how to reach a decision on voting for one candidate over another.

While Obama Adopts Sound Position on Crucial Issues, McCain Beats Around the “Bush” 
By Appo Jabarian
Executive Publisher & Managing Editor
Friday, October 10, 2008

During this presidential election season, many readers have asked me how to reach a decision on voting for one candidate over another.

The process that I have adopted during this and many other election seasons has enabled me to reach a decision that I can live with.

The determining factor is the candidates’ position on the most important issues for me as an Armenian American. Each candidate’s intellectual preparedness, honesty, courage, sense of initiative, overall presence and manner are also important.

In my opinion, the most important issues are:

1. Armenian Cause/The Armenian Genocide;
2. Economy;
3. Foreign Policy;
4. War In Iraq;
5. Tax Policy;
6. Healthcare Policy;
7. Corruption/Greed in government and major corporations.

During the past several weeks, the two major parties’ presidential candidates, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) have expressed their opinion and position. On Tuesday October 7, they have reiterated their ideas during the second presidential debate in Nashville, TN.

Below is the compilation of their position on each of the issues:

1. Armenian Genocide
Sen. McCain sparked controversy on Tuesday, February 29, 2008 when he said that he would not support a congressional resolution calling on the government of Turkey to acknowledge the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
Sen. Obama wrote in June 2008: “The United States must recognize the events of 1915 to 1923, carried out by the Ottoman Empire, as genocide…. We must recognize this tragic reality. The Bush Administration’s refusal to do so is inexcusable, and I will continue to speak out in an effort to move the Administration to change its position.”

2. Economy
Sen. McCain misguidedly said on Sept. 15 that the “fundamentals” of the U.S. economy were “strong.” During the primary election season, he has admitted that the economy is not his expertise. Although he has promised reform and expressed optimism about its future, most Americans remain skeptical about his ability to lead America into better economic times.
Sen. Obama has continuously shown deep understanding of the economic woes faced by the majority of fellow Americans, and has genuinely vowed to take bold initiatives to make life more bearable for the Main Street, and not let Wall Street get away with greed and corruption.

3. Foreign Policy
Sen. McCain’s foreign policy statements sound similar to the current Republican Pres. George W. Bush’s positions on crucial issues ranging from the war in Iraq to confrontation/cooperation with Russia. Many independent observers rate the current U.S. foreign policy as the poorest in many decades. They also agree that it was under Bush that the United States experienced the greatest loss of prestige in the international political arena.

Sen. Obama offers a high level of understanding of the international issues affecting the United States. On many occasions, he has illustrated that he has the ability to launch a fresh and insightful beginning, bringing this country out of its current confrontational modus operandi. Under Pres. Obama, the United States would offer to its potential adversaries both diplomacy and decisiveness backed by military firmness.

4. War In Iraq
Sen. McCain has shown poor judgment in claiming that the war in Iraq would be “swift and short” and that the American soldiers would be welcomed as “liberators.” He was wrong. Pres. Bush’s claims for “Weapons of Mass Destruction” proved to be Words of Mass Distraction. During a town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire on Jan. 3, Sen. McCain told a crowd of roughly two hundred people that it “would be fine with” him if the U.S. military stayed in Iraq for “a hundred years!”
Sen. Obama stresses that it was a mistake to send U.S. troops to Iraq when in fact they were direly needed for a more effective military campaign to confront and root out Al-Qaeda and the other anti-U.S. militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He offers a responsible and gradual deployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq, and encouragement of firm increase of Iraqi responsibility in running that country. Obama stresses the fact that the U.S. taxpayers should be relieved from the $10 billion a month burden of financing that misguided war, and that the Iraqi government which has a surplus of nearly $80 billion, should spend its own money in governing its people.

5. Tax Policy
Sen. McCain offers to reduce taxes for the top 5-7% of the taxpayers, namely the oil companies and other major corporations and their executives.
Sen. Obama vows to oppose such elitist taxation policy pursued by Sen. McCain. He considers McCain’s lavish tax breaks for the super rich an increase of federal spending costing the taxpayers over $350 billion. Instead, he proposes tax reduction for 95% of the taxpayers. He offers tax reduction to those who make $200,000/year or less.

6. Healthcare Policy
Sen. McCain offers $5,000 tax rebate to every citizen. He offers them to go out and buy their own insurance. Yet the recipients of such rebates would have to pay additional taxes and won’t be able to buy health insurance at that price.
While Sen. McCain thinks that healthcare is a “responsibility” without making it clear as whose responsibility, Sen. Obama underlines that healthcare is a “right” which should be enjoyed by every citizen. He insists on healthcare for everyone fostered by the federal government.

7. Corruption/Greed in government and major corporations
Sen. McCain, a 26-year veteran member of the Washington establishment, and a longtime ally of major business circles, is closely connected with special interests that have “demanded” and received deregulation of the financial industry. As a direct result of the deregulation policies championed by elected officials like Sen. McCain, corruption and greed has infested the U.S. financial markets. During the second debate, he proposed further bailout of the abusive mortgage lenders by way of buying bad loans costing an additional $300 billion above and beyond the recent $700 billion bailout promoted by Pres. Bush.

Sen. Obama criticized the corruption and greed on Wall Street and in the corridors of corporate America. He even called for apprehending those corrupt corporate executives and getting the U.S. taxpayers’ monies back. He stressed the importance of re-establishing the federal regulations for the purpose of taming the uncontrollable financial appetites and of taking away the “golden parachutes” of certain corporate officials.
I hope the above facts can be instrumental in helping our readers reach a healthy decision. As for my decision, my choice is clear between the 20th century candidate Sen. McCain and the 21st century candidate Sen. Obama.

My support and vote go to Sen. Barack Obama.