Democratic Oak Tree

In November, We the People will vote to determine the future of our country. Here’s a quiz to test your knowledge of Presidential candidates, political parties, and history.

1. During the current Congress, Republican John McCain voted with the Republican Party position how much of the time? (a) 50.1%, (b) 76.5%, (c) 88.3%.
2. Republican John McCain recently was the beneficiary of a big fundraiser in Utah. Who was there who didn’t want to be photographed by the press? (a) Republicans George Bush and Mitt Romney, (b) Oprah Winfrey, (c) Tom Hanks.
3. Which party’s Presidential candidate thinks the solution to the national health care crisis is to “harness competition”: (a) Democratic, (b) Republican.
4. Which candidate says that the Bush tax cuts for the rich should be preserved? (a) Democrat, (b) Republican.
5. Since 1981—a generation ago—how many Democrats have been President? (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3.
6. One political party is responsible for the creation of Medicare—the other fought against it. Which party brought about a radical improvement in health for seniors? (a) Democratic, (b) Republican.
7. Which Presidents were the youngest in American history? (a) Alexander Hamilton, John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, (b) Teddy Roosevelt, John Kennedy, Bill Clinton, (c) Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, John Kennedy.
8. Which President led the country during its longest peace-time economic expansion? (a) Republican George H. W. Bush, (b) Democrat Bill Clinton, (c) Republican George W. Bush.
9. Which party’s President led the formation of the United Nations? (a) Democratic, (b) Republican.
10. Under which administration has the Environmental Protection Agency prevented California from enforcing tougher emissions limits on vehicles? (a) Democratic, (b) Republican.
11. Two states near Massachusetts are considered “battleground states” in this year’s Presidential election. Which are they? (a) Maine and New Jersey, (b) New Hampshire and Maine, (c) New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.
12. Which state voted for the Republican nominee in the last four Presidential elections but is considered a battleground state this year? (a) South Carolina, (b) Kentucky, (c) Virginia, (d) Wyoming.
13. Who, first elected to the Senate in 1962, has worked steadfastly for the whole nation’s Common Good?

Answers:

1. (c) Republican McCain voted with the Republican Party 88.3% of the time (not counting occasions he didn’t vote).
2. (a) Republicans Bush and Romney are helping McCain raise money, because they know that he agrees with them on the core values of the Republican Party.
3. (b) Republican McCain says that private-sector “competition” is the solution to the country’s health care crisis and, in true Republican fashion, professes to believe that the involvement of the federal government would increase “bureaucracy” and costs. The truth is that Medicare, a federal program, has very low administrative costs and imposes less “bureaucracy” than private-sector health plans.
4. (b) Republican McCain is in favor of continuing Bush’s tax cuts for the very rich. Democrats Clinton and Obama are on record for repealing tax cuts for households earning more than $250,000.
5. (a) There has been one Democratic President since 1981. Bill Clinton was in office from 1993 to 2001. All the other Presidents since 1981 have been Republicans: Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush.
6. (a) Medicare is the result of the Democratic Party’s efforts. It was enacted in 1965, when Democrat Lyndon Johnson was elected President in a landslide and the Senate and House of Representatives had a Democratic majority. Most Republican Senators argued against Medicare, calling it “socialized medicine.”
7. (b) Age at the beginning of first term: 42, Teddy Roosevelt; 43, John Kennedy; 46, Bill Clinton.
8. (b) Democrat Bill Clinton presided over the longest peacetime economic expansion in American history. He also balanced the federal budget and left office with a federal surplus.
9. (a) Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt and his successor, Democratic President Harry Truman, were instrumental in the creation of the United Nations.
10. (b) Under Republican President George W. Bush, the EPA has ordered California not to tighten its vehicle emissions limits.
11. (c) Pennsylvania and New Hampshire both voted Democratic in 2004 but are considered battleground in 2008—that is, they might vote Republican for President this year.
12. (c) Virginia. Although it has a long history of voting for Republicans as President, many analysts believe that the Democratic nominee has a chance this year. Virginia has had a Democratic governor since 2002, and the Democratic candidate for Senate, Mark Warner, is currently leading in the polls.
13. Democrat Ted Kennedy.