Notes on John McCain’s Science Debate 2008 Responses
My personal notes on John McCain’s answers to Science Debate 2008:
1. Innovation.
Depended on technology while in the Navy, former chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, guided Congress’ wireless spectrum policy.
Will cut earmarks to free up funding to apply to science and technology. Will improve management of science and engineering within the federal government. Encourage commercialization of innovations from federally funded research.
2. Climate Change
Will implement cap-and-trade to reduce greenhouse gases.
Will enforce CAFE standards for automobile fuel efficiency with increased penalties for violations. Clean Car Challenge will issue a $5,000 tax credit to anyone who buys a zero-emissions car, when one gets invented. $300 million x-prize for a battery breakthrough to leapfrog to electric cars.
3. Energy
Will build 45 nuclear reactors by 2030. Voted against tax-credits for renewable energy because they were temporary and driven by lobbists.
4. Education
Good talking point:
Less than 20 percent of our undergraduate students [are] obtaining degrees in math or science, and the number of computer science majors have fallen by half over the last eight years.
Adults need continuing education too; will therefore reinvigorate the Community College system. Professional development programs for math and science teachers.
Would direct 35% of Title II funding to schools, %60 to incentives for teachers of merit. $250 million competitive grant for states to expand online education. Supports STEM.
5. National Security.
Military technological advances benefits civilian technology. Will increase funding for R&D.
6. Pandemics and Biosecurity.
Emphasis on community-level solutions and counter-terrorism. Mentions the importance of medical technology, but does not say he will fund research into it.
7. Genetics Research.
References the Green Revolution in Southeast Asia as an example of how science can feed the masses. Believes genetics could bring green revolutions to Third-World Nations.
8. Stem cells.
Supports “federal funding for embryonic stem cell research,” but does not clarify as to whether he supports expanding funding beyond the mostly-worthless current cell lines to which it is limited. Hopes technological breakthroughs will render this debate obsolete.
9. Ocean Health.
Bonus points for referencing the Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone.”
References the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy’s Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century (an exhaustively thorough, 676 page collection of policy recommendations) as evidence that ocean health is a massively complex issue that will require coordination between all involved parties, from farmers to fishermen, to find a solution.
10. Water.
Supports continuing negotiations between states to resolve water disputes.
11. Space.
Will extend the Space Shuttle program until its replacement is ready. Believes human space flight, while not as scientifically valuable, is crucial for inspiring Americans.
12. Scientific Integrity
Has a great talking point for Science-minded folks: Our tax-money pays for all that research the Bush Administration censors and suppresses. We have a right to that data.
Will appoint a White House Science Advisor and four assistant directors within the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
13. Scientific Research.
Will increase funding for basic research at the NSF, and will have top scientists plan how funding will be spent.
14. Health
Technology will save us. Promotes telemedicine.
so is this better or worse than Obama?
Comment by ClintJCL — September 17, 2008 @ 1:40 pm
Tune in next week to find out! I’m still comparing them. McCain definitely wins on some points, and Obama on others.
Comment by ideonexus — September 17, 2008 @ 8:22 pm
Interesting that Obama seems to go ‘first’ on a lot of these Q&As… I’m far from a single issue voter, but I am pleased to see that McCain isn’t as anti-science as our current joke of a president. Still, a lot of fuzziness in his answers about stem cells (deliberately vague so he can please the religious right once he’s elected, I believe). Also National Security – excuse me but the military already gets a huge chunk of the budget, why not increase R&D spending in the private sector surrounding, say… renewable energy??? Sheesh!
Comment by Smick — September 17, 2008 @ 10:31 pm
Before voting for Obama…Consider what you are doing.
He’s the most anti American candidate to ever run for office, he won’t even put his hand over his heart for the anthem/pledge.
He’s the most liberal senator, when he actually did vote. (He usually opted out of voting for bills so he could later say he did not oppose them) He voted to kill babies who had been born after a failed abortion attempt, meaning they were alive and well but he still voted to kill them, for a second time. Even in 3rd world countries, if you survive the firing squad, they let you go.
He has a brother in Africa living on $1 a day. He provides no support to him.
He also has a sister living on the streets, he does not support her either.
He’s only generous with the taxpayers money, huh?
He sat in a chruch for over 20 years while Jeremiah Wright spewed hate speech toward America. Repeatedly stating “God damn America.” And saying after 9/11 that our chickens came home to roost. Obama claims to have not known. Either he is extremely clueless and ignorant, or a flat out liar. Only after the public found out about Wright did Obama sever ties with him.
This isn’t to mention the multiple other shady associations he has had in the past.
His economic strategy is spreading the wealth. Herbert Hoover had this same idea. While Hoover was in office, the Great Depression started.
Obama’s plan will force any business/family making over $150,000 (started at 250,000, the became 200,000, now Biden says 150,000) to have to pay additional taxes. Guess what, they put the extra costs on the workers, giving them less money or cutting jobs completely. This is assuming the businesses don’t move out of the country, which many will. How does punishing someone for being successful, and forcing them to cut the pay to their workers to make a profit, help this country? Obama has stated on tape (January 2008) that he wants to bankrupt the coal industry in order to skyrocket electric prices.
Great plan, huh?
Giving money to people who have never worked a day in their life will not ‘help’ them.
500 dollars does not buy a car, it just feeds drug/alcohol addiction (the main reason these people are poor in the first place) Why reward people for laziness/complacancy?
Reagan gave money to those who worked, and convinced the poor to get a job to support themselves. Business owners created 20,000,000 new jobs while he was in office, and there was the greatest economic growth (peacetime) during his reign than any other president. McCain has the same plan as Reagan.
More Americans trust McCain, his economics, and his leadership than Obama’s, yet they are going to vote for Obama because of Bush. McCain is NOT Bush. Bush kept us safe from terrorists, and had to clean up after Clinton..and had to go to war when the entire country wanted to go to war. McCain is far more moderate than Bush, and is willing to cross the aisle to work out issues. Obama isn’t, Obama surrounds himself with liberal loons and radicals and plots how he can undermine the founding father’s intentions of the American Constitution.
McCain was a war hero, he was kept prisoner and tortured for years before finally escaping. He was offered numerous chances to get out of his situation, but declined because he wanted to save his buddies as well, and he knew his release would be used as propaganda against the U.S. Doesn’t this sound like a better president than someone who won’t acknowledge the American Flag or Anthem? Obama grew up a Muslim, his middle name is Muslim (Hussein), and he associates with as many of them as he can. If it walks like a duck….
Whether you believe in God, or don’t. If you’re for abortion, or gay rights, or not. These issues are trivial compared to the damage Obama and a super majority (Pres, House, Senate) of liberals will do on our country. Obama should not be elected just because the media and educational systems give him a free ride and consider him the savior of America. He shouldn’t be elected just because of the reputation of the Republican Party (BTW Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln, both Republicans) when many Republicans despite McCain for his maverick style of compromising with Democrats and going against the norm within the party. McCain should not be screwed out of a chance to serve in the White House based on anything but his OWN merits, not the party he (loosely) affiliates himself with. I’d rather have someone who is willing to go against his own grain, than someone who follows party lines right down to demise of our country.
Think about who you are truly voting for November 4th. The choice has never been so obvious.
this is for John McCain only
Comment by Nicole Oliver — November 4, 2008 @ 11:56 am
Any real facts or whatever of this long post is canceled out, in my opinion, by the bigotry of the remark “Obama grew up a Muslim, his middle name is Muslim (Hussein), and he associates with as many of them as he can. If it walks like a duck…”
Okay. Muslims (which he isn’t) are bad people now? Awesome.
Comment by DJ Nicko — November 4, 2008 @ 5:49 pm
Thanks Nick. My sentiments exactly.
Comment by ideonexus — November 5, 2008 @ 10:46 pm