President:

Mitt Romney–Republican

The Big Picture:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the son of former Michigan Gov. George Romney, comes from a business background that’s most notable for his involvement with Bain Capital, a private equity investment firm, and for his role as the president and CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. A conservative Republican and member of the LDS Church, Romney rose to the top of a gaggle of contenders during a bruising Republican Party primary. As governor, Romney crafted a health care plan that was used as the basis for Obamacare, although Romney has promised to undo the president’s plan if elected. He’s pledged to seek passage of a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, he is pro-life and he is in favor of increased military spending. Romney is in favor of lowering the corporate tax rate, eliminating taxes such as the estate tax and cutting individual tax rates by 20 percent (among other reforms). He has not detailed specifically how the revenue lost from these lower or eliminated taxes will be replaced.

Barack Obama–Democrat

barackobama.com

The Big Picture:

The first African-American president came into office with a national economy that immediately collapsed and sent the country into a deep recession from which it is still struggling to emerge. Obama attempted to jumpstart the economy with an $817 billion stimulus package that successfully bailed out some Detroit automakers but hasn’t made a significant dent in unemployment. The domestic highlight of his first term in office was the passage—amid much partisan bickering on both sides of the aisle—of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, which goes into effect next year. His foreign policy highlight is the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden at the hand of Navy SEALS in Pakistan; another foreign policy measure that often doesn’t get as much attention is Obama’s increased use of unmanned drones in attacking terrorist cells overseas. Such strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least three Americans in Yemen, making Obama the first president to approve the extrajudicial killings of

U.S. citizens.

YS Endorsement: Barack Obama

While President Obama’s first term has been less-than-dazzling for many, we believe his action with the stimulus bill and the health care bill has earned him a second term. We also acknowledge the nearly impenetrable roadblocks erected by Republicans in Congress and hope that both parties can turn away from partisan gridlock and toward issues that urgently need attention, such as jobs and the economy.