10/4/2015 articles
Recent Polls
Reuters, Oct. 2: Donald Trump rises to 32% Republican support up from 30% last week; Ben Carson 12%; Jeb Bush 10%; Carly Fiorina 8%, but no movement
National poll:
Trump 25%;
Carson 16%; Rubio 8%;
Fiorina 8%; Cruz 6%;
Jeb Bush 4%; other candidates below 4%
Labor Unions
The Teamsters Union is not planning to endorse Clinton whose poll numbers are falling; they are planning on meeting with Donald Trump, GOP front runner whose poll numbers are rising
International Association of Fire Fighters abandoned plans to endorse Hillary Clinton for president. They favor Biden who has not yet announced if he will run.
Other unions are taking a second look at Clinton whom they endorsed. This includes the American Federation of Teachers who endorsed Clinton in July.
How about a Muslim for president of the United States?
“Half of U.S. would back a Muslim president.”
So reads the headline (mostly lower case and on the cover of USA TODAY, October 1). The story is written by Susan Page and Paulina Firozi of the USA TODAY staff.
“Just exactly who can be president?
“GOP contender Ben Carson sparked that debate when he said on NBC’s Meet the Press that “he absolutely would not agree” with electing a Muslim as president.
Most of those surveyed say they don’t think it’s a realistic possibility at least at the moment. By 53%-39%, they say a Muslim couldn’t be elected. Even so, by 49%-40% they say they themselves would vote for a qualified Muslim.
On Eric Bolling’s show, Oct. 3, Trump wouldn’t comment on whether to back a Muslim or not. He said it was not his fight.
Other ground -breaking categories? By 53%-40% they would vote for a qualified atheist. By 93% they would vote for a qualified Catholic. The 2016 field includes several Catholics, among them Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal and Democrat Martin O’Malley. Democrat VP, Joe Biden, is a Catholic.
Obama Care or Affordable Care Act: Is it Here to Stay, Be Changed, or Be Abandoned
Hillary Clinton proposed adding useful consumer protections to the Affordable Care Act. These changes would protect people from co-payments and deductibles that have been rising faster than their wages. She would keep private insurance and create a new tax credit of $5,000 to help families pay high out-of-pocket medical costs.
Sen. Bernie Sanders wants to create a single-payer system that would expand Medicare to cover people of all ages. He says a national program would be more cost effective. Health care industries who would have profits cut and Republicans would oppose this system. Sanders and Clinton have taken strong stands against exorbitant prices for prescription drugs.
Republican Candidates Calling for Repeal: Trump calling it a catastrophe; Jeb Bush calling it a monstrosity. Dr. Ben Carson said there was a need for another plan.
Republican Candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio has an alternative plan for the current health system including tax credits to help people buy private insurance. Other candidates have not put forth plans.