Platforms

Senator Obama supports domestic partnership benefits for same-sex couples.

Senator McCain supports domestic partnership benefits for same-sex couples.

Senator Obama believes that men and women should be paid equally for holding equivalent jobs.

Senator McCain has openly opposed bills that ensure women are paid as much as their male counterparts.

Senator Obama supports the death penalty for the most serious crimes, but also advocates taking steps to avoid wrongful convictions.

Senator McCain supports the death penalty for federal crimes.

Senator Obama would use revenues from reversing tax cuts for upper level earners to finance his health plan.

Senator McCain supports low taxes for individuals and corporations of all earning levels.

Senator Obama supports tax credits for higher education. His healthcare plan would make coverage accessible to all Americans without the use of tax credits.

Senator McCain does not support tax credits for education and healthcare.

Senator Obama plans to offer tax credits that can be put towards college tuition.

Senator McCan doesn't include a tax deduction or credit for education in his economic plan.

Senator Obama plans to reform the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to increase its benefit to low-income families.

These tax credits are not included in Senator McCain's economic plan.

Senator Obama plans to recruit more teachers and work to retain teachers by building a support network for new teachers and rewarding good teachers for their performance.

Senator McCain plans to reward high-performing teachers who relocate to low-performing districts, but his platform doesn't outline a plan for teacher recruiting and retention in all districts or discuss incentives for teachers who don't move to underperforming areas.

Senator Obama plans to expand funding for the Early Start and Head Start programs, including quadrupling funding for Early Start.

Senator McCain's platform doesn't include early childhood education.

Senator Obama plans to double federal funding for after school programs.

Senator McCain's platform doesn't include after school programs.

Senator Obama does not believe that NCLB has provided the needed improvements to our educational system and plans to revise it heavily.

Senator McCain believes that NCLB is a good foundation for educational reform and plans to expand on it.

Senator Obama plans to offer substantial tuition credits towards college education and simplify the application process for financial aid.

Senator McCain plans to simplify the process for applying for financial aid and tax credits for education, but doesn't plan to increase overall financial aid.

Senator Obama plans to reduce the dropout rate for all students and remarks on his website that minority students are at higher risk of dropping out.

Senator McCain doesn't address the dropout rate on his website.

Senator Obama plans to cap greenhouse gas emissions and auction pollution credits to organizations that exceed the limit.

Senator McCain also supports a cap-and-trade plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Senator Obama's energy plan would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050.

Senator McCain's energy plan would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 66% by 2050.

Senator Obama's energy plan includes investing $150 billion in clean energy.

Senator McCain's platform does not include a specific target investment in green energy.

Senator Obama's energy plan would create 5 million new jobs in green technology.

Senator McCain's platform does not include an estimate for the number of new jobs it will create.

Senator Obama offers a comparable plan, with 10% of electricity coming from renewable sources by 2012 and 25% by 2025.

Senator McCain's platform does not include targets for renewable energy.

Senator Obama's platform does not include a plan for reducing emissions from federal buildings.

Senator McCain's platform does not include a plan for reducing emissions from federal buildings.

Senator Obama has pledged to immediately begin a phased withdrawal from Iraq.

Senator McCain will not commit to a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq.

Senator Obama's healthcare plan will make healthcare accessible to all Americans.

While Senator McCain does plan to expand access to healthare, he does not plan to make care universal and believes that many decisions around healthcare should be left up to individual states.

Senator Obama advocates stronger enforcement of the American borders.

Senator McCain advocates stronger enforcement of the American borders.

Senator Obama supports a system where undocumented immigrants who learn English and pay a fine are able to begin the process of becoming citizens.

Senator McCain supports a system where undocumented immigrants who learn English and pay a fine and back taxes are able to begin the process of becoming citizens.

Senator Obama supports federal funding of stem cell research, including embryonic stem cell research.

Senator McCain supports federal funding of stem cell research, including embryonic stem cell research.

Senator Obama plans to strengthen Social Security while opposing privatization.

Senator McCain has not ruled out privatizing Social Security, and is staunchly opposed to raising taxes to protect the federally run program.

Senator Obama supports a woman's right to choose.

Senator McCain has pledged to appoint Supreme Court justices who will overturn Roe v. Wade.