Research Paper Undergraduate 3,340 words

Presidential election 2008 candidates and their platforms

Last reviewed: October 30, 2007 ~17 min read

Candidates Project

have chosen to shadow Hillary Clinton the democratic presidential candidate for president in 2008. Hillary Clinton filed with the FEC in January 22, 2007. In so doing I will analyze the official candidacy website as well as other sources to determine the foundation for the candidacy, the issues, the candidates platform, and how the media sees the candidate. I will also seek out information on who is funding the candidates bid for office, what opinion polls are saying about Clinton, what the advertising looks like and lastly I will evaluate and synthesize the information and draw conclusions about suggestions I have for this client in her campaign.

Official Website Analysis:

The official Hillary Clinton candidate website opens with a sign up page that is only redirected if you skip the sign up form. From the very beginning those who sign onto the website are offered an opportunity to be connected to the candidate through the electronic media. The first view of the website is a picture of Hillary in profile, smiling at a crowd (you presume) and holding her hand to her heart in a gesture demonstrating she has been moved by the reception of the people she is greeting. Next to this picture is an interactive scroll screen that offers Hillary's top ten positions on issues, the campaign platform, in brief. This screen makes it very easy to pull at least a very general idea of the candidate views, issues of importance and platform, as well as to seek out more information from other informative tabs, on the main menu above her picture. The website next offers options for what a supporter can do to aide the campaign, either by supporting/planning events, signing up to receive information, start a group, start a blog, get campaign contributions or make one directly. Below these options is a link to visit the Hillary store or order a free bumper sticker, and below that is a calendar of upcoming Hillary events. In the center of the page there is a spotlight section as well as a latest videos section. The website itself is flashy and modern, with links to modern services which are hubs for media information on Hillary and her candidacy. You can link to the candidate's MySpace page, Facebook page, YouTube Video Page, Flickr video page or even her Eons profile page. All of these modern and youthful sites offer people opportunities to communicate with and connect with Hillary, to some degree, making statements or viewing information about or for her. To be honest her website is one of the most comprehensive I have ever seen and really has the potential to develop a life of its own through all the links that are interactive.

General Issues:

Clinton's take on Iraq is simple, she wants to get the U.S. out, as is reflected by her first issue point. "To end the war in Iraq." As a senator Clinton has already developed a set of suggestions for Bush to end the war, but she has outlined her plan, after her election as president if Bush does not begin removing troops from Iraq before then. Her three phase plan includes, phased redeployment and veterans support, securing stability through aid and she would support the appointment of high level UN representatives in Iraq, lastly she would begin a new diplomatic initiative in the region that involves, non-interference, mediation, and reconstruction funding.

Clinton also has a clear statement on health care. She wishes to create the universal health care system she was barred from creating as first lady to Bill. Clinton believes that universally affordable health care is one of the most significant social issues of our day and without address this issue will continue to cripple the strongest nation in the world. Her plan consist of a tax credit system for those who cannot pay private premiums, as system of non-discrimination of pre-existing conditions and lastly portability of insurance coverage so every time one changes jobs they do not lose coverage. The plan is laden with choice for the consumer as well as incentive for small business, the leading employer in the nation, and a group who have been priced out of insurance over the last twenty or so years.

Though it was difficult to find Hillary's position on abortion, it is relatively clear once one looks a little deeper in the website, to a speech she gave to the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association Luncheon, linked on her "A Champion for Women" issue page. The statement is clear, that like most moderate pro-choicers Clinton advocates for better access to contraceptives, education and other prevention models to decrease the number of abortions, rather than illegalizing abortion or overturning Roe.

Clinton's stand on immigration is curiously absent from her official website, though she does discuss the importance of creating a more tolerant America. The issue may be downplayed on the sight because of her active involvement in senate votes that involve Bush's plan for immigration reform and resolving naturalization and guest worker issues. In her senate record are clearly several stands on immigration, and especially toward immigrant and family access to education and health care. She has sponsored and voted for many immigration population welfare bills and blames the current administration for failing to aide immigrants to continue in their bid to become fully participating members of the U.S. society.

Hillary has a strong stand on strengthening education but most importantly making sure that it is available and affordable for all. She has been an advocate for children for her entire career as and attorney and a politician and she will likely continue to advocate for domestic education reform in the future. Her discussion is especially strong given the recent increases in the cost of education in America. Her speech on College Affordability she discusses the fact that many college going individuals today leave college with an average debt of 20,000 and then have to take jobs they do not want to pay off student loans. Her stand is to go back to a time when college lending was not a big business and the system was not so confusing.

Clinton's take on the environment is also strong. She advocated environmentally friendly technology as well as the development of energy plans that reduce the country's dependence on oil. Her overall goal to help the environment is to create energy independence through renewable environmentally friendly energy sources.

Clinton's take on the economy is twofold, one she stresses the importance of fiscal responsibility on the part of the government, in much the same way as her husband did and she also stresses that the middle class needs to be strengthened. Her stand on creating jobs for the middle class is in fact one of her thread stands on change, as the middle class is her audience of choice and economic trends have in her eyes made them invisible to the current administration and living from one potential economic disaster to the next.

Clinton wants to ensure that Social Security is a guarantee even for future generations, through reforming the system now, instead of borrowing against it and hedging bets that it will not disappear or become useless in its size of payment in the future. Saving social security is a part of her plan to bring the nation back into fiscal responsibility, so there will be no more need to borrow against social security in the present or future. According to CNN Clinton also apposes the Bush plan to allow individuals to divert Social Security fund, payroll taxes into private retirement accounts.

Clinton's stand on foreign policy is one of the most logical I have seen. She states unequivocally that the U.S. has a bad international reputation as a result of the actions of the current administration and that we need to do everything we can to remedy that. One thing she is particularly strong on is that we as a nation need to reestablish communications with those nations which we consider enemies, as open communication will be the only way that we can resolve conflicts and understand one another.

Same-sex marriage is also not an issue that is discussed on the Clinton website, unless one considers the general call to a more tolerant unified nation as one that makes a statement about gay rights or same sex marriage. On CNN though Clinton's take on same-sex marriage is outlined. According to this source she opposes same-sex marriage and is instead in favor of civil unions. She believes states should decide on the issue for themselves and also apposed a constitutional amendment that would ban same sex marriage.

Taxes are also not really mentioned on Clinton's webpage, though sweeping change usually involves tax increases. According to CNN, Clinton apposed the bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003. She also opposes extending any tax cuts that have been put in place by the current administration.

Clinton's energy policy is clearly focused on energy independence. She stresses the need to utilize clean environmentally friendly energy technology to rid ourselves of our historical dependence on foreign oil. She also clearly makes a stand against continuing to rely to any large degree on non-renewable resources and giving the scientific community more authority and right.

Clinton Platform;

Clinton's platform is currently relying very heavily upon the idea of helping the middle class. Her campaign bus is currently touring Iowa with a slogan of "The Middle Class Express." She is actively seeking middle class support, and her platform is dominated by issues resolving to make those who currently feel invisible in the current administration. She is speaking to the idea that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and the middle class is disappearing. The sentiment is a strongly held belief in middle America and the platform is strong, as it speaks to the current feeling of America.

If you place your mouse over the numbers next to Clinton's opening picture on her official website her position statement is detailed in her top ten campaign positions and points. 1. To end the war in Iraq. 2. To achieve universal, affordable healthcare. 3. To create good jobs for middle class Americans with the right investments in modern infrastructure and in new clean, energy-efficient technologies that reduce our dependence on foreign oil and combat global warming. 4. To provide world-class education form pre-kindergarten to affordable college for all. 5. To promote 21st century scientific innovation, including stem cell research. 6. To return to fiscal responsibility, move back toward a balanced budget, and safeguard Social Security and Medicare for future generations. 7. To restore competence and end cronyism in government, with a president who cares about and works for Americans who have been invisible to this administration. 8. To combat terrorism, strengthen our military, and care for our veterans. 9. To restore America's standing in the world and repair our alliances. 10. To build a more tolerant, united America, working to achieve big goals again, with a president who's ready for change and ready to lead from day one.

Though many of these statements may seem like simple talking points they are just that simple, concise and clear. Any weakness would likely be addressed by saying that her statements are lofty and look like those made by people seeking big election results rather than real change. The strengths on the other hand, are also significant, as her platform clearly responds to everything she thinks is important and skirts issues she believes should not be part of the process. She is responding to current American sentiment and she seems to possess the spirit of America in her statements. The platform conforms to her democratic party platform but it also speaks to her experience as a senator, first lady of both Arkansas and the U.S. And citizen of the U.S.

Most of her platform statements seem doable, if she is not trapped by a Republican congress, and she does have clear action plans, especially for sensitive issues such as Iraq, Social Security, Health care and diplomacy. The resolution to combat so many serious issues, may prove difficult in the future, especially since she makes it clear that she is not interested in cutting taxes to help the middle class but would likely raise taxes to improve services and demand change in other areas. One strong statement she makes involves national fiscal responsibility, an issue that can not likely be resolved without new or existing taxes being paid. All of the problems she has outlined as important need address, and yet it is also clear that they are all very large social changes that may not be cured, per say any time soon.

Reporting on Clinton is largely favorable, or have been up to this point. As the campaign begins to heat up and the democratic candidates, seeking endorsement by the party begin to challenge each other on issues the situation has become more critical of Clinton. Articles on Yahoo news, many of which are AP sourced, in the last few weeks have been favorable of her lead as well as stressing her lead in polls in Arkansas and her rivalry with Obama in the polls elsewhere. The main emphasis of recent Clinton coverage is that of her rivalry with Obama and the fact that he has recently begun to openly criticize her. Television and radio news has been favorable and is stressing her movements around the nation, rather than criticizing her. This will likely change as the election grows closer.

Debates within the Democratic party, have as of today taken a turn for attacking Clinton, as all the candidates in the debates, have begun to stress that she is inconstant and therefore not a strong leader. They have been especially hard on her war vote history. She has been stressed and cool and collected and firm on her positions, stressing that the candidates are attacking her because she is ahead in the polls. Debates with Republicans are clearly more conflicting as she is clearly responding to democratic opinion and platform stands, many which directly contradict the goals of the current administration and the republican platform. Clinton has always to me seemed a strong debater, able to return debate issues to those that are the most important. I do not believe that my opinion differs to much from media reporting, as they seem to be currently stressing not her actual abilities but others attacks of her.

Candidate Finance Info:

Clinton has raised more money than any other candidate at this stage. She is slightly behind Obama in the number of 200+ dollar donors she has received funds from but in every other area she is the leader. She has received the most in the 2,300 category as well as the 4,600 category. The majority of the total contributions 65% have been received from the 2,300 category. Gender is broken down for Clinton this way: Percent of Funds, Number of Contributors Total Amount, Female 44.2% 17524 $26,528,674 Male 55.8% 17717 $33,426,882. Nevada has contributed $458,973 to the Clinton Campaign.