A COLUMN DIVIDED: Which candidate is more in touch with the people?

MIKE McPHIE AND CASEY SAXTON

From the left: Mike McPhie

Wind the clock back to November 6, 2008. Barack Obama made history by becoming the first African-American to be elected president, but the enthusiasm that encompassed the country was brought on by more than breaking down the racial barrier. For the first time in a generation, we had elected a champion of the people whose landslide victory had been built from the ground up, touching the hearts of nearly every American.
   
Part of Obama’s ability to connect with the American people comes from the fact that he is a living testament to the power of the American dream. Born in humble circumstances and raised in a single-parent home, he worked his way up through will and determination. He received an education, served his community and gave back by teaching, practicing law and representing his state before being elected to the presidency. His life reinforces the idea we all want to believe: Anyone can achieve great things, regardless of his or her background.
   
Throughout his presidency, Obama has striven to do what is best for all Americans. He has particularly been an ardent defender of the middle and lower classes. If his political philosophy could be summed up, it would be an unwavering belief in equal opportunity. From affordable health care to middle-class tax cuts, to a compassionate immigration policy and the expansion of education, Obama has fought to ensure that every American has the chance to build themselves up, no matter what their circumstances. The second presidential debate was conducted in a town hall format, allowing voters to ask questions directly to the candidates. Obama shone, not only with his understanding of policy and optimistic vision, but with his ability to look voters in the eye and tell them all the things he has done to help them.
   
In contrast, Mitt Romney tends to alienate the American people. While many claim his excessive wealth as the cause, I remain skeptical. After all, Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy both came from affluent backgrounds. While they were wealthy, Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Obama all championed the cause of those less fortunate than themselves. Romney is the poster boy for tax cuts for the rich and breaks for corporations. While many Americans pay more than 30 percent in taxes, he noted he didn’t have a problem paying only 14 percent on a multimillion-dollar income. He also expressed his feeling about the American people in a private fundraiser, alleging that 47 percent of the population was “dependent” and would never “take responsibility of their lives.” How can a candidate lead after dismissing half of the country?
   
Obama is a true representative of the people, a living example of the American dream. He is comfortable in the company of both the poor and the rich. His role as a husband, father, teacher and statesman resonate throughout the country. His compassionate positions, natural charisma and strong leadership create a dynamic model for the presidency. In short, he is a president of the people.

– Mike McPhie is a senior from Toole, Utah, majoring in law and constitutional studies. During the spring semester, he interned in Washington, D.C. Send him comments at mike.mcphie@aggiemail.usu.edu.

From the right: Casey Saxton
   
Most media pundits and even public opinion polls will tell you that Barack Obama can connect well with the average American. A lot of people can connect well with the president because of common American interests, like sports. The president has a gift for connecting with people, an attribute that undoubtedly aided his political ascension.
   
On the surface, Mitt Romney might not look like the most relatable person. However, when you take a step back and look at the things that Romney has done for people throughout his life, you get a different impression of him than the one the media so regularly paints.
   
I feel that I connect well with Romney, but admittedly, my overall impression of him is based on so many of the things that I have learned about his life that most people might not even know about him. A few of the things that show a lot of his true character to me include his charitable giving, church service and job compensation.
   
He annually donates roughly 30 percent of his income to charity. He spent years in service to his church, including two as a young missionary in France and later as a bishop and stake president in the Boston area for ten years. He didn’t take a salary as president and CEO of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics or during his term as governor of Massachusetts. Each of those small aspects of his life have helped me in determining the kind of man he is.
   
When you dig deeper, you find stories of selflessness – like the time he shut down his entire business and took his employees to New York to help search for a business associate’s daughter, or the years he spent secretively footing the bill for milk for the New England Center for Homeless Veterans.
   
When Mitt Romney says that his goal is to help people – or in his own words while speaking to the American people at the Republican National Convention, “I want to help you and your family” – I believe him. I believe him because he’s got the background to back up what he says. I believe him because he’s spent a good deal of his life helping people.
   
I connect well with someone who I know has a plan, the desire to help the people in our country and the experience to make it happen. For me, that type of connection is going to trump any connection I might have with someone because of similar interests or youthful image.

– Casey Saxton, a sophomore majoring in business administration, is the president of the USU College Republicans. He can be reached at caseysaxton@hotmail.com.