PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

Long ago, President George W. Bush decided to center his re-election campaign on two themes: Sept. 11 and the war in Iraq. While the president expresses optimism about his domestic record, particularly his No Child Left Behind Act, he’s most passionate and effective when he talks about the war on terror.

Four years ago, Bush entered office having little, if any, foreign policy credentials and a limited amount of government experience. As a popular Republican governor from Texas, Bush ran on the platform of “compassionate conservatism,” and being a “uniter, not a divider.”

The Sept. 11 attacks reshaped the Bush administration. Faced with defending the United States from future attacks, Bush chose to invade Afghanistan in late 2001 and Iraq in spring of 2003. Although no distinct weapons of mass destruction were ever found in Iraq, Bush still vigorously defends his decision to send American troops to the region.

Bush took office during a time of surplus, and the economy has made shaky improvements during his presidency. Americans have experienced job losses, rising health care costs and higher energy prices over the past four years. Critics say Bush’s decision to invade Iraq has dampened world opinion of the United States, especially in Europe.

Bush supporters, however, see him as a strong, resolute president guided by values and ideology who will never make decisions based on politics. Bush supports lower taxes and conservative social values and says he believes that America’s democratic freedoms should be extended to all peoples. Bush prides himself on issues of homeland security and national defense, and often cites his religious beliefs as a source of guidance and inspiration.

SEN. JOHN. F. KERRY

Sen. John F. Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts, has spent much of his life in the public arena. Kerry’s political skill and experience have made him a formidable opponent to President Bush, and his campaign has relentlessly criticized the incumbent’s record.

Kerry has been accused both of “flip-flopping” as a politician and of consistently voting as the “most liberal United States senator.”

Kerry’s real voting record is somewhat moderate; he’s worked with Republicans, liberals and foreign governments to pass legislation on crime, military spending, terrorism and a slew of other issues.

Kerry has occasionally taken unpopular positions that later became politically acceptable, such as when he lead the investigation into the Iran-Contra scandal in the 1980s. Shortly after returning from Vietnam, Kerry was widely quoted when he asked members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, “How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?”

Kerry’s positions on national defense are nuanced. He voted against the 1991 Gulf War, though he now praises it, and for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, though he now criticizes it. Kerry says that he’ll increase the overstretched United States military’s ranks by 40,000 men, but also that we won’t have a draft. He says he’ll “win” the war in Iraq, but also believes that it is a disastrous, chaotic endeavor. But even Kerry’s detractors concede that he’s an articulate man of deep intelligence and sophistication.

He’s consistently criticized Bush and the Republican Party as “right wing” and “out of touch.” Kerry has pledged to rebuild America’s global alliances, provide federal health care, raise the minimum wage and repeal the Bush tax cuts if elected president.

DECISION 2004: BUSH AND KERRY

* HEALTHCARE

BUSH: Will reform the medical liability system to hold down malpractice premiums; proposes Association Health Plans so small businesses can pool together to provide health coverage; proposes a 100 percent tax credit on catastrophic healthcare coverage premiums for individuals with health savings accounts; wants to expand the network of Community Health Center for medically undeserved communities.

KERRY: Wants to model a healthcare system after the Federal Employees Healthcare Benefits System; supports a Patients’ Bill of Rights; enroll every eligible school child in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

* JOBS

BUSH: His Jobs for the 21st Century plan includes $250 million for community college new industry training; prefers to “make Americans more competitive in the marketplace” rather than “retreat into economic isolationism;” proposes to expand NAFTA to 34 new Central and South American countries.

KERRY: End tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs, and provide incentives for companies to stay in U.S.; will ensure companies who relocate offshore receive no government contracts; wants to reform NAFTA and provide venture capital to new manufacturing businesses.

* EDUCATION

BUSH: Plans the jobs for the 21st century program, including $583 million in new funding for education and training; wants to provide $100 million in grants to low-income math and science students; will expand national assessment to 12th graders; Fiscal Year 2005 budget increases Pell Grant funding by $4.1 billion.

KERRY: Supports fully funding the No Child Left Behind Act; proposes the Schools Open ‘Til Six after- school programs; will ask for College Opportunity Tax Credit on up to $4,000 of tuition; plans the Service for College program, exchanging free college tuition for two years of public service.

* TAXES

BUSH: Proposes to make permanent the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003; has floated the idea of replacing income tax with a national sales tax.

KERRY: Healthcare and education plans include tax breaks that favor the middle class; will fund these tax breaks by rolling back tax cuts for wealthiest 11 percent of Americans; wants to cut back record federal deficit by cracking down on corporate tax breaks and evasion.

… AND SOME OF THE REST

Independent presidential candidate and consumer activist Ralph Nader, who ran as a Green Party candidate in 2000 and drew a significant minority of votes, will speak at Loyola University today at 1 p.m. in Nunemaker Auditorium.

Nader, whose running mate is Peter Camejo, will give a speech, followed by a book signing for “Crashing the Party: Taking on the Government in the Age of Corporate Surrender.”

Nader’s supporters call him a people’s champion – a man who isn’t afraid to take on the issues that the Republicans and Democrats refuse to debate. Nader supports free health care, same-sex marriage rights, bringing the troops home from Iraq, repealing the Patriot Act, sustainable environmental policies, fighting corporate crime and ending the “War on Drugs.”

Democrats fear that Nader may take votes away from Kerry as he was accused of doing to Gore in 2000, thus giving Bush an edge in a tight presidential race. As a result, Nader has faced legal challenges from Democrats in several states where he wants to be included on the ballot.

The Libertarian Party also has a national presidential candidate this year in Michael Badnarik. A former computer consultant whose running mate is Richard Campagna, Badnarik is running on a platform of individual liberties, free-market economic policies and a foreign policy of non-intervention and peace.

Thomas Stevenson can be reached at [email protected].