The Issues Are Now Clear for the Presidential Election

Published in Asahi
(Japan) on 14 August 2012
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Kenny Nagata. Edited by Heather Martin.
Big government or small government? Raise taxes on the rich or decrease government spending?

Looking toward November’s presidential election, both the Democrats and Republicans camps have clearly staked their positions.

As the economy remains sluggish, where do you lead the U.S. as it loses its confidence as the only superpower? There is a big disagreement between the two camps, and we are watching the discourse closely.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the presumptive candidate for the Republican party, has chosen House Budget Committee chairman and advocate of cutting government spending, Congressman Paul Ryan, 42 years old, as his vice presidential running mate. The aim is to make their differences stand out compared to the pair from the Democratic Party who push for tax increases on the wealthy.

Mr. Ryan is known as a young financial affairs authority. As the Budget Committee chairman, he brought a showdown against the Obama administration when he submitted a budget deficit reduction plan that would decrease the government’s annual expenditures by $5 trillion over the next 10 years.

He is also well-received by the tea party, a fiscally conservative grassroots movement that pushes for small government.

Pairing with Mr. Ryan, who is so popular among conservatives, is a strategy to dramatically shift the dialogue.

Economic difficulties continue for the Obama administration as the unemployment rate remains higher than 8 percent. Nonetheless, Mr. Romney’s campaign efforts don’t seem to garner support or excitement.

However, Mr. Ryan’s appointment is a “wager” for the moderate conservatism of Mr. Romney.

In Mr. Ryan’s deficit reduction plan, there are drastic cuts in health insurance expenses for seniors and issues that the middle class may strongly resist. There is a chance they could lose their support base because some hate these stances.

The Democrats quickly criticized them and turned the table, saying that they would create “new budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy, while placing greater burdens on the middle class and seniors.”

Also, neither Romney nor Ryan has much of a track record concerning diplomacy and security.

Mr. Obama has appeal in the accomplishment of killing Osama Bin Laden, who was running the international terrorist organization al-Qaida.

So far Mr. Romney’s strong positions against Iran’s nuclear program and his policy against China stand out.

The concern is whether the hawks that supported former President Bush return to their diplomatic tactics, and the U.S. returns to unilateralism or not.

Policy concerning Japan is basically silent. We hope things will be made clear throughout the campaign.


大きな政府か、小さな政府か。富裕層への増税か、財政削減か――。

11月の米大統領選に向け、民主、共和両陣営の争点が明確になってきた。

経済が低迷し、唯一の超大国という自信を失いつつある米国をどこへ導くのか。両陣営の主張は大きく異なる。論戦の行方を見守りたい。

共和党の大統領候補となるミット・ロムニー前マサチューセッツ州知事が、徹底した財政削減論者のポール・ライアン下院予算委員長(42)を副大統領候補に選んだ。富裕層増税を掲げる現職の民主党ペアとの路線の違いを際だたせるねらいだ。

ライアン氏は若手の財政通として知られる。予算委員長として、政府案に比べて歳出を10年間で5兆ドル(約390兆円)以上減らす財政削減策をまとめるなど、オバマ政権との対決路線を引っ張ってきた。

小さな政府を志向する財政保守の草の根運動「茶会(ティーパーティー)」の受けもいい。

保守層に人気のあるライアン氏と組むことで、一気に攻めの姿勢に転じる作戦だ。

米国経済は、失業率が8%台で高止まりするなどオバマ政権にとって厳しい情勢が続く。にもかかわらず、ロムニー氏の選挙運動は盛り上がりを欠き、支持も広がっていなかった。

ただ、穏健保守のロムニー氏にとって、ライアン氏の起用は一種の「かけ」でもある。

ライアン氏の財政削減策には、高齢者向け医療保険費の大幅削減など、中間層にとっても抵抗が強い内容が含まれる。これを嫌って穏健な支持層が離れる恐れもある。

民主党は早速、「歳出削減は富裕層減税のためで、中間層には増税になる」「高齢者は大幅負担増になる」と批判し、揺さぶりをかけている。

一方、外交・安全保障面ではロムニー、ライアン両氏ともに目立った実績はない。

オバマ氏は、国際テロ組織アルカイダを率いたオサマ・ビンラディン容疑者の殺害に成功したことなどを実績としてアピールする。

これに対し、ロムニー氏はこれまでのところ、イランの核問題や対中国政策などで強硬な姿勢が目立つ。

陣営にはブッシュ前政権を支えたタカ派が外交ブレーンに入っており、米国の単独行動主義が再び顔を出すのかどうかが気がかりなところだ。

対日政策については、ほとんど語っていない。選挙戦の中で明らかにしてほしい。
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