Circle of Protection

President Obama's video response to the Circle of Protection emphasized his own Christian faith and how it has lead him to be a better husband, father and president. Obama believes that our country should strive to be a place where everyone who helps themselves should be given assistance to live and strive. From healthcare, retirement plans, good jobs and good wages, and finally good education, the President has tried to make this country an easier place to live in. To do all this, Obama has been trying to balance the budget, without hurting the poorest in the country. He also believes that a government cannot fix every problem, and that faith must sometimes compliment actual aid. Finally, Obama believes that "We are all in this together, as one people, one American family," and that everyone is needed to solve the debt issue. This belief mirrors the Church's teaching that each person is called to help his or her's neighbors. Obama's statement is strong in theory, although it could be stronger if he used concrete facts and numbers to support his claims. Governor Romney believes that only when we fix our economy and eradicate our debt will we be able to help the people that live in poverty, which is 1/6 of our country. Romney says that the way to improving our economy is to create more jobs, and he mentions a five part plan that he has that will help attain that goal. However, he does not explain his plan, and that is one weakness of his response. On the other hand, a strength of his response is that he says he will work on budget cuts if he becomes president, while still trying to maintain the "safety net" that our government already has on the poor. Additionally, Romney supports a program that gives more money to those in need and less to those that help themselves. Finally, Romney promises that if he becomes president, he will listen to religious advisors in his decision making.