Since election time is coming up, I decided to write something a little more serious than my usual articles. I have heard so many students complain that they see nothing but slanderous ads on television, which leave them wondering about the real issues concerning the upcoming election on Tuesday Nov. 7.
Honestly, going into writing this editorial, I studied quite a bit, sat through the debates, and explored each candidate’s Web site and researched the issues. I expected to have a huge list of differences prepared, but in all honesty . the candidates are both so similar that it would make any hardcore Democrat or Republican wonder why vote for one over the other.
I will just begin by giving you a little background on each candidate in order from right to left (ha!).
First we will start with Bob Corker. Corker graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Management in 1970. He ran a “successful, self-made” construction company for a number of years, after which eventually expanded into 18 states and earned him recognition in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s “Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame.”
In 1995, Corker was appointed as Commissioner of Finance and Administration for the State of Tennessee, and in 2001, Chattanooga elected Corker as mayor. Corker’s political affiliation is Republican. He was raised a Methodist.
Congressman Harold Ford Jr. received a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and holds a bachelor’s degree in American History. At 26, Ford was elected to represent the Ninth District of Tennessee in 1996 and is now serving his fifth term in the House of Representatives.
Ford also sits on the House Budget Committee and the House Committee on Financial Services. Ford’s political affiliation is Democratic, and his religious denomination is Baptist.
It was difficult to write this editorial because my main sources were the candidate’s Web sites and the three U.S. Senate debates. Unfortunately, Corker’s Web site offers only a fraction of the content that Ford’s offers.
Both candidates admit to “learning and growing” while in office – and maintain the prerogative to change their minds. Corker has switched his views on both abortion and Iraq and Ford has also switched his views on banning partial birth abortion.
According to the U.S. Senate debates, both candidates currently believe in tort reform and both support the increased use of technology in healthcare. Both have ideas on how to improve healthcare and both oppose gay marriage.
Both are anti-illegal immigration and both currently hold a pro-life stance on abortion. Both support drilling in Alaska for oil and reducing our reliance on foreign oil. And both have ideals about how to control spending and balancing the budget.
Corker believes in keeping minimum wage the same, but lessoning the financial burden in other ways for those earning minimum wages. Ford supports a minimum wage increase.
Neither candidate supports “staying the course” in Iraq and believes that changes must be made in order to move ahead. Although Ford does believe in “decentralization” in Iraq, which involves giving Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds their own semi-autonomous regions in hopes of preserving Iraq as a country. Corker believes in establishing security, focusing on hotspots, like Baghdad, weakening and disarming private militias and continuosly training Iraqi forces to boost their numbers and capacity.
In regards to improving education, Ford supports the P-KOPS bill (places qualified pre-kindergarten teachers into high need areas), the 21st Century Innovation Act (creates 4 year scholarships for students to obtain college degrees in science, engineering and math in exchange for a commitment to teach in public K-12 schools for at least five years and helps keep and encourage current teachers to further their studies by funding summer institutes and part-time master’s degree programs).
Ford is also for the Service for School Act, which will pay up to four years of tuition for any student in exchange for that student’s commitment to forego Social Security benefits until they reach the age of 70 and an agreement to participate in a national service program, such as active military, the National Guard and Reserves, Peace Corps, or AmeriCorps.
Corker’s beliefs in education seem to concentrate on K-12 school and supports offering incentives to teachers. Raising the bar on security for schools, and revising the No Child Left Behind Act.
I have only touched on a few of the more popular issues; I encourage everyone to do their own research. This way too long editorial cannot even begin to encompass everything that needs to be brought to light. But I do hope that it at least got you to start thinking about Tuesday’s election.
For more information on the candidates, visit http://bobcorkerforsenate.com and http://www.fordfortennessee.com.
All three of the U.S. Senate debates can be seen on http://www.youtube.com.

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