Elections Essay, Research Paper

When examining the candidates for the 2000 Presidential election, it becomes very clear that the only logical choice for President is Al Gore. Gore has many plans for his presidency that will greatly improve the way our country works and runs. First of all, Gore wishes to reform the way in which elections are run, and attempt to sever the omnipresent link between money and political influence, thus providing more fair elections. Another plan of Gore s is to set aside 400 billion dollars especially for Medicare, and to make sure the money is not used for other purposes, thereby improving the lives of both the elderly and the less fortunate. In order to better the lives of all citizens and provide for more safety, Gore also wishes to close the so-called gun show loophole that allows consumers to bypass the Brady Bill. Lastly, to better equip the children of today for the world of tomorrow, Gore intends to reform education by providing preschool for all children, and making college tuition tax deductible.

The first of Al Gore s many changes he has in store for our country could possibly be the most important one. Gore seeks to change the very way we decide on and elect our officials who run the country, and he intends to do so in a way that ensures a more fair and equal election. What is the key to this electoral equilibrium? Money. For a long time people and political analysts have noticed a certain trend coinciding with a candidate s political influence and how much money he has at his disposal. Traditionally, the candidates with more money get more exposure to the public, get more high influence individuals and agencies backing them up, and therefore end up with more votes than those candidates with less cash. Severing this link between politics and money would be a wonderful change for our country. One of the main ways in which Gore intends to increase equality among presidential candidates is to ban soft money. Soft money is money contributed to a candidate by companies or individuals in order to boost their campaign. In place of this money, Gore intends to establish a tax-free foundation to fund campaigns, thereby supplying each candidate with the same amount of money to campaign with as he/she pleases. This fund will accept tax-deductible donations from companies and individuals, and then give each candidate their equal share. It is estimated that this foundation, called the Democracy Endowment, will raise 7.1 billion dollars within a seven year period, while only suffering a loss of 2.1 billion in taxes. This equal-endowment plan will even the playing field for the candidates, and give each an equal opportunity to campaign. In addition to equal campaign funding, Gore supports the idea of allowing each candidate an equal amount of free air time on television to campaign with. This, too, will give each candidate an equal chance to be heard, independent of how much money he/she has. These proposals, among his others, will help to sever the link between money and political influence, change the way elections are run, and provide for more fair elections.

Another major problem that plagues millions of Americans today is the issue if Medicare. Medicare is the government health insurance program for the elderly, and provides care for about 40 million seniors annually. In recent years, much attention has been called to this program regarding its coverage. The general sense is that Medicare is not adequately insuring its seniors. One cause of this decline in coverage is the money allotted to Medicare. Many times, when other projects start to run over their budget, the politicians dip into the cookie jar, and take small amounts here and there from the Medicare stash, leaving our seniors with less than adequate medical coverage. Gore wants this to stop. His plan that he wishes to implement sets aside 400 billion dollars strictly for Medicare, and ensures that this money cannot be used for other purposes. This will mean guaranteed improvement of the medical treatments and attention those covered will receive. In addition to the 400 billion dollars, Gore has plans for a 253 billion dollar, 10 year program to add a prescription drug benefit to further aid Medicare users. These programs will definitely improve the living conditions of what is fast becoming the largest percent of the American population.

Gore does not stop at improving living conditions for the elderly. He recognizes many ways of raising the quality of life for all US citizens, one of them being in the area of safety. In an effort to make our country a safer place to live, Gore intends to close the so called gun show loophole that essentially allows consumers to buy assorted weapons and handguns without waiting periods or background checks, completely bypassing the Brady Bill. A report released by the Justice Department found that felons illegally bought weapons at gun shows in 46 percent of the 314 cases it studied, and the weapons used in the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado were purchased at a gun show in Denver. Closing this loophole would mean fewer weapons in the hands of people who shouldn t have them, and therefore safer places to live everywhere. It would be foolish not to enact this change, therefore making it foolish not to vote for Gore.

The last key issue on which Gore has many great ideas has more impact on the future than any of his other plans. This issue deals with education. Over the last 20 years, spending on education has risen 62 percent, yet we have experienced a 7 percent decline in enrollment. Studies have shown that giving children a good educational start in the beginning is an excellent way to aid their future in the education department. That is precisely why Gore wants to provide preschool to all children. Giving them a solid start in their earliest years instills the basic principles of behavior and learning skills necessary to be successful in the education system. But, of course, learning skills can only get you so far once you reach the college level. All too often, bright young students do not get to attend college due to a lack of sufficient funds. This is a contributing factor to the difficulty of breaking the chain of poverty. Gore recognizes this, and plans to make college tuition tax deductible. This will soften the blow of tuition check on the lower class families, and allow a greater variety of students from all sorts of backgrounds to further enrich their minds. By doing this, the future of our country will brighten tremendously, as we will have a multitude of new, brilliant minds at work everyday. Education truly is an investment in the future, and Gore knows how to ensure profitable returns.

By examining these key points in Gore s plans for the country, It is obvious that he has the welfare of all citizens on his mind, and that his plans would effectively improve the way our country runs. With that in mind, Gore seems to be the only logical choice for President of the United States.