At a Glance: Republican Presidential Candidates
Ben Carson: Carson was born Sept. 18, 1951 in Detroit, Michigan. He is a retired neurosurgeon and was the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins Hospital. He is famously known for being the first surgeon to separate conjoined twins, not to mention a bestselling author. Carson holds high accolades with multiple organizations. In 2001 the Library of Congress selected Carson as one of 89 “Living Legends.” In 2006, he received the Springarn Medal, which is one of the most prestigious awards given by the NAACP. Then in 2008, President Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. Civilian honors. Although he is a neurosurgeon, author and a hero, he will tell you — he’s not a politician.
Foreign Policy: This subject for Carson is his least knowledgeable. He has said that he is learning all he can and there is a lot to cover. What he does have to say about the war on ISIS is that we need a swift end to the war by having more defined goals. We should arm the Kurds to defend themselves and rebuild their state. He strongly believes that the Iran Deal should incorporate Congress approval and recommendations.
Immigration: Carson has proposed a guest worker program for illegal immigrants. To be eligible, non-citizens would have to have a guaranteed job awaiting them in the United States before they come and work.
Environment: Carson doesn’t believe that climate change is a threat or a proven trend. In light of other issues, he believes the debate for climate change is irrelevant.
Education: Carson doesn’t support Common Core standards and believes education shouldn’t be controlled by federal bureaucrats but incorporate involved parents and engaged teachers. He also believes students and parents need more school choice. School choice is a term that refers to the alternative programs to publicly provided schools such as homeschool, charter schools or magnet schools.
Social Issues: Carson is generally anti-abortion rightsand would not allow abortions after 20 weeks. He has voiced that marriage is between a man and a woman but because of the Supreme Court ruling, it is now the law of the land and he will recognize that.
Rick Santorum: Santorum was born on May 10, 1958 in Winchester, Virginia. He went to law school and later worked as an attorney. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania in 1990, and in 1994 he was elected as a United States Senator. Santorum ran unsuccessfully for the presidential election in 2012. He was runner-up to eventual nominee Mitt Romney.
Foreign Policy: Santorum is known to be a staunch supporter of Israel, so he does not support the Iran Deal. He believes the U.S. should increase sanctions on Iran because they are unpredictable and the U.S. can’t tell what they will do in the future. On the United States strategy against ISIS, he would suggest that we be combat-ready with troops on the ground, as well as help with intelligence and training while increasing air strikes.
Immigration: Santorum says that immigrants are hurting the economy because they are taking jobs from the American public. He opposes the DREAM Act, which is a piece of legislation that would allow a multi-phase process for undocumented immigrants that would grant conditional residency and then permanent residency after meeting certain requirements and qualifications.
Environment: Santorum has said that changes in the climate are naturally cyclical and not produced by human activity. He also supports efforts and legislation to continue more oil and gas drilling.
Education: He opposes Common Core standards and has been a voice against them since they were initiated. Santorum is a strong advocate for home schooling and doesn’t support the involvement of the federal government in educational affairs.
Social Issues: Santorum could be one of the biggest Republican hopefuls in the fight against legal same-sex marriages. He strongly believes marriage is between a man and a woman and would support any amendment to the U.S. Constitution to set that into law. He is anti-abortion rights in all aspects, except if the mother’s life is in danger.
— lilywachter3@hotmail.com