With only two weeks left before the election, and after the two major US presidential candidates have debated for the third and final tme, The Arab American News takes a fair look at both major candidates.

John McCain’s campaign has done little to engage Arab Americans, but the Arizona senator still commands respect as a war hero and as a lawmaker with a long history of strong bipartisan efforts.

He’s moved away from his moderate past in trying to energize the Republican base for the election, and he’s offended many with his hawkishness and insensitivity, once singing about bombing Iran at a townhall meeting.

But his extensive experience and history of fearlessly standing up to his own party make him an appealing choice to moderates on both sides.

While supportive of much of the Bush administration’s policies over the last eight years, including the invasion of Iraq, McCain was strongly critical of many aspects of how the war was carried out, and has strongly disagreed with the Bush administration on torture, climate change, government spending and other issues.

Barack Obama first captured the attention and the hearts of many Arab Americans at the same time that he splashed onto the national scene with his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

“If there’s an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It’s that fundamental belief — I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper — that makes this country work,” Obama said in the keynote address.

He has since made mention of Arab Americans very few times, while having to fight incessant rumors that he, himself, is Arab or Muslim.

In the process, he’s distanced himself from anything related to either identity and has desperately appealed to pro-Israel voters for support, at times making them unprecedented promises — like that Jerusalem remain the “undivided” capitol of Israel.

He’s rarely gone out of his way to defend Muslim or Arab identity when denying false religious and ethnic labels, but on Thursday the campaign pointed out one instance in which he did so, with regard to Muslims, in a July interview on CNN’s Larry King Live.

“Hey, all you can do is just tell the truth and trust in the American people that, over time, they’re going to know what the truth is,” Obama said on the program. “One last point I want to — I do want to make about these e-mails, though… You know, this is actually an insult against Muslim Americans, something that we don’t spend a lot of time talking about. And sometimes I’ve been derelict in pointing that out.You know, there are wonderful Muslim Americans all across the country who are doing wonderful things. And for this to be used as sort of an insult or to raise suspicions about me I think is unfortunate. And it’s not what America is all about.”

The Illinois senator’s background, as a civil rights lawyer, as someone who taught the Constitution and as an organizer of disadvantaged Chicago communities, along with his charisma, still command a level of hope and excitement perhaps never seen before among Arab American voters.

ON THE ISSUES:

CIVIL RIGHTS

McCain: Supported the USA PATRIOT ACT and opposed extending habeas corpus rights to inmates at Guantanamo Bay, though he wants to close the prison. In a 2007 interview with the Boston Globe, McCain spoke against warrantless wiretapping, saying the president has no right to disobey any law, no matter what. But “there are some areas where the (federal warrant) statutes don’t apply, such as in the surveillance of overseas communications,” McCain said.

Obama: has spoken against some provisions of the USA PATRIOT ACT, but has also voted in support of the law. Co-sponsored the End Racial Profiling Act in 2007 and has supported legislation to expand hate crime laws. Obama has also called for the closure of Guantanamo.

IRAQ

McCain: Supported decision to go to war, but was a strong critic of how it was executed. Opposes scheduling a troop withdrawal, saying the surge, which he supported strongly, is succeeding. Willing to have permanent U.S. peacekeeping forces in Iraq.

Obama: Opposed the war from its start, but was not yet a U.S. Senator and did not face a vote on it. Has said he would remove combat brigades within 16 months and “act immediately to address the humanitarian crisis.”

IMMIGRATION

McCain: Sponsored a 2006 bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S., work and apply to become legal residents after learning English, paying fines and back taxes and clearing a background check. Now says he would secure the border first. Supports border fence.

Obama: Voted for 2006 bill offering legal status to illegal immigrants subject to conditions, including English proficiency and payment of back taxes and fines. Voted for border fence.

IRAN

McCain: Opposes direct talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, saying “It isn’t only naive, it’s dangerous,” and that Iran in possession of a nuclear bomb would pose an existential threat to Israel. Supports tougher sanctions. Once sang “Bomb-bomb-bomb, bomb-bomb Iran” altering the lyrics of the Beach Boys song “Barbara Ann,” at a rally during the primary election season. Later said he was merely joking with a fellow veteran.

Obama: Once said he would meet Ahmadinejad without preconditions, but has since said he’s not sure. “Ahmadinejad is the right person to meet with right now.” Has said direct diplomacy would give U.S. more credibility when pressing for international sanctions.

LEBANON

McCain: Has said “There is one bottom line: to achieve lasting peace, sooner or later, one way or another, Hizbullah must be disarmed.”

Obama: Has called for the disarmament of Hizbullah, but leans toward more diplomatic rhetoric. Said “It’s time to engage in diplomatic efforts to help build a new Lebanese consensus that focuses on electoral reform, an end to the current corrupt patronage system, and the development of the economy.”

SYRIA

McCain: Opposes Syrian-Israeli peace talks and would refrain from actively engaging in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, according to advisors, who describe the talks as betraying the stake that the U.S. has in Lebanon’s fragile democracy.

Obama: Has said his administration would be actively involved in encouraging both Israeli-Syrian and Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.

PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT

McCain: Considers Islamic extremism, not the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, as America’s central challenge in the Middle East. Frequently expresses strong support for “Israel’s right to defend itself.”

Obama: Has promised he would begin working with the Palestinians and the Israelis from the early days of his presidency to “achieve the goal of two states living side by side in peace and security.” Has said calls for “engaged diplomacy.” Has criticized Jimmy Carter’s talks with Hamas. Frequently expresses strong support for “Israel’s right to defend itself.”

TAXES

McCain: Has said “No new taxes” if elected. Proposes cutting corporate tax rate to 25 percent. Promises balanced budget in first term, says that is unlikely in his first year.

Obama: Would cut taxes for small businesses making less than $250,000. Has said he would raise income taxes only on the wealthiest five percent of Americans. Would raise corporate taxes. $80 billion in tax breaks mainly for poor workers and elderly, including tripling Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credit for larger families.

ABORTION

McCain: Opposes abortion rights. Has voted for abortion restrictions permissible under Roe v. Wade, and now says he would seek to overturn that guarantee of abortion rights. Would not seek constitutional amendment to ban abortion.

Obama: Favors abortion rights.

DEATH PENALTY

McCain: Has supported expansion of the federal death penalty and limits on appeals.

Obama: Supports death penalty for crimes for which the “community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage.” As Illinois lawmaker, wrote bill mandating videotaping of interrogations and confessions in capital cases and sought other changes in system that had produced wrongful convictions.

EDUCATION

McCain: Favors parental choice of schools, including vouchers for private schools when approved by local officials, and right of parents to choose home schooling. More money for community college education.

Obama: Encourages but does not require universal pre-kindergarten programs, supports expanding teacher mentoring programs and rewarding teachers with higher pay not tied to standardized test scores, in $18 billion plan to be paid for in part by delaying elements of moon and Mars missions. Change No Child Left Behind law “so that we’re not just teaching to a test and crowding out programs like art and music.” Supports tax credit to pay up to $4,000 of college expenses for students who perform 100 hours of community service a year.

GAY MARRIAGE

McCain: Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it. Says same-sex couples should be allowed to enter into legal agreements for insurance and similar benefits.

Obama: Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it. Supports civil unions, says states should decide about marriage.

GLOBAL WARMING

McCain: Broke with President Bush on global warming. Led Senate effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions; favors tougher fuel efficiency. Favors plan that would see greenhouse gas emissions cut by 60 percent by 2050. Supports more nuclear power.

Obama: Ten-year, $150 billion program to produce “climate friendly” energy supplies that he’d pay for with a carbon auction requiring businesses to bid competitively for the right to pollute. Joined McCain in sponsoring earlier legislation that would set mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions. Supports tougher fuel efficiency standards.

GUN CONTROL

McCain: Voted against ban on assault-type weapons but in favor of requiring background checks at gun shows. Voted to shield gun-makers and dealers from civil suits. “I believe the Second Amendment ought to be preserved — which means no gun control.”

Obama: Voted to leave gun-makers and dealers open to suit. Also, as Illinois state lawmaker, supported ban on all forms of semiautomatic weapons and tighter state restrictions generally on firearms.

HEALTH CARE

McCain: $2,500 refundable tax credit for individuals, $5,000 for families, to make health insurance more affordable. No mandate for universal coverage. In gaining the tax credit, workers could not deduct the portion of their workplace health insurance paid by their employers.

Obama: Mandatory coverage for children, no mandate for adults. Aim for universal coverage by requiring employers to share costs of insuring workers and by offering coverage similar to that in plan for federal employees. Says package would cost up to $65 billion a year after unspecified savings from making system more efficient. Raise taxes on wealthier families to pay the cost.

HOUSING

McCain: Open to helping homeowners facing foreclosure if they are “legitimate borrowers” and not speculators.

Obama: Tax credit covering 10 percent of annual mortgage interest payments for “struggling homeowners,” scoring system for consumers to compare mortgages, a fund for mortgage fraud victims, new penalties for mortgage fraud, aid to state and local governments stung by housing crisis, in $20 billion plan geared to “responsible homeowners.”

SOCIAL SECURITY

McCain: Would consider “almost anything” as part of a compromise to save Social Security, yet rules out higher payroll taxes for now.

Obama: Proposes raising cap with an unspecified “small adjustment” that would subject a portion of higher incomes to Social Security taxes.

TRADE

McCain: Free trade advocate.

Obama: Seek to reopen North American Free Trade Agreement to strengthen enforcement of labor and environmental standards. In 2004 Senate campaign, called for “enforcing existing trade agreements,” not amending them.

Sources: Associated Press, Obama campaign, McCain campaign

Other presidential candidates

Cynthia McKinney

Ralph Nader

There are four other US presidential candidates who will appear on the ballot in most states.
A fourth presidential debate, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. at Columbia University in New York, is set to be moderated by Amy Goodman of “Democracy Now.”

Bob Barr

Chuck Baldwin

Intended to feature the four alternative candidates, Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney, the Constitution Party’s Chuck Baldwin, Libertarian Bob Barr and independent Ralph Nader, the debate is to be shown on C-Span and streamed at www.thirdpartyticket.com, though as of Thursday, none of the candidates have officially committed to attend. Obama and McCain are also invited.
The next issue of The Arab American News is to include election endorsements, and a breakdown of Nader, Barr, McKinney and Baldwin on the issues.