As election day nears, Democrats and Republicans are desperately trying to persuade Americans to their side. Only two weeks are left until Nov. 6 and the 2012 victory could still go to either party.

Both President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney are escalating their advertising and their campaigning in a last attempt to gain votes. Each candidate has made his views evident, especially on Medicare, which is one of the biggest issues facing the United States today.

According to a Gallup swing-state poll, voters in key states, such as Ohio and Florida, believe that Obama is more qualified to define the best system for Medicare. In particular, Obama’s policy restricts certain Medicare benefits for upper class retirees.

On the other hand, Romney has said that he plans to overhaul the entire Medicare system. Under his plan, after repealing most of Obamacare, Romney plans to create a new Medicare system specifically made for people under the age of 55 who are disabled or otherwise need Medicare.

Each candidate has his own policies that he thinks will be beneficial. Students who follow politics closely have distinct views on who is the most qualified to be the leader of the United States. Some are unsatisfied with Obama’s performance for the past four years and think that Romney will send our country into the right direction. Senior Nic Larson is a Republican who agrees with Romney’s views.

“Obama is largely to blame for the $6 trillion worth of debt that was made,” Larson said. “Big government policies, failed stimulus packages and the auto-bailouts all created the new debt.”

Other students believe that Obama has made progress over the past four years, and that another term would give him the time to implement the policies that he wants to. Senior Will Barboza thinks that Obama is not to blame for the new debt.

“I think [Obama] inherited a lot of the debt,” Barboza said. “He came into office with two wars and he had the blow back from that. It takes more time to fix the economy than he has had.”

Both sides agree, however, that Obama and Romney are acting in their own political interest, possibly disregarding the greater good of the country.

“If Obama got re-elected, he would be stronger in his second term,” Barboza said. “He has been political in his first term in order to get re-elected, but in his second term, he would push for things that he thinks are best for the country.”

Republicans think the same about Romney.

“I think Romney’s choices are influenced for political reasons,” Larson said. “However, his choices are less political than Obama’s. He’s not running on a platform of lies.”

In particular, states that are moderate politically are the focus of the candidates’ attention. Florida, Ohio and North Carolina are among the most significant of the swing states. According to Larson, both candidates are focusing on these states in order to further their chances of winning, meaning that they are acting in their own political interest. Kansas is a generally Republican state, so the votes here will likely be going into Romney’s favor. Regardless, voting is still one of the few ways that citizens can be involved with politics directly.

In the midst of all this, public criticism of the opposite side is a common occurrence. Historically, Democrats and Republicans didn’t take nearly as many cheap shots as they do today. Even Obama, after a recent ad, said that his administration probably went a bit too far.

During the presidential debates of the past few weeks, the two candidates faced off against each other in attempt to prove who was more fit to lead the country. They debated a variety of issues, from Medicare to PBS.

The full videos of all four debates can be found at http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-debate-schedule/2012-presidential-debate-schedule/

After the Oct. 3 debate concluded, viewers were asked which candidate was the winner. According to a recent Gallup poll, 72 percent of viewers thought that Romney was victorious in the Oct. 3 presidential debate. Only 20 percent thought that Obama won that day. Viewers were asked to disregard which candidate they supported normally when answering the poll.

On Nov. 6, Americans across the country will be heading to the voting centers to determine the next president. Anyone who has his or her 18th birthday on or before Oct. 23 and registered can vote.

2012 ELECTION STATISTICS:

Gallup 7-Day Rolling Average Poll as of Oct. 10:

Obama: 47%

Romney: 49%

Electoral Votes as of Oct. 10:

Obama: 263

Romney: 206

Tossup: 69

*270 Votes required to win*

Poll courtesy of Gallup Inc.

http://www.gallup.com/ 

Electoral Vote Count courtesy of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/