Presidential Choice - Who Will Stand with the Middle Class? - Communications Workers of America AFL-CIO CLC

Oct 13, 2026

Upload by Asher

A CWA News issue frames the presidential election as a choice that affects the middle class, comparing the policy approaches of John McCain and Barack Obama on jobs, trade, healthcare, Social Security, energy costs, and workers’ rights. It highlights how deficit and job losses tied to trade patterns have impacted U.S. workers. The coverage contrasts McCain’s support for existing trade deals and partial privatization concepts with Obama’s stance on fixing trade agreements, preserving Social Security structure, and pursuing universal health coverage with cost controls.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryComic

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Presidential Choice: Who Will Stand with the Middle Class?

Economic policy and trade

Health care and Social Security

Workers' rights and political impact

COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS oF AMERICA,AFL-CIO,CLC {www.CWA-UNION.ORG} W ORKIN G # Presidential Choice:Who Will Stand with the Middle Class? n this issue of CWA News,we try deficit with China alone cost the United States 2.3 mil- I hope you wil look at the stories and candidate to get right down to the core lion jobs from 2001-07,according to the Economic comparison chat in this issue and familiarize yourself issues in this year's presidential Policy Institute. with the different positions between McCain and The presidential candidates differ sharply on this race and what a change in political Obama on other key issues,such as retirement securi- direction can mean for our members issue.John McCain thinks NAFTA was a good deal and ty and workers'rights.McCain supports the idea of at and their families in so many ways. has supported every trade agreement tat has come least partial privatization of Social Security,putting This isn't about Democrats and along including the pending deal with Colombia. individual retirement funds at risk in financial markets, Republicans,it's about electing a presi- Obama has stated that NAFTA needs to be fixed and he Annie Hil. while Obama has pledged to preserve the current Executive Vice dential candidate who will push for eco- opposes the Colombia deal.He pledges that any future Social Security structure with minor payroll tax President nomic policies to restore and bolster increases on those earning above $250,000. trade agreements under his presidency must contain the middle class. strong labor standards to protect workers. On health care,McCain's plan echoes Bush's There's a clear difference between the philosophies approach of calling on people to take "ownership"of of Senators John McCain and Barack Obama and their There's a clear difference between Senators John their health care and negotiate their own insurance cov- proposed solutions for reviving the economy and McCain and Barack Obama on reyiving the economy addressing fundamental problems,such as our broken erage,with modest tax incentives from the govern- and addressing fundamental problems,such as our ment.McCain would offer tax credits of up to $5,000 health care system,Social Security,jobs and trade broken health care system,Social Sncurily,jobs for a family—less than half the average cost of health suppression of workers'rights,soaring energy costs and trade,suppresslom of workers'rights and mure and more. premiums.Workers would have to make up the differ- Senator McCain's economic plan is primarily more of ence.He would do nothing about requiring insurance the Bush-Cheney model:Extension of tax cuts for the companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions McCain strongly opposes the Employee Free Choice who are often refused coverage. wealthy and giving even bigger tax breaks to corpora- Act to give workers a majority signup process to tions.It's the trickle-down idea—shift more wealth to But most disturbingMcCain proposes making achieve union representation and collective bargaining workers whose health benefits are paid in whole or part the economic elites,the ones that made out obscenely Obama has promised to work for passage of the bill well the last 7%years while workers'wages stagnated, by employers start paying income tax on the value of At the presidential level,this certainly is not an elec- and supposedly everything will be fine for the rest of us. those benefits—in effect a tax increase of thousands tion year where anyone can say convincingly,"I don't We've tried that approach and it's been disastrous of dollars for many CWA members and others. see any real difference between the candidates."Look Obama would not tax benefits,and instead he pro- for working Americans. al their positions on the issues and their ideas for the A policy of unrestrained "free

FAQs

How does the issue describe the stakes for the middle class in the presidential election?

It argues the election determines which presidential candidate will push policies that restore and bolster the middle class, directly affecting jobs, benefits, and living standards.

What difference in trade policy is emphasized between McCain and Obama?

McCain is described as supporting NAFTA and trade agreements including the Colombia deal, while Obama is presented as saying NAFTA needs to be fixed and opposing the Colombia deal unless future agreements include strong labor standards.

How does the issue compare the candidates’ approaches to health care and Social Security?

McCain is portrayed as backing partial privatization of Social Security and a health approach tied to ownership and negotiating coverage, while Obama is portrayed as preserving the current Social Security structure with minor payroll tax changes and pursuing a national program aimed at universal, affordable coverage with cost and quality measures.

Oct 13, 2026

Upload by Asher