As you all know, we are in the middle of another closely contested presidential election between two patriotic men who love this country. Both candidates have remarkable stories about their background and prior service to America; however, with the conclusion of the party conventions, it has become very clear in recent weeks how these two men differ.
Upon nomination, one candidate took control of his party; the other let his party take control of him. One chose a running mate to help him get elected; the other chose a running mate to help him govern the country. One thinks the economy has improved over the last eight years; the other thinks the growing deficit needs to be stopped. One wants to stay the course and wait the Iraq war out; the other thinks it’s time for the Iraqi government to take responsibility for its security and to bring our troops home.
It’s true that one of the ways Senator Barack Obama plans on fixing the economy is by increasing taxes, but only for families making more than $250,000 per year, despite Senator John McCain’s campaign’s repeated lies that Obama will raise everyone’s taxes. In reality, Obama has several tax cuts planned for families making less than $250,000. McCain’s only solution for reducing the deficit is cutting spending and making President Bush’s tax cuts —which got us into this mess— permanent. History has proven that Democrats are the best at reducing the national debt and boosting the economy, and right now we need a Democrat in office more than ever.
But don’t take my word for it. I encourage everyone to get as involved as possible. Research all the candidates. Not just the candidates for president, but candidates for your local offices as well. As an American citizen, you not only have the right but the responsibility to make an informed decision on who you want leading our country and representing you in government.
On behalf of all the members and officers of the Progressive Student Alliance, I’d like to welcome you back to RPI. The PSA aims to serve the community both on campus and off by promoting progressive ideals, preserving free speech, and supporting politicians devoted to building a better America on the local and national level. Many of the freshmen have already met some of us when we did our annual voter registration dorm-storming. Anyone interested in getting further involved can come to our weekly meetings on Wednesdays at 9 pm in Union Room 5302.
Editor’s Note: Columns granted by the Editorial Board to the three political groups on campus—the College Republicans, College Libertarians, and Progressive Student Alliance—rotate weekly in the opinion section of The Polytechnic.
