This is the first in a 3-Part series on the U.S. Presidential candidates and their positions on human rights.
As the presidential election approaches, I began to wonder where John McCain and Barak Obama stand on questions related to human rights. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at their official web sites and see what the candidates say on the broad subject.
What I found was interesting.
As it relates to questions of human rights and America’s response to the rest of the world, Barack Obama has quite a bit to say, speaking directly to our foreign and trade policies as well as humanitarian concerns in Africa and Latin America. Unfortunately, John McCain remains fixated on the issues related to the conservative dogma, namely abortion and its spin off issues and gay marriage. I understand that McCain must play to the conservatives in his party. However, given his touted foreign policy experience, I would have thought that he might shine on this subject. He does not.
Readers should keep in mind that the issues set forth below are written in the context of other policy issues. However, it’s important to understand what importance, if any, each candidate gives to this important issue.
John McCain’s key concerns related to human rights are focused on the issues key to securing support from the conservative right wing of the Republican party, to wit:
- Overturning Roe v. Wade
- Promoting Adoption
- Protecting Marriage
- Addressing the Moral Concerns of Advanced Technology
- Protecting Children from Internet Pornography
- Protecting Children from Online Predators
In comparison, Barack Obama’s positions on human rights are more directed toward foreign policy, economic an political stability concerns:
In Africa
- Stopping the genocide in Darfur
- Passing legislation to promote stability in the Congo and to
- Bringing a war criminal to justice in Liberia,
- Mobilizing international pressure for a just government in Zimbabwe,
- Fighting corruption in Kenya, demanding honesty on HIV/AIDS in South Africa, Developing a coherent strategy for stabilizing Somalia,
In Latin America
- Starting a new chapter of engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean
- Promoting Democracy in Cuba and Throughout the Hemisphere
- Working Towards Energy Security
- Advancing Opportunity from the Bottom-up
- Establishing trade policy that works for all people in all countries
- Advance security across the region
Over the next two days, we will provide excerpts from each of the candidates’ official web sites and we invite your comments in regard to the candidate’s policy positions on human rights related matters.
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