Royal Purple

Issue date: 10/29/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Alison Wisneski & Joy Kowald Barack Obama and John McCain have less than one week to court undecided voters before the Nov. 4 election.

Students will vote for the first time on campus in a presidential election for either Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., or Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

The presidential elections are fast approaching and both candidates are sprinting to the finish in an attempt to draw in the last undecided voters.

McCain and Obama have been in a tight race since both were announced as their party's candidate. A Gallup poll released Tuesday shows Obama leading McCain, 49 percent to 47 percent.

The senator from Illinois has been more outspoken on education during the campaign and has set a few goals for higher education.

"He made an offer of $4,000 a year," John Kozlowicz, political science lecturer and former department chairman, said. "Then [the recipients] would have a requirement of service whether it be Americorps or any number of organizations."

Obama's plan would pay for $4,000 per year towards a student's college education. The recipient of the grant would need to complete 100 hours of public service.

The two campaigns have agreed receiving grants and federal aid needs to be made easier. Both candidates sited the complicated process for receiving federal aid as a reason why many Americans don't go to college.

The faltering economy of late threw a wrench into the political campaigns of both parties. The poor economy weakened McCain's base as his lead in the polls gave way to Obama. Reacting to the economic downturn candidates have doubled efforts to push their tax plans. Both McCain and Obama push cutting taxes, but in different ways.

Obama wants to cut taxes for anyone who makes less than $250,000 a year, but raise them for those above that line. McCain by contrast wants to continue the tax plan President Bush has in effect and cut corporate taxes to encourage economic growth.

"In the area of the economy, McCain has argued much more, especially in the past, for deregulation and government staying out [of the economy]," Kozlowicz said. "Obama has been a bit more for government regulation, although they both came together, given the economic crisis that we have at this time that there is a need for regulation, and both voted for the bailout."

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