Presidential Politics and the Arts

Stacie Strong | Oct 09, 2008 | there are 2 comments 2

Often, those of us who love the arts don't love politics (except, perhaps, as performance art!).  However, we all know that arts funding has been getting tighter and tighter over time, which hurts both communities and individual artists.  The presidential candidates have just released their platform statements regarding the arts.  Read on to find out what John McCain and Barack Obama say.

Several days ago, the Americans for the Arts Action Fund presented a summary of the arts positions of the 2008 presidential candidates.

Americans for the Arts Action Fund is responsible for an initiative known as ArtsVote2008, which aims to educate presidential candidates on issues impacting the arts and arts education with the goal of securing "for the first time ever" formal position statements from the top candidates.

Senator Barack Obama has a comprehensive arts policy proposal that he began issuing in February 2008.

Senator McCain, on the other hand, has a four-sentence long statement that was only issued earlier this month.  

This blog won't attempt to sway readers one way or another, but instead suggests readers download the comparison of the two candidates' positions on the arts at http://www.artsactionfund.org/pdf/press/McCain_Obama_record_final.pdf.

For further information on the candidates and on arts funding issues, visit www.artsvote.org.

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Presidential Politics and the Arts | 2 Comments | Post a Comment
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This is great Info for any art aficionado

As I have been watching the debates, I have been thinking about the downfall of the economy, and eventually how this will affect the arts.  On an obvious level, if people have less money (as the economy has gotten worse) they will opt less and less to go to the theatre, dance performances, art exhibits, and spending money on tickets.

The presidential candidates platform on the arts is not going to show up in the debates, although it would be nice, so this link and information about Obama and McCain is so interesting and will make it so easy for people to understand (and hopefully continue their research) on the candidate's support of the arts.

user icon Meryl Cates | Oct 09, 2008 | rated none by 0 others

national funding

What's equally interesting, to me, is the differences in national funding levels for the arts.  The US is far behind many other nations in terms of public funding for the arts.  Instead, it's left up to individual and private donors.  Does that really result in a more vibrant arts community, particularly when the arts are proven to benefit learning capacity and educational retention rates, in addition to personal satisfaction levels (i.e., straight up happiness)?  Are these not "public" interests and part of the "public" welfare?

user icon Stacie Strong | Oct 09, 2008 | rated none by 0 others

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