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| 2020 Election: | Joe Biden's book | Cory Booker's book | Pete Buttigieg's book | Kamala Harris' book | Bernie Sanders' book | Donald Trump's book | 2018 Senate Debates |
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| Book Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(from Amazon.com) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(click a book cover for a review or other books by or about the presidency from Amazon.com) |
from Survey of 2020 Presidential campaign websites (number of quotes indicated): |
| OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details) |
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Abortion Mike Bloomberg: Encourage states to expand who may perform abortions. Mike Bloomberg: Codify Roe v. Wade, repeal Hyde Amendment. Joe Sestak: Enshrine a woman's right to choose, in case Roe overturned. Bill de Blasio: Fight defunding of Planned Parenthood. Marianne Williamson: Resist any effort to restrict or limit reproductive rights. Andrew Yang: Support a woman's right to choose, including contraception. |
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Budget & Economy Kanye West: Reduce debt; restore sound economy. Jo Jorgensen: Will veto any deficit spending, debt ceiling increase. Mark Sanford: Nearing point of no return on government spending & debt. Joe Sestak: Championed fiscally accountable "pay-as-you-go" legislation. Howie Hawkins: Socialize big banks; manage the national currency. Howard Schultz: $22 trillion debt is immoral and reckless. |
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Civil Rights Mike Bloomberg: Guarantee equal treatment and equal rights for LGBTQ+ people. Mike Bloomberg: Protect voting rights; require automatic registration. Mike Bloomberg: Reinvigorate Civil Rights Division of Justice Department. Mike Bloomberg: Set labor rules to end the gender pay gap. Tom Steyer: Tell Congress that we need our 5 basic rights. Tom Steyer: Fight racial disparities in our criminal justice system. Howie Hawkins: Reparations for African-Americans slavery. Bill de Blasio: NYC Unity Project: invest in LGBTQ youth. Mike Gravel: $30 billion per year for National Reparations Trust Fund. Mike Gravel: Include sexual orientation & gender identity as civil rights. Marianne Williamson: Expand LGBTQ rights to end discrimination. Marianne Williamson: $200 billion for reparations for slavery. Howard Schultz: Regardless of skin color, get every American represented. |
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Corporations Gloria La Riva: Wall Street criminals must be jailed. Mike Bloomberg: Strengthen & expand Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Mike Bloomberg: Raise corporate tax rate to 28%, prevent use of tax havens. Joe Sestak: Strengthen antitrust laws; stop corporate welfare. Howie Hawkins: Capitalists exploit workers and thwart democracy. Mike Gravel: Use antitrust authority to break up large businesses. Mike Gravel: Re-establish public banking services within post offices. Andrew Yang: Same tax rate on capital gains as on earned income. Howard Schultz: Achieve profit with humanity & pathway to middle class. |
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Crime Kanye West: Recognize racial disparity in verdicts & prison sentences. Gloria La Riva: End racism, police brutality, mass incarceration. Jo Jorgensen: End civil asset forfeiture prior to conviction. Mike Bloomberg: End cash bail; $2.5 billion for public defenders. Mike Bloomberg: Restore voting rights to felons after they're out. Mike Bloomberg: Supported 1996 crime bill and stop-and-frisk policing. Mike Bloomberg: Crime dropped 32%; murders halved; 36% fewer behind bars. Howie Hawkins: End the carceral surveillance state. Bill de Blasio: Close Rikers; develop alternatives to incarceration. Bill de Blasio: Ban solitary confinement for youth; reduce it for adults. Eric Swalwell: Give more resources to state and local law enforcement. John Delaney: End cash bail; end mandatory minimums; end death penalty. Mike Gravel: Decriminalize all commercial sex work. Mike Gravel: Ban cash bail: it only benefits the rich. Mike Gravel: No one deserves to be put to death by the state. Wayne Messam: Ban The Box: give ex-cons a second chance. Marianne Williamson: New Department for domestic violence prevention efforts. Andrew Yang: Replace mass incarceration with social programs. Andrew Yang: Body cameras for every police officer. Julian Castro: We must face police violence against minorities. |
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Drugs Howie Hawkins: Big Pharma pushes addictive opioids for profit. John Delaney: Remove marijuana from Schedule I; remake guidelines. Mike Gravel: Legalize & regulate all drugs, including opioids. Wayne Messam: Drug war has ruined thousands of lives. Andrew Yang: War on Drugs has not worked: treatment instead of punishment. Andrew Yang: Full legalization of marijuana; expunge federal convictions. Andrew Yang: Decriminalize small quantities of opioid use and possession. |
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Education Kanye West: Restore prayer in the classroom. Kanye West: Widest possible range of educational & vocational paths. Jo Jorgensen: I will work to eliminate the Department of Education. Rocky De La Fuente: Funding for those in need, but not everyone needs college. Tom Steyer: Sustained $125B federal investment in HBCUs. Mike Bloomberg: Make education and training a national priority. Mike Bloomberg: More than 126,000 classroom seats added, 600 new schools. Tom Steyer: $1.5 trillion in student loan debt is unacceptable. Tom Steyer: Keep schools open despite Republican demonization. Joe Sestak: Subsidize tuition at public community colleges. Joe Sestak: Support Common Core and expand pre-K. Don Blankenship: My school sang "God Bless America" on most mornings. Howie Hawkins: Free public education from pre-K through college. Eric Swalwell: Future Forum: focus on college affordability & student debt. Eric Swalwell: World-class modern schoolhouses, regardless of ZIP Code. Mike Gravel: Delink property taxes to equalize education funding. Mike Gravel: Student Debt Jubilee: one-time government debt forgiveness. Marianne Williamson: Universal pre-school; more teacher retention programs. Marianne Williamson: Free college via public service; and student loan amnesty. Andrew Yang: Improving teacher salaries improves student success. Andrew Yang: Require colleges to cut administrative costs. Howard Schultz: First in family to attend college; offer same at Starbucks. Howard Schultz: 3,000 people graduated college on Starbucks' tuition. |
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Energy & Oil Kanye West: Make renewables top priority. Gloria La Riva: Stop destruction of Native lands by mining interests. Gloria La Riva: Use sustainable energy, stop fossil fuel pollution. Jo Jorgensen: Replace coal/oil with nuclear; allow off-grid solar power. Rocky De La Fuente: America has potential to be renewable energy powerhouse. Mike Bloomberg: Make climate change a U.S. priority; rejoin Paris Agreement. Mike Bloomberg: Make pollution-free homes & vehicles available for all. Joe Sestak: Global warming is a grave threat to humanity and the planet. Joe Sestak: Favors fee on polluters with Americans receiving dividend. Joe Sestak: Replace fossil fuel subsidies with fees for carbon polluters. Don Blankenship: At Massey Coal , struggled against "greeniacs" and union. Howie Hawkins: Socialize Big Oil; reinvest in renewables. Seth Moulton: Green New Deal addresses climate change AND changed economy. Mike Gravel: Support carbon tax and Green New Deal. Marianne Williamson: Green energy instead of coal, fracking, and nuclear. Marianne Williamson: Put a price on carbon to send a sustained market signal. Marianne Williamson: Supports Green New Deal and green jobs program. Andrew Yang: Invest heavily in carbon capture and geoengineering. Andrew Yang: Carbon tax: internalize the cost of carbon emissions. |
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Environment Kanye West: Diligently pursue clean air and water. Mike Bloomberg: Make wildfire resilience a top priority. Mike Bloomberg: Established NYC as largest bike-share network. Mark Sanford: I care about land conservation and open space. Tom Steyer: Corporate profits matter more than keeping people alive. Tom Steyer: Stand up to corporate polluters who poison our air & water. Joe Sestak: Ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Howie Hawkins: Environmental collapse follows from capitalist system. Mike Gravel: Eliminate all single-use plastics. Marianne Williamson: EPA head shouldn't be from chemical or oil industry. Andrew Yang: Nuclear isn't perfect, but it's a solid solution for now. John Kasich: Properly balance environmental stewardship and job creation. John Kasich: Eliminate NOAA; let DOI safeguard natural resources. |
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Families & Children Mike Bloomberg: Expand Head Start; and at-home care for at-risk infants. Mike Bloomberg: Guarantee 12 weeks of paid family leave. Joe Sestak: Increase nutrition assistance for needy families. Joe Sestak: Authored successful increase in funding for autism. Bill de Blasio: Expand mental health services at youth and runaway shelters. Bill de Blasio: $7 million program to hold domestic abusers accountable. Marianne Williamson: Maternity/paternity leave; free prenatal care and childcare. Andrew Yang: Who you love and how you love are up to you. Andrew Yang: Include family counseling in federal healthcare plans. Andrew Yang: All other advanced countries have paid family leave policy. |
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Foreign Policy Kanye West: Place Americans' best interest first and foremost. Mike Bloomberg: Repair our frayed relationships with our allies. Joe Sestak: Strengthen our alliances; other countries are interconnected. Joe Sestak: Reverse America's retreat from the global community. Pete Buttigieg: Foreign policy grounded in American interests for 2050s. Howie Hawkins: Oppose US military intervention for regime change. Seth Moulton: Build a Pacific NATO & rebuild existing alliances. Mike Gravel: No "America alone": re-engage with multilateral institutions. Mike Gravel: Referendum on Puerto Rico statehood. Wayne Messam: American standing in the world is in complete decay. Marianne Williamson: Make peace with our neighbors, instead of using brute force. Andrew Yang: Be very judicious about projecting force. Andrew Yang: Strengthen alliances such as NATO; reinvest in diplomacy. Andrew Yang: Puerto Rican statehood is overdue step toward equality. |
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Free Trade Jo Jorgensen: Eliminate trade barriers and tariffs. Joe Sestak: Stop using tariffs as weapon in disputes with China. Joe Sestak: Re-join the Trans-Pacific Partnership. |
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Government Reform Rocky De La Fuente: Overregulation needs to cease immediately. Mike Bloomberg: Phase out paperless voting machines. Mike Bloomberg: Ensure equal status for Puerto Ricans; supports statehood. Tom Steyer: It's up to us to un-rig the voting system. Joe Sestak: Stop corporate abuses of lobbying power. Howie Hawkins: Voter suppression policies need to be reversed. Mike Gravel: Replace Electoral College with direct election of President. Mike Gravel: Ranked choice voting replaces "lesser of two evils". Wayne Messam: End barriers to voting. Marianne Williamson: No voter ID; no politicized gerrymandering. Marianne Williamson: Establish public financing for federal campaigns. Andrew Yang: Adopt ranked-choice voting model for all primaries. Andrew Yang: Provide every eligible voter with $100 Democracy Dollars. Andrew Yang: Constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. Howard Schultz: Political contributions unduly influence policy. Howard Schultz: Gerrymandered districts reflect will of political parties. Howard Schultz: Reduce partisanship with 2/3 vote for Court nominations. Howard Schultz: Our government's dysfunction is great & we need to fix it. |
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Gun Control Rocky De La Fuente: Supports "fair gun control" and Second Amendment. Tom Steyer: Gun violence is a public health epidemic. Mike Bloomberg: Close "boyfriend loophole," pass national red flag law. Mike Bloomberg: Ban assault weapons; hold gun industry accountable. Joe Sestak: Strong proponent of common sense gun laws. Eric Swalwell: National ban and buyback of semiautomatic assault weapons. Marianne Williamson: Ban assault rifles & bump stocks. Andrew Yang: Three-tier gun licensing for common-sense safety. Howard Schultz: False choice between gun ban and unlimited gun ownership. John Kasich: Learn from mass shooting tragedies and take action. |
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Health Care Jo Jorgensen: Reduce costs by allowing real price competition. Rocky De La Fuente: Focus on goals of reform: cost, quality, access. Mike Bloomberg: Change patent laws to get generic drugs on the market faster. Mike Bloomberg: Protect & expand access to care in rural areas. Mike Bloomberg: Ban flavored tobacco products of all kinds. Mike Bloomberg: Require insurance coverage for mental health care. Tom Steyer: Healthcare must be a RIGHT, not a privilege. Tom Steyer: Women need reproductive care; GOP wants to take it away. Joe Sestak: Our health system saved my daughter; let's make it a right. Joe Sestak: Add public option to ObamaCare. Howie Hawkins: National health service controlled by community. Eric Swalwell: Guarantee: If you're sick, you see a doctor & not go broke. Seth Moulton: Don't tie healthcare with job; cover pre-existing conditions. Howard Schultz: Medicare-for-All: $32T cost is out of touch with reality. Mike Gravel: VA4A: Veterans Administration healthcare for all. Wayne Messam: People are dying due to high prescription drug prices. Marianne Williamson: Medicare-for-all plus lifestyle and nutrition support. Marianne Williamson: Towns should set up physical activities for community health. Andrew Yang: Medicare-for-All establishes a basic right. Howard Schultz: False choice between socialized medicine & ObamaCare repeal. |
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Homeland Security Tom Steyer: National Service Plan: $50B for public service. Mike Bloomberg: Address high suicide rates and mental illness among veterans. Mike Bloomberg: Reverse ban on transgender people serving in the military. Joe Sestak: First 3-star Admiral elected to Congress. Joe Sestak: Reduce size of navy from 375 to 260 ships. Joe Sestak: More funding for veterans and for cyberspace. Joe Sestak: Reduce number of carrier strike groups from 11 to 9. Pete Buttigieg: Prioritize cyber-threats & extremism, not more submarines. Pete Buttigieg: Security establishment should reflect nation's diversity. Howie Hawkins: Convert arms monopolies to nonprofit public enterprises. John Delaney: National service program: military or community service. Pete Buttigieg: More years of executive & military experience than most. Mike Gravel: America will be safer without nukes: end "nuclear deterrent". Mike Gravel: Bring 138,000 US troops home from 800 bases abroad. Marianne Williamson: Make suicide prevention a top priority for veterans & VA. Andrew Yang: Military spending on modern threats, not decades-old ones. Andrew Yang: Invest in equipment for technical superiority. Andrew Yang: Rechannel $60B per year from defense to infrastructure. |
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Immigration Gloria La Riva: Abolish all anti-immigrant laws, shut down ICE. Jo Jorgensen: Repeal arbitrary quotas on people legally entering US. Rocky De La Fuente: Treat undocumented workers as assets rather than liabilities. Mike Bloomberg: Create an earned pathway to citizenship for undocumented. Tom Steyer: Failing to offer a path to citizenship is inherently unjust. Joe Sestak: Create a path to naturalization for undocumented immigrants. Joe Sestak: Broken system can only be fixed by comprehensive reform. Howie Hawkins: Demand open borders where movement between nations is free. Bill de Blasio: End cooperation & presence of ICE in NYC. Bill de Blasio: Protect DACA immigrants, no matter what. Mike Gravel: Open borders except for criminals escaping the law. Wayne Messam: Reform system top to bottom to be safer & more inclusive. Marianne Williamson: No one calls for open borders; stop scapegoating. Marianne Williamson: Full path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants. Andrew Yang: Come out of shadows with long-term permanent residency. Andrew Yang: Deporting 11 million is impossible and inhumane. Howard Schultz: Immigrants exemplify the American dream. Julian Castro: We can have compassion AND border security. Howard Schultz: Great-grandparents immigrated from Easter Europe in 1890s. Howard Schultz: False choice between mass deportation and abolishing ICE. |
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Jobs Gloria La Riva: Close wage gap; end gender division of labor. Rocky De La Fuente: Government can't create jobs, but can influence economy. Mike Bloomberg: Raise minimum wage; pay Earned Income Tax Credit monthly. Tom Steyer: Most people are denied a fair paycheck, while CEOs get rich. Tom Steyer: Corporations hold down wages; unions get fair return. Joe Sestak: Top priority is quality jobs with fair wages. Joe Sestak: Supports Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Howie Hawkins: Guaranteed jobs; guaranteed income above poverty. Bill de Blasio: $500 million initiative to create 100,000 jobs in NYC. Mike Gravel: Right to Own: employees can buy out companies that close. Wayne Messam: Invest in training the entrepreneurs of today and tomorrow. Steve Bullock: Represented workers as labor lawyer; fight for minimum wage. Andrew Yang: Pay equity for women and minorities. Howard Schultz: Create company our parents had no chance to work for. |
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Principles & Values Gloria La Riva: Make the essentials of life into constitutional rights. Joe Sestak: Walked 422 miles across Pennsylvania, in Senate campaign. Pete Buttigieg: The world needs America at our best. Don Blankenship: Grew up poor, but didn't know it. Howie Hawkins: Democracy needs socialism; socialize many economic sectors. Pete Buttigieg: Ensure that America's future is better than its past. Pete Buttigieg: We cannot find greatness in the past. Steve Bullock: Previously served as Montana Attorney General. Howard Schultz: Two massive failures: One of character; one of institutions. Howard Schultz: Science is real, and so is religion and faith. Howard Schultz: Leadership brings talented people together to solve problems. Howard Schultz: Centrist independent outside of the two-party system. |
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Social Security Jo Jorgensen: Allow Americans to opt out of Social Security system. Rocky De La Fuente: Raise retirement age and contributions cap. Mike Bloomberg: New minimum benefit; expand support for senior savings. Joe Sestak: Protect Medicare, Social Security, and Consumer Finance. Eric Swalwell: Wants more payroll tax to keep Social Security solvent. Marianne Williamson: Raise cap on income & we can avoid privatization. Andrew Yang: Optional automatic tax-free retirement investment vehicle. |
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Tax Reform Jo Jorgensen: Slash spending; shrink government; keep what you earn. Mike Bloomberg: 5% surtax on income above $5 million a year. Howie Hawkins: Graduated wealth tax & graduated estate tax. Mike Gravel: Automatic return-free tax system by online IRS filing option. Mike Gravel: Progressive tax: 60% at $1 million, and up from there. Andrew Yang: Revenue Day: make paying taxes a celebration. Howard Schultz: Tax cuts for the middle class; but wealthy pay more. |
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Technology Mike Bloomberg: Invest in growth hubs to generate breakthroughs & jobs. Mike Bloomberg: Fix 240,000 miles of roads, 16,000 bridges in 4 years. Joe Sestak: Invest $1 trillion in infrastructure expansion over 10 years. Joe Sestak: Reprioritized defense funding toward cyberspace. Howie Hawkins: Public broadband; public ownership of online platforms. Howie Hawkins: Public funding of diverse nonprofit, noncommercial media. John Delaney: National AI Strategy focused on security. Pete Buttigieg: As mayor: major investment in data and technology industries. Seth Moulton: Invest in autonomous, hypersonic, and cyber weapons. Seth Moulton: Rebuild our economy by rebuilding our infrastructure. Mike Gravel: Break up large tech companies; they threaten democracy. Steve Bullock: First governor to protect net neutrality. Andrew Yang: $1 trillion infrastructure investment; it's dangerous. |
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War & Peace Kanye West: Don't tie up our country in foreign quagmires. Jo Jorgensen: Turn America into One Giant Switzerland: Armed and Neutral. Rocky De La Fuente: Stop failed exercise of nation-building. Rocky De La Fuente: Eliminate ridiculous waste, inefficiency in military budgets. Joe Sestak: Immediately rejoin the Iran nuclear deal. Pete Buttigieg: Never send troops without clear definition of their mission. Pete Buttigieg: Small steps forward in North Korea; no "love letters". Howie Hawkins: Endless war follows from capitalist competition. Mike Gravel: Split DoD into Department of War and Department of Peace. Mike Gravel: End military aid to Israel; recognize Palestinian statehood. Mike Gravel: End military aid to Saudi Arabia; no support for Yemen war. Mike Gravel: Withdraw all troops from South Korea; normalize with North. Howard Schultz: Strengthen NATO alliance to fight Russian cyber-attacks. Mike Gravel: 2020 debates desperately need an anti-war voice. |
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Welfare & Poverty Jo Jorgensen: Government anti-poverty programs don't work. Tom Steyer: Increase the earned income tax credit. Mike Bloomberg: Create 1 million new black homeowners. Mike Bloomberg: Created or preserved 175,000 affordable homes. Joe Sestak: War on Poverty made real improvements; let's do more. Howie Hawkins: Reintegrate urban amenities, like walkable mixed-use cities. John Delaney: Invest in rural America: opportunity zones & doubled EITC. Mike Gravel: Redistribute wealth nationally, like Alaska Permanent Fund. Steve Bullock: Passed statewide Earned Income Tax Credit. Julian Castro: Government can help needy families get back on their feet. Andrew Yang: Create culture of lifting up the least among us. |
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Page last edited: Jan 03, 2021
