With the passing of Super Tuesday, the Republicans have a pretty clear front runner in John McCain. The Democrats have settled nothing as Obama and Clinton are running neck to neck. I do believe either Obama, Clinton or McCain be will our next president.  I rather not belabor political points too much, but I thought I’d contrast the leading candidates on the most basic of fiscal/economic issues.  I decided to look first at what the decidely conservative, Club For Growth had to say about each candidate on some of the issues. T he Club for Growth hates democrats and is unabashedly idealogically biased, so their opinion and stated facts need to be taken with a a bucket of salt.  However after reading what the Club had to say, I’m not sure what was true and what wasn’t as it was too difficult to parse fact from bias.  I did some more basic research. Obama and Clinton are pretty much the same page while McCain, not suprisingly as Republican, tilts more fiscally conservative.

Taxes:

  • McCain - Opposed Bush’s 2001 Tax cuts, though supports them today
  • Obama - Roll Back the 2001 Bush Tax cuts on the top brackets, increase capital gains tax
  • Clinton - Roll Back the 2001 Bush Tax cuts on the top brackets, increase capital gains tax

Spending
No candidate says they’re are fan pork, and will nilly spending. It’s hard to say who is truly more fiscally responsible. Democrats and Republicans like spending alike, just on different stuff. That said McCain in his time in office has been good about trying to trim pork. Both Clinton and Obama do not really have enough history to say one way or another if pork is something that concerns them.

Free Trade
McCain - Supports CAFTA
Obama - Against CAFTA, and wants to Revise NAFTA
Clinton - Against CAFTA

Immigration

  • McCain - Amnesty for existing illegal immigrants
  • Obama - Amnesty for existing illegal immigrants
  • Clinton - Amnesty for existing illegal immigrants

Energy Policy

  • McCain - Believes that climate change is real, supports nuclear power and alternative energy
  • Obama - Supports Alternative Energy and is a reluctant supporter of nuclear power
  • Clinton - Support Alternative Energy