Mitt Romney

Former governor of Massachusetts

Foreign policy: Romney wants to encourage other nations to welcome democracy. He hopes to eradicate the threat of leaders such as Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro. He believes that the Muslim world will reject extremism if the United States encourages these nations towards modernity.

Health care and Social Security: If elected, Romney would encourage states to create their own private, market-based insurance. He supports subsidies for low-income individuals. He supports private Social Security accounts and has denounced an extension of the retirement age.

Education: Romney has publicly supported President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act. He also supports both abstinence-only education and English immersion for immigrant children. He believes that failing schools should be identified and reformed.

Immigration: Romney has denounced tuition breaks for illegal immigrants. He believes that illegal immigrants should “go home eventually” and hopes to enforce immigration laws against the 12 million illegal aliens who currently reside in the United States.

Environment: Romney encourages investing in research that would allow the United States to decrease its dependency on foreign oil. In 2002, he claimed that the environment would be one of his stronger campaign themes.

Civil rights and domestic issues: Romney is strongly opposed to both abortion and stem cell research. He has stated that gay marriage undermines the precepts of traditional marriage and encourages a constitutional amendment defining marriage as “one man, one woman.”

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Ron Paul

Member of U.S. House of Representatives from Texas’ 14th district

Foreign policy: In December 2007, Paul denounced all foreign aid to Israel and to Arabs. He has encouraged the United States to withdraw from South Korea and allow the peninsula to unify peacefully. He has stated that U.S. national defense will be stronger if its foreign policy is changed. In September 2007, he said that it is not the responsibility of the United States to oversee the abolishment of legal slavery in Sudan.

Health care and Social Security: Paul states that the current health care system has made health care unaffordable. He denounces socialized medicine and universal coverage and wants the U.S. government to refrain from protecting people such as Terri Schaivo.

Education: Paul believes that the Department of Education should be closed, but public schools themselves should not be dismantled. He supports the presentation of scientific facts that support creationism and voted no on state-wide testing in public schools.

Immigration: In September 2007, Paul claimed that immigration issues in the United States are a direct result of the overall welfare state. He voted yes on building a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border and on reporting illegal aliens receiving hospital treatment.

Environment: In 2004, Paul voted no on the Bush administration’s national energy policy. He does not believe in criminalizing oil cartels (such as OPEC) and supports permitting new oil refineries. In 2000, he voted against the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.

Civil rights and domestic issues: Paul does not believe that the federal government should be involved in deciding whether or not each state permits abortion. He does firmly believe that life begins at conception. In 2003, he voted no on expanding embryonic stem cell research and, that same year, he voted no on outlawing human cloning for medical research. He claimed in 2007 that he would not support legislation against “homosexual groups” who want to “enforce their way on us.” He believes that allowing affirmative action for any group is unfair.

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Fred Thompson

Former U.S. senator from Tennessee

Foreign policy: Thompson believes that diplomacy is only effective if the United States is willing to use military force if necessary. He has described the U.S.-Canadian relationship as one that is important for the American economy and national security. On Cuba, he said, “[Fidel Castro] will probably be succeeded by someone who’s no better than him, and that is Raul Castro. And we should treat Raul with the same contempt that we show Castro, including keeping the embargo on Cuba.”

Health care and Social Security: Thompson supports removing some benefits for high-income Medicare beneficiaries in order to allow for low-income beneficiaries to have better access to health care. He denounces universal health care and supports free-market solutions.

Thompson also believes in private personal accounts for Social Security. In 2007, he noted that deficit financing is not a reasonable solution to the Social Security crisis and encourages the use of personal retirement accounts.

education: Although he voted for the No Child Left Behind Act, Thompson now believes that its critics had valid arguments. He encourages voucher programs and charter schools. Thompson also hopes that parents will have an increased ability to choose the schools that their children attend.

Immigration: Thompson believes that allocating special status to illegal aliens is disrespectful to legal immigrants. In 2007, he vowed to veto any bill that stressed amnesty. He believes that an inability for the United States to secure its borders will result in a loss of sovereignty.

Environment: Thompson believes that the solar system is warming and therefore does not see global warming as exclusively confined to Earth. He encourages investment in alternative fuels research in order to cut down CO2 emissions.

Civil rights and domestic issues: Although personally opposed to abortion, Thompson believes that each state should decide its abortion policy. He opposes gay marriage but is willing to allow some states to enact civil unions. In 2000, he voted no on allowing hate crimes to include crimes related to sexual orientation.

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John McCain

U.S. senator from Arizona

Foreign policy: Although McCain believes that the issue in Pakistan is serious, he does not see the country as a nuclear threat. In December 2007, he stated that the U.S. should maintain its Cuban embargo and indict Castro. In February 2000, he stated the need for the U.S. to overthrow “rogue governments.” McCain also believes in strengthening the One-China policy.

Health care reform and Social Security: McCain has spoken strongly against universal health care. He supports tax-free medical savings accounts and tax credits. In 1999, he said that it was necessary for the government to match funds for senior citizens’ prescription drugs.

In January 2000, McCain said, “We’ve got a ticking time bomb out there, and it’s called the Social Security Trust Fund. Starting in 2013, there’ll be more money going out than in.” He encourages personal savings accounts rather than relying on Social Security.

Education: McCain believes that whether or not a science curriculum is structured around creationism should be left to individual school districts to determine. He is opposed to nationally imposed standards and, in 1999, said, “I don’t see why a good teacher should be paid less money than a bad senator.”

Immigration: In 2004, McCain stated that everyone in the world should have an opportunity to live in the United States. Although he believes that immigration reform is needed for national security, he said that Hispanics serve our country as every wave of immigrants has. In 2006, he voted yes on building a fence along the Mexican border. That same year, he voted yes on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security.

Environment: In September 2007, McCain stated that economic and environmental interests are not mutually exclusive. He believes that nuclear power is a solution to climate change and that there should be pressure on the oil industry to research alternatives to fuel consumption. While he does not support the Kyoto Protocol, he does see a necessity for Clean Air and Water Acts.

Civil rights and domestic issues: McCain supports federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. He believes that outlawing abortions will cause women to seek illegal, dangerous operations. He does not believe in adjusting the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and believes that gay marriage should be an issue for each individual state. He has stated that the Confederate flag is a “symbol of heritage” and would allow the flag to be displayed in front of the capitol building.

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Rudy Giuliani

Former mayor of New York City

Foreign policy: Guiliani believes that an immediate withdrawal from Iraq would encourage future terrorist attacks. In the 2007 Republican Debate in South Carolina, he stated that the Republican Party has thus far been “fundamentally irresponsible” for proposing a timetable for retreat. He has stated in numerous debates that achieving stability in Iraq is more important than setting a specific timetable for withdrawal.

Although he has stressed the need to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, he stated in December 2007 that he does not believe that “the military option is the thing that we want, if we don’t have to.”

Health care reform and Social Security:

Giuliani has attacked what he believes to be the Democratic movement towards socialized health care. He wants to establish a private market that relieves the expenses of Medicare and Medicaid. In October 2007, he stated, “If we have 50 million people who bought their own health insurance, the price of health insurance would be cut in more than half.” He also supports adding private accounts for Social Security, although he has been less descriptive about this aspect of his campaign.

Education: As mayor of New York City, Giuliani became frustrated with the inability of many families to decide to educate their children through parochial, charter or home schooling. He wants to privatize failing schools and believes that schools should be more focused on educating children than they are on protecting jobs.

Immigration: In 2007, Giuliani claimed that we should not be debating legal immigration but instead focus on illegal immigrants. He believes that the children of immigrants should be able to attend school or “they’ll be on the streets.” If elected, he will allow immigrants to work with tamper-proof ID cards.

Environment: Giuliani has claimed that signing Kyoto would move CO2 emissions to China and India. Instead, he wants to develop energy-independent technology. He has stressed his acceptance of global warming and hopes to work toward energy independence. In March 2007, he stated, “Nuclear power is dangerous—so is every other form of power—but nobody’s died from nuclear power.”

Civil Rights and Domestic issues: Although Giuliani opposed President Bush’s ban on gay marriage, he opposes same-sex marriage in favor of domestic partnerships. In 2007, he said that he would not sign a federal ban on all abortions though he would personally advise women against abortion. Though he believes that the government should impose reasonable regulations on guns, he hopes to focus first and foremost on criminals themselves.

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Mike Huckabee

Former governor of Arkansas

Foreign policy: In January 2008, Huckabee stressed the importance of changing “Bush’s arrogant bunker mentality.” He believes that there is a need for the U.S. to earn respect abroad and claimed, “My administration will recognize that the United States’ main fight today does not pit us against the world but pits the world against the terrorists.”

Huckabee wants to focus on the genocide in Darfur and believes that there is no immediate possibility of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. In October 2007, he stated that bin Laden is hiding in Pakistan and that “the next terrorist attack is probably going to be postmarked Pakistan.”

Health care reform and Social Security: Huckabee opposes mandated health insurance and universal coverage and believes that individually-controlled insurance is the best option. He has criticized the current health care system as being “upside down” because it focuses on intervention after illness.

Huckabee also supports the personalization of retirement funds rather than privatization. He hopes to replace the payroll tax and fund Social Security with FairTax and does not believe in the allocation of Congressional pensions.

Education: Huckabee has claimed that ending school prayer is “one step in society’s moral decay.” He believes that the Ten Commandments should be displayed in public schools and wants to allocate equal funding for abstinence and contraceptive-based sex education. His first priority is raising teacher salaries.

Immigration: Huckabee believes that the pathway to citizenship should start before an individual enters the U.S. If illegal immigrants admit to their status and pay a fine, they will be placed on the path to citizenship. He has also advocated for a focus on demand and believes that employers of illegal immigrants should be penalized.

Environment: In January 2007, Huckabee stated, “My own personal faith reminds me that ‘the earth is the Lord’s’ and that we are not its owners; merely its caretakers.” In 2001, he supported the State Revolving Loan Fund for flexible Clean Water. In 2007, he claimd that Kyoto was a mistake but that “Earth in the Balance” is not. He wants to explore nuclear power and promote alternative fuel technology.

Civil rights and domestic issues: Huckabee has claimed that the GOP would be “arrogant” to ignore Hispanics or any group. In June 20007, he stated that gay behavior should be addressed if it is problematic, not gay attitudes. He does not support gay adoptions or civil unions. He believes that abortion is a “moral issue” and that there should be no state right for moral issues. He has stated that embryonic stem cell research creates life to end a life.

Reporter: Maggie Griffiths & Bethany Swanson - 01/16/07