With the 2012 election just six weeks away, the fight between President Obama and Mitt Romney to take control of the ten swing states is heating up. In its 45th campaign-coverage edition, 60 Minutes aired two-part interviews with the candidates, showcasing the most debated issues while pitting their policies against one another.
As Romney attempts to bounce back from a series of Republican-reared stumbles (from Todd Akin’s questionable idea of rape to Paul Ryan’s string of falsehoods), he attempted to instill the fear of big government under Obama and the staggering deficit that comes with it. Accusing Obama of choosing an economic policy that ‘promises everything to everyone,’ Romney espoused a stance that will minimize the debt passed on to future generations, insisting that government should be a ‘facilitator of freedom in America,’ and nothing greater. When interviewer Scott Pelley brought Romney’s inconsistencies under fire, the former Massachusetts governor claimed to see it as a result of learning from his mistakes and adapting as a result.
President Obama, in response to unemployment, points to the hole he found himself in when he took over in 2008–that 9 million jobs had been lost is not an easy state to recover from. Obama also speaks to the struggle of getting his jobs plan through a Republican congress, while stating that what has been done has been effective in reducing unemployment. Obama addresses the changes he’s made to Washington since coming in as an outsider, saying that financial regulations have been strengthened and health care has been reformed. He asserts that ‘change has happened, positive change for the American people.’ Overall though, he consents that Washington hasn’t changed as much as he would have liked. According to Obama, ‘emergencies existed here, there and everywhere, and we were putting out fires.’
So what should voters take away from these interviews? The most thoroughly discussed issues were taxes, unemployment, and health care. Romney advocates essentially equal taxes for all incomes, with a ‘little break’ for middle-income people, who won’t see taxes on their savings. Obama, on the other hand, finds solution in raising taxes for the top two percent. Both candidates find unemployment as a serious hindrance to the country’s state of well-being, and Romney uses the steadily-maintained levels of steep unemployment during Obama’s first term to his advantage. Finally, in terms of health care, Romney spoke to a state-by-state policy, citing the emergency room as one option. This coincides with his prior policy that planned to limit the costs incurred by emergency room visits. Without Obamacare, Romney places pressure on those who struggle to afford health insurance.
As the campaign draws to a close, the ten remaining swing states, Ohio in particular, will determine how the election will play out. Right now, polls in those states show Obama with a narrow lead, but the campaign trail is yet to reach its end.
60 Minutes: One on One with Barack Obama and Mitt Romney [VIDEO]
