The two candidates I chose are Barack Obama and John McCain. I first argue that Barack is a market liberal. His plan is highly focused on the economy. This can be seen through his market based cap-and-trade system by using generated revenue to help develop clean energy or job training for more environmentally-friendly jobs. He also wants to invest about $150 billion dollars in clean energy. Market liberals also think that technology and science can help solve environmental problems, and Obama wants to double funding for scientific research and cleaner technologies.
John McCain is also a market liberal. On his website it even says, “Our economic prospects depend greatly upon the sustainable use of ample and unspoiled natural resources. A clean and healthy environment is well served by a strong economy” (http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/65bd0fbe-737b-4851-a7e7-d9a37cb278db.htm). Thus, it is obvious to me that he is a market liberal, considering that he fits the description exactly.
It is interesting that I have put the two candidates into the same category. In this sense, the category does not help me make any sense of the differences between the candidates. However, by looking at their actual policy recommendations and plans one is able to notice clear differences. For example, it is clear to me that Barack Obama is taking on more to protect the environment because he has a page full of plans and ideas for how to better to protect the environment—not to mention at the top of the page he mentions that it is “one of the greatest moral challenges of our generation” (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/energy/). Yet, John McCain does actually address any set plans on his website. All he mentions is that he is concerned about the issue but offers no specific solutions.
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