The Science Debate: Obama Leads In On-line Poll

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 09 Oct 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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United States Senator Barack Obama holds a 16 percent lead over Senator John McCain in an on-line poll that asks which presidential candidate would better serve U.S. material science and engineering interests.

The poll, conducted by JOM, the member journal of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, asks the following question:

The United States will elect a new president in November, and the differences between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, including their approaches to science, engineering, and technology, are quite distinct. Which candidate do you think would better advance the cause of the materials science and technology profession if elected president?

- John McCain
- Barack Obama
- Other Declared Third-Party Candidate

As of October 7, Obama received 57 percent of the votes over McCain's 41 percent.

The poll provides a link to Science Debate 2008 where each candidate's views on science and engineering are presented. According to the candidates' statements, Obama promises to "increase funding from basic research in physical and life sciences, mathematics, and engineering at a rate that would double basic research budgets over the next decade," while McCain looks to provide incentives for the private sector to increase research. In addition, McCain promises to "fund basic and applied research in new and emerging fields such as nanotechnology and biotechnology, and in greater breakthroughs in information technology."

To cast a vote, log on to http://www.tms.org/jomsurvey.html. The deadline to vote is October 15, and results will be published in the November issue of JOM.

More information on how each candidate views science and technology issues can also be found in the Washington News column in the October issue of JOM's News & Update section. Non-members of TMS can access this information by logging on to the TMS homepage, http://www.tms.org, clicking on the Journals tab, and registering for a JOM trial subscription.

TMS is the professional organization encompassing the entire range of materials science and engineering, from minerals processing and primary metals production to basic research and the advanced applications of materials. Included among its 9,500 professional and student members are metallurgical and materials engineers, scientists, researchers, educators, and administrators from six continents.

TMS