I should say that since I don't have TV, I didn't watch the debate last night - if I can stomach it, I may watch it when it shows up on YouTube (and I've got some time
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Where they would spend massive amounts of money, mostly. A cynic might not consider that a genuine difference, but I'm ok with government spending to a point, so I think it's kind of important. This went pretty much to straight party lines, with Obama wanting to spend money on social and progressive programs (Education, health care) while McCain was a bit more waffly, since he wants to spend more but not say he wants to (though defense and security are the likely winners).
More essentially there is a difference in their view on tax structure. Again, this is standard party stuff, but it is a fairly essential question regarding how progressive (or not) the tax structure should be. We're talking about a difference between perhaps 35% and 10%, and at the values we're talking about, that's profoundly significant. Similarly, the question of whether we handle large upcoming problems (national health care) through nationalization or privatization came right up to the surface.
Now, this is not to say there wasn't a lot of fluff, and that some of these issues might not be cast as differences of degree more than type, but to my eye there were some bones under all that.
More essentially there is a difference in their view on tax structure. Again, this is standard party stuff, but it is a fairly essential question regarding how progressive (or not) the tax structure should be. We're talking about a difference between perhaps 35% and 10%, and at the values we're talking about, that's profoundly significant. Similarly, the question of whether we handle large upcoming problems (national health care) through nationalization or privatization came right up to the surface.
Now, this is not to say there wasn't a lot of fluff, and that some of these issues might not be cast as differences of degree more than type, but to my eye there were some bones under all that.
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