Obama and Romney on Circles of Protection

Obama and Romney took very different approaches to responding to Circles of Protection and the poverty issue in America.

Governor Romney addressed the issue from a very political perspective. At the start of the clip, he quoted some rather jarring statistics about the number of poor and jobless in our country today. He referenced the economy, saying that under his leadership and his 5-point economic plan, the economy would be revitalized. A healthy economy, he says, means more jobs, and more opportunities for more people. Governor Romney said that the government is a safety-net for the poor. At the end of the video, he promised to work with faith-based organizations to improve the standards of living for those below the poverty line in this country.

President Obama took a very different approach. He had to, of course. Unlike Governor Romney, President Obama couldn't very well quote statistics that would reflect badly upon his administration. That would be bad politics. So instead he took much more of a moral standpoint, stating that "poverty is a moral issue." He briefly touched on economics by stating that the lower and middle classes could not be taxed heavily so that the upper class could receive tax cuts. This he said, was not only bad economics, but morally wrong. Predominantly however, Mr. Obama focused on the idea of "one American family," and idea that the people, more so than the government, are the ones who must work together to help each other. Oftentimes the most effective solutions to poverty are those born out of basic human goodness--the kindness of neighbors and the devotion of parents were two personal examples he used.

 Romney's statement was, in my opinion, a bit too political. While he begins the video by thanking all of the Americans who "have already dedicated themselves to improving the lives of the less fortunate" and referencing the "good heart of America," this seemed like an in-genuine, ingratiating plug for votes, instead of an inspiring compliment to the American people. The rest of the video was extremely political and government focused, rather than moral and focused on the people. Obama had his faults as well.  Though he spoke passionately about everyone working together to help their fellow Americans in need, many of his statements were a bit too vague to be impactful. Especially in contrast with Romney's very politically-oriented video, President Obama was perhaps a bit too obviously asserting that the government was not fully responsible for fixing poverty (not a surprising move, since his administration is not currently doing a great job with this).