Select2008 Blog - Comparing and tracking the 2008 presidential candidates

The Peace Conference in Annapolis has heightened the sense of urgency on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Support for Israel is unanimous among candidates, albeit with different levels of intensity. Clinton (D), Giuliani (R), McCain (R), and Obama (D) have all demanded that Palestinian leaders commit to fight terrorism and live in peace with Israel.

However, support for peace negotiations and support for a two-state outcome cut across party lines and spark contrasting views.

Giuliani (R), McCain (R)and Thompson (R) have posed two conditions for initiating negotiations with Palestinians: (i) recognition of Israel, and (ii) commitment to fight terrorism.

Edwards (D), Obama (D), and Richardson (D) have committed to become directly engaged in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Only Obama (D), Richardson (D) and Thompson (R) have expressly committed to a two-state outcome, while Edwards (D) described the two-state outcome as a goal worth making a “serious effort to achieve.”

Biden (D), Clinton (D), Dodd (D), and McCain (R) have all co-sponsored in 2006 the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act, which expressed support for a two-state solution.

Nonetheless, Clinton (D) has lately promised neither personal involvement in peacemaking nor committed to a two-state outcome.

Huckabee (R) has just expressed doubts about the viability of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine on CNN. Romney (R) has mainly focused his attention on Iran in political addresses to the Jewish community.

You can cast your votes on the U.S. support to Israel, the importance of peace in the Middle East, and the path towards peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Popularity: 33% [?]

Free trade and globalization are bubbling up to the top of the 2008 Election issues. Citizens confront Democratic and Republican candidates alike on the side-effects of free trade, from job losses to the environment to recent safety issues. As a result, the current pending agreements with Columbia, Panama, Peru, and South Korea crystallize candidates’ support for or opposition to free trade.

The House of Representatives has just ratified the Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the Senate will have to vote on ratification in the coming months. The Peru FTA is unlike any other. The Democratic leadership managed to insert in it environmental and labor protection clauses, thereby making it more ‘palatable’ to the Democratic electorate.

Nonetheless, the Peru FTA splits candidates across party lines.

On the Democratic side, Barack Obama (D) and Hillary Clinton(D) are supporting it, because the FTA contains environmental and labor provisions. Bill Richardson (D) has called himself a “free trader”. On the other hand, Joe Biden (D), Christopher Dodd (D) and John Edwards (D) have come out against the Peru FTA with strong words. Mike Gravel (D) is not only against the pending FTAs, but advocates withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA). Dennis Kucinich (D) has just voted against the Peru FTA.

On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani (R), John McCain (R), Mitt Romney (R) are all in strong favor of Peru FTA. Fred Thompson (R) also supports free trade. Mike Huckabee (R) strikes a dissonant note coming out in favor of ‘fair trade’ rather than ‘free trade’. Based on the House of Representatives’ vote roll, Tom Tancredo (R) has supported ratifying the Peru FTA and Ron Paul (R) opposed it. Duncan Hunter (R) was absent.

We have just added a question on the Peru FTA. You can now cast your vote and compare your position on this issue with candidates and friends.

Popularity: 45% [?]