By LOUISE PLATTER – Web Writer
In 2008, Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts) attempted to secure the Republican Party’s nomination and run for the presidency but he failed to do so. However, in 2012, Romney obtained the Party’s nomination and opposed President Obama. With Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) as his running mate, Romney’s policies are highly conservative and he promises to reverse the changes made by President Obama as well as implement a number of his own policies.
President Barack Obama faces off against republican candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. Cartoon by Gabe Harper.
Education
Romney believes that students at the K-12 level should have more available alternatives to low performing schools and plans to make Title 1 funds portable so that low income students have the ability to choose which schools they wish to attend. In addition, he believes information about each school to be made more accessible to parents. Romney plans to provide incentives for states who provide alternative schooling options as well as expand on charter and digital schools. Romney also wants to encourage private sector participation in higher education and plans to encourage competition among post-secondary programs.
Health Care
Romney opposes President Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act, which was signed by the President on March 23, 2010. As Commander in Chief, he plans to work with Congress to repeal the President’s reforms. He believes states to be in charge of regulating local insurance markets and caring for those who are poor and uninsured. He also believes competition among health care providers will increase their efficiency and effectiveness and would support legislation that would promote fair competition among health insurance companies.
Immigration
In order to combat illegal immigration, Romney plans to construct a high-tech fence on the border between the United States and Mexico and ensure that officers are patrolling at all times. He is an advocate for the development of a verification system that will make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to be hired. As president, he plans to reform the system for legal immigration to attract more highly skilled immigrants and to “cut red tape that is keeping immediate families apart.” He also plans to make the system for issuing work visas for seasonal workers more efficient and accessible for both the immigrants and potential employers.
Gay Rights
Romney opposes same-sex marriage and believes strongly in “traditional marriage,” which he defines as “a sacred union between a man and a woman.” He supports a constitutional amendment that would officially define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. He believes that children need both a father and a mother in their lives. However, he opposes discrimination based on sexual preference. He believes that the same-sex marriage debate is not about tolerance, but about the purpose of marriage.
Read about Obama’s stances on the next page.
