Select2008 Blog - Comparing and tracking the 2008 presidential candidates

The War in Iraq and the War on Terrorism have been looming large over the primaries and presidential campaign.

Interestingly, extremist and populist positions, such as leaving Iraq within 6 months, have vanished. The controversy now focuses on how best to stabilize Iraq, draw down the number of U.S. troops deployed over there, and adjust military expenses to new economic realities.

As for the War on Terrorism, closing the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and banning torture in counter-insurgency and intelligence activities draw the most controversy.

The following sample is based on over 450,000 votes on Select2008.com over the last few weeks:

- Maintain a residual U.S. force in Iraq to conduct targeted counter-terrorism operations, to keep Iraq‘s neighbors in check, and to train Iraqi forces - 48% agree and 43% disagree

- Reduce the U.S. military budget - 49% agree and 43% disagree

- The U.S. is making progress in Iraq - 39% agree and 50% disagree

- Increase U.S. aid to Iraqi refugees- 39% agree and 42% disagree

- Support indefinite incarceration in Guantanamo Bay for terrorists - 39% agree and 46% disagree

- The U.S. Congress should stop funding the war in Iraq - 54% agree and 39% disagree

- Ban the use of torture by American intelligence and law enforcement officers - 51% agree and 38% disagree

Popularity: 28% [?]

Rudy Giuliani has abandoned his bid to the presidential candidacy in the aftermath of the Florida primaries and endorsed John McCain. However, his supporters might want to make up their own minds and choose between John McCain and Mitt Romney. Although other candidates are still in the race on the Republican side - namely Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul - McCain and Romney have really jumped ahead of the pack, so we’ll focus on them for now.

We highlight below the key policy issues that will help Giuliani’s supporters choose between McCain and Romney for the remaining Republican primaries and Super Tuesday:

- Energy and environment: Giuliani agreed with Romney and disagreed with McCain on global warming and energy independence, including supporting biofuels and corn ethanol subsidies, tapping into domestic sources of oil such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), setting up a Federal market to trade carbon emissions caps, and increasing research funding for alternative energy technology;

- Healthcare: Giuliani’s healthcare plan and support for market-based approaches to lower healthcare costs and to increase access to health insurance has differences and similarities with McCain and Romney’s proposals, such as drug reimportation, setting up a means-tested tax credits for healthcare insurance, creating a tax deduction for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, a tax deduction for healthcare costs, or subsidies to high-cost and low-income individuals to supplement tax credits and Medicaid;

- Homeland Security and war on terrorism: Giuliani and McCain have both boasted his leadership skills, as well as military and foreign affairs experience, to propel their candidacies; however Giuliani disagreed more often with McCain than with Romney on this issue, in particular on maintaining the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, supporting the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, like waterboarding,, and supporting the NSA‘s warrantless wiretapping program; on the other hand, Giuliani and Romney had their strongest disagreements on illegal immigration, for instance on Federal grants to sanctuary cities.

- Social issues: Giuliani’s stance on conservative social issues undermined his candidacy; however, even McCain and Romney disagree on gun control and on whether to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution on marriage, defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman; their support of a pro-life position and record on the question also differ;

- Taxes: Giuliani disagreed with both McCain and Romney on the Alternative Minimum Tax; Giuliani proposed steep tax cuts, which provide common grounds with both McCain and Romney, although these candidates differ on both on tax incentives to corporations and income tax; they also have not both signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.

Popularity: 68% [?]