said that if elected President, he would "take every measure necessary to check the evil regime of the ayatollahs" and "buttress my diplomacy with a military option that will persuade the ayatollahs to abandon their nuclear ambitions.

Gun Control :
Romney is a relative moderate on most gun issues as compared with many other Republicans, signing a ban on assault weapons as governor of Massachusetts in 2004. Romney received a B rating from the NRA while running for President in 2008, indicating a pro-gun stance on most issues. However, Romney joined the NRA in 2008, and has since called himself a "lifelong" hunter of "small varmints."

Education :
Romney is a supporter of the No Child Left Behind program started under the Bush administration. Romney generally supports increased funding of charter schools and school voucher programs. He is also a strong supporter of abstinence education in schools.

Abortion :
Mitt Romney  is Pro-Life and says he is in favor of abortion in cases of rape, incest and the health and life of the mother. Would be delighted to sign federal ban on all abortions. He vetoed availability without Rx of morning-after pill. He would welcome overturning Roe v. Wade. He also opposes Roe v Wade, but won’t tamper with abortion laws.

Taxes : 

Mitt Romney’s tax plan includes Reducing and stabilizing federal spending .Breathing life into the present anemic recovery will also require fixing the nation’s tax code to focus on jobs and growth. To repair the nation’s tax code, marginal rates must be brought down to stimulate entrepreneurship, job creation, and investment, while still raising the revenue needed to fund a smaller, smarter, simpler government. Mitt said, “The principle of fairness must be preserved in federal tax and spending policy”

Jobs :
Romney says that he is going to create 12 million jobs, by using a five part plan. Taking full advantage of oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear and renewables will create about four million jobs by itself. Trade is the opportunity to add more trade, particularly in Latin America, where there's a natural advantage in time zone and language for us. We have to make sure that our people have the skills to succeed. I want to get our training programs to do that We've got to get America on track to a balanced budget. We have to have a pro-small business agenda. Taxes, regulations, health care, all those things encouraging small business.

Energy Issues :  

Mitt Romney says he will make America an energy superpower, rapidly and responsibly increasing our own production and partnering with our allies Canada and Mexico to achieve energy independence on this continent by 2020. His plan is to empower states to control onshore energy development, open offshore areas for energy development, pursue a North American Energy Partnership, ensure accurate assessment of energy resources, Restore transparency and fairness to permitting and regulation, and to facilitate private-sector-led development of new energy technologies

Military Support : 

Mitt Romney said “If I’m president and Paul Ryan’s vice president we will not cut our military budget." This is a big issue because this is where a lot of the nations money and dept is coming from. Mitt Romney said that 1.We Need A Stronger Military.  2. America Must Become Energy Independent 3.We Must Transform And Strengthen Our Civilian International Efforts To Meet A New Generation Of Challenges. 4. We Need To Strengthen Old Partnerships And Alliances, And Inaugurate A New One, To Address The Threat Of Jihadism.

Voting Record :
Romney has been criticized for having once held moderate positions on abortion, gun control and gay rights. He describes himself as pro-life, though he said during his 1994 Senate run that "abortion should be safe and legal in this country."

Romney opposed the legalization of gay marriage in Massachusetts and recently signed a pledge that he will defend the Defense of Marriage Act if elected president.

War Record:
He  is supportive of President Barack Obama’s Sept 2014 troops withdrawal deadline, he disagrees with the plan to order 23,000 troops out of Afghanistan by Sept. 30. Romney believes our policy in Afghanistan should not be based on the economic costs alone. He believes if necessary, to take military action to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon. he said " if we reelect Barack Obama, Iran will have a nuclear weapon. And if we elect Mitt Romney, they will not have a nuclear weapon."