Barack Obama vs Jill Stein on the issues of the 2012 Presidential election
Issues they side on...
the Economy
Do you agree with President Obama's 2009 Stimulus Plan?
Their answers: Yes
Do you believe the 2001 and 2003 George W Bush tax cuts should be extended?
Barack Obama: Extend only for those making less than $250,000
Jill Stein: No
Should the federal government subsidize U.S. farmers?
Their answers: Yes
Should Congress raise the debt ceiling?
Barack Obama: Offset the debt by raising taxes on the rich and reduced spending
Jill Stein: Yes
Should the U.S. have bailed out the major banks during the financial crisis of 2008?
Barack Obama: Yes, but with more restrictions
Jill Stein: Yes, and nationalize all big banks
the Environment
Is Global Warming a threat to the environment?
Their answers: Yes
Should U.S. National Parks and Forests continue to be preserved and protected by the federal government?
Barack Obama: Yes, and expand the government’s domain to protect more land
Jill Stein: Yes
Should the federal government continue to give tax credits and subsidies to the wind power industry?
Barack Obama: Yes, the wind power industry is an important alternative to coal and natural gas
Jill Stein: Yes, the future of our economy relies on the creation of jobs in sustainable energy
Foreign Policy
Should the U.S. intervene in the affairs of other countries?
Barack Obama: Only in matters of national security, human rights violations, or specifically asked by the international community
Jill Stein: Only with non-violent diplomatic solutions such as sanctions and peace talks
How should the U.S. deal with Iran?
Barack Obama: Isolate through trade embargoes
Jill Stein: Iran does not threaten our national security and there is no proof they are building a nuclear weapon
How should the U.S. handle the genocide in Sudan?
Their answers: Support a NATO effort to contain the Sudanese military
Should the United States end its trade embargo and travel ban on Cuba?
Barack Obama: Yes, lift the travel ban but keep some provisions of the embargo in place
Jill Stein: Yes
Should the U.S. maintain a presence at the United Nations?
Their answers: Yes
Should the U.S. military fly unmanned drones over foreign countries to gain intelligence and kill suspected terrorists?
Their answers: Yes, the U.S. needs to use all means necessary to combat terrorism
Domestic Policy
Should we limit federal funds to public schools that do not meet performance standards?
Their answers: No
Do you support affirmative action programs?
Barack Obama: Yes
Jill Stein: Yes, and laws should be passed requiring all federal agencies to give favorable treatments to minorities
Should the federal government regulate the internet to deter online piracy?
Barack Obama: No, the government should prosecute copyright violators but not regulate the internet
Jill Stein: No
Science
Should the federal government fund stem cell research?
Their answers: Yes
Do you believe the theory of Evolution?
Their answers: Yes
Immigration
Should children of illegal immigrants be granted citizenship?
Barack Obama: Yes, but it should not grant their parents citizenship
Jill Stein: Yes
Should illegal immigrants be given access to government-subsidized healthcare?
Barack Obama: No, but their children should have access
Jill Stein: Yes
Should illegal immigrants working in the U.S. be granted temporary amnesty?
Their answers: Yes
Social
What is your stance on abortion?
Their answers: Pro-choice
Should gay marriage be allowed in the U.S.?
Their answers: Yes
Should the government require health insurance companies to provide free birth control?
Barack Obama: Yes, but exempt religious organizations or charities
Jill Stein: Yes
Healthcare
Should we expand or dismantle our Medicare program?
Barack Obama: Expand
Jill Stein: Transform the system into a Canadian or European style single payer system that can negotiate pricing for medication and treatments
Do you support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)?
Barack Obama: Yes
Jill Stein: No, institute a universal healthcare system
Issues they do not side on...
Science
Should the United States increase our space exploration efforts and budget?
Barack Obama: No
Jill Stein: Regardless, we should not use space-based technology for military purposes
the Environment
Should we expand our offshore oil drilling?
Barack Obama: Yes
Jill Stein: No
Social
Should the federal government allow the death penalty?
Barack Obama: Yes
Jill Stein: No
the Economy
Should we expand or dismantle our Social Security program?
Barack Obama: Expand and increase the payroll tax on individuals making more than $250K to make up for the budget shortfall
Jill Stein: Keep "as is"
Should the government raise the federal minimum wage?
Barack Obama: No
Jill Stein: Yes
Should able-bodied, mentally capable adults who receive welfare be required to work?
Barack Obama: Yes
Jill Stein: No, “workfare” is a form a slave labor
Domestic Policy
Do you support the Patriot act?
Barack Obama: Yes, but limit the scope of the government’s powers
Jill Stein: No
Do you support increased gun control?
Barack Obama: No, only for assault weapons
Jill Stein: Yes
Are you in favor of decriminalizing all drugs?
Barack Obama: No
Jill Stein: Yes, but not all drugs
Should corporations and unions be permitted to fund broadcast advertisements backing political candidates through political action committees (Super PACS)?
Barack Obama: Yes
Jill Stein: No, corporations are not people and should not be allowed to finance political campaigns
Healthcare
Should marijuana be legalized in the U.S.?
Barack Obama: No
Jill Stein: Yes
Foreign Policy
Should the U.S. end the war in Afghanistan?
Barack Obama: No, not until all U.S. military leaders are confident the mission has been accomplished
Jill Stein: Yes
Should the U.S. continue to support Israel?
Barack Obama: Yes
Jill Stein: We should give equal support to Israel and Palestine.
Should foreign terrorism suspects be given constitutional rights?
Barack Obama: No, they should be tried in military tribunals but not subject to torture
Jill Stein: Yes, give them a fair trial and shut down Guantanamo Bay
Should the government cut military spending?
Barack Obama: Do not change current military budget
Jill Stein: Yes
It seems as if they agree on alot of issues, and on SOME of the ones they do not agree upon, they still seem to have the knowledge that something needs to be done. They just don't quite seem to have the same opinion on the route to take. I do not agree with her stance on welfare whatsoever. If you are able bodied and mentally sound you should work...period. I do not FULLY agree with ANY of the persons running....Marijauna should be decriminalized, no doubt. The prisons are overflowing with people that should not be there. As for the Death Penalty, (and I know this will blow some skirts in the air! Just so you know, I have the right to my opinion...so do you.)I agree with it. Yep-sure do. Why in the world should MY tax dollars (and yours) go to house, educate, feed, and provide medical care for some of these monsters for the remainder of their lives? I DOn't have insurance, cannot afford to pay my bills some months (and I work like a dog!)...so why should some evil pedophile, rapist, or serial killer have these things for the remainder of their life? I say kill them....quickly...IF it is an act of a barbaric nature and they are mentally sound....otherwise I say rehabilitate, don't JUST punish. Ok--bring the rain...:) Oh, and here is a little more fuel for the fire....PRO CHOICE ALWAYS! No man or government should EVER be able to have jurisdiction over MY body.. :)
Heather Goodwin Campbell
I 2nd everything you said! ....and i was beginning to feel like i was the only one.... Thanks!
Nicole Hodkinson
Regarding the death penalty -- I understand what you're saying, but you need to do your homework... It's estimated that putting someone to death often costs TEN TIMES as much as it would to incarcerate them for life. Read up! http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/costs-death-penalty and http://www.economist.com/node/13279051
Melanie Campbell
What Melanie said and also read up on amount of false convictions that have been overturned in the last 20 years. Some weren't overturned and those people were put to death and then exonerated afterwords. How would you feel if you served on that jury? Our justice system is so broken. We can't convict the people who are truly guilty half the time and a lot of the time we are convicting the wrong people just because the sheriff and/or the D.A. need to get re-elected. That's just ridiculous
Judith Hands
Regardless of the cost, I think that by far the most important argument against the death penalty is what Judith mentioned - wrongful execution. Is there any greater miscarriage of justice than killing an innocent person because SOMEBODY ELSE killed an innocent person? I'd personally be happy to pay MORE tax to prevent innocent people being executed by abolishing capital punishment, but as Melanie pointed out it's actually much more expensive to keep the death penalty.
Rusty Fincherson
Weird. Ditto, stranger. Let's vote for each other!
Ned Redmond
Melanie Campbell - no offence, but whats so wrong with hanging someone? It's what? A few dollars for some rope... if you're a criminal that did a crime (ie murder) then why should my tax dollars be spent on a lethal injection? Hang em, it worked back in the days, it works in other countries, what make today so different?
Rosy Torres
I too am not for abolishing the death penalty. I think it should be used extremely sparingly but should still be an option. Proven serial killers, rapists and pedophiles, for example. Why must we pay for their detention? Their should be a restriction on the amount of appeals these few people can lodge.
Ricky Cervantes
I agree with Heather for almost all of what was said. My opinion on Pro-choice/Pro-life is that if you chose to do the deed, you need to own up for your actions. If there are medical problems like a tubal pregnancy, then by all means go ahead and abort. In that case someone is going to die no matter what. Rape victims should have the right to abortion too. If a person is only having an abortion because they don't want a child or can't afford to raise one, put the child up for adoption. As Ricky said, the Death Penalty should only be used in extreme cases, ones that there is zero doubt that the person charged is the true criminal. People like Scott Peterson, Charles Manson, and Ted Bundy should have swift executions, with no option to appeal. We should give them the option of how to die, like some states used to: Firing Squad, or Lethal Injection. But the people who are charged and it was a circumstantial case should be given time to appeal.
Savannah Smith
welfar to work is a joke, they higher people for pennies on the dollar make them work insane hours for food stamps, it equals out toabout 50 a week in food stamps, this is not about being able bodied, it is about having access to a job, it is slave labor! last i checked slavory was outlawed and wrong! but other than that i totally agree with mot of what u said
Shauna No
The death penalty is not a deterant and is extremely racist in the way it is applied. Also, there's a lot of false convictions out there, and it really doesn't save money. I agree with a lot of the rest of what you said, except not the welfare-to-work bit -- seems like a joke and primitive anti-worker approach.
Pete Perry
well lets see... I can honestly agree with 99.9 percent of both candidates but I must say this. Immigration: allow the children citizenship but why not allow the parents the opportunity to gain their citizenship? Are we all forgetting that America was forged by IMMiGRINTS who built this country from the grd up quite litterally? anyone? Marijuana is one of those touchy things where I say it should be legalized but it should also be taxed (like alcohol) and treated under the same penalties if abused. I'm all for the death penalty. If you're guilty and its proven beyond a reasonable doubt - DNA and so forth - then why wait 10+ years to kill em off? Hang em. simple and cost effective. PS: as for birth control, think of it this way US goverment, what's cheaper... a baby on your dime or birth control to prevent thousands upon thousands of expenses? Goverment Assistance... yea, u should be drug tested for one and 2 if u can work then prove that your searching for work wrather than sitting on your butt and smoking the day away. I can go on but who am I but a tax paying citizen, as if the goverment cares? All they want is a part of my check :/
Rosy Torres
This is a side-by-side comparison of President Obama and the Green party candidate Jill Stein. I find that a few of the things I disagreed with Obama on, Jill helped with. The site can also compare any other candidate you want! This really helped me :)
Shannon Young
I love this function... Helps me clarify my own values. I am absolutely torn between the two.
Victoria K. Sundquist
Part of me wants to throw my support behind BO ( all in all I think hes done a very good job as Commander in Chief), but California is going Blue with the Electoral college so I kinda want to go green.
Joe Heaton
Obviously.. Vote for Jill!
Joe DarkBugg Martinez
I knew I was going to vote for Jill Stein, but this just further confirms it. If you think this country is NOT headed in the right direction and we are in for some very very serious trouble (rising gas prices, 0 growth, climate change) you will agree that the status quo is no longer acceptable. The two parties IS the status quo.
Pete Perry
it is HILARIOUS that the guy who passed the NDAA - which makes the patriot act look like a kitten next to a freakin' full grown tiger - claims on this to want to "limit the scope of govt power" re: the patriot act. POLICE STATE IN EFFECT.
Timothy A Brown
http://ambitiongoes.tumblr.com/post/34082426255/im-black-and-im-not-voting-for-obama
Jasmine Dawson
Here I always said I was a pure "Teddy Roosevelt Progressive", turns out Teddy and I were always Green :D Sorry Ms. Stein, but I'll still vote for the President.
Roscoe Dunlap
This is a great comparison, calling out many of the reasons why progressives should be voting for Dr. Jill Stein instead of Obama: Ending the death penalty, repealing the Patriot Act, cutting the military budget, preserving constitutional rights, stopping the racist war on drugs, banning new domestic oil drilling, protecting women's rights... the list goes on, and on, and on... Invest your vote. Don't waste it on Obama or Romney. 5% for Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala will show strong support for the Green Party's progressive agenda and force the corporate parties to start paying attention to the real issues this country faces.
Jim Ivey
I would vote for Jill Stein, but I live in a swing state. I definitely agree with Jill more than Obama, but if people in swing states vote for Jill, Romney could win the election. That would be the worst thing that could happen and it scares the sh*t out of me! Believe me, if I could vote Green, I would and I will if I can some day.
Laura Lokken
I totally understand where you're coming from Laura, I'm in Ohio :(
Mitch Bolton
This was useful, I just wish they'd agreed on offshore drilling. Our oceans would vote Stein, no doubt.
Erin Murphy