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Indecisive Super Tuesday
IslamOnline.net & News Agencies


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McCain won the lion's share in the Republican race for the White House

WASHINGTON — While Republican presidential frontrunner John McCain won the lion's share in the Super Tuesday vote, Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton battled to a draw in the tight race for the party's nomination.

"Tonight, I think we must get used to the idea that we are the Republican Party front-runner for the nomination," victorious McCain told supporters in Scottsdale, Arizona, reported Reuters.

In one of the most staggering comebacks in recent US political history, the Vietnam war hero won the nine states of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Oklahoma.

His rival Mitt Romney won in Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Massachusetts and Utah.

"It's not all done tonight. We're going to keep on battling," Romney said in Boston.

Mike Huckabee, a Baptist preacher and former Arkansas governor, won in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and West Virginia.

His wins were fueled by strong support from evangelical Christians, and he split votes with Romney among conservatives unhappy with McCain's stances on immigration, tax cuts and campaign finance reform.

"A lot of people have been trying to say this is a two-man race," Huckabee told supporters in Little Rock, Arkansas.

"Well, you know what, it is and we're in it."

Draw 

On the Democratic front, Barak and Hillary battled to a draw in the tight race for the party's nomination.

"There is one thing on this February night that we do not need the final results to know: Our time has come," Obama told cheering supporters in Chicago.

"Our movement is real, and change is coming to America."

Senator Obama, hoping to make history as America's first black president, racked up 13 wins.

He triumphed in Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Utah and his home state of Illinois.

Clinton won in eight states that give more than half of the delegates needed to anoint a nominee; Arizona, Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee and her home state of New York.

"I look forward to continuing our campaign and our debate about how to leave this country better off for the next generation," she told supporters in New York, congratulating Obama on his wins.

A Real Clear Politics running count of delegates gave Clinton 764, more than a third of the 2,025 she needs for the party's nomination, and Obama 716.

Super Tuesday states allocate more than half the Democratic and republican delegates to their national conventions, which will officially name a White House candidate.

Clinton won in eight states that
give more than half of the delegates needed to anoint a nominee














John McCain, U.S. Senator from Arizona (Campaign Article)

Enlarge Photo
AP

McCain widens lead, Clinton lends cash

AP - 15 minutes ago

AP - Sen. John McCain padded his commanding delegate lead in the Republican presidential race Wednesday and urged conservative critics to cut him some slack. In a Democratic surprise, Hillary Rodham Clinton disclosed she'd lent $5 million to her cash-short campaign.


John McCain

John McCain has a remarkable record of leadership and experience that embodies his unwavering lifetime commitment to service. First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona in 1982, John has led the fight for reforming Washington, eliminating wasteful government spending, and strengthening our nation's armed forces.

John McCain's reform agenda to reduce federal spending and lower taxes quickly elevated him to statewide office and he was elected to the United States Senate in 1986, after serving two terms in the U.S. House.

In the Senate, John continued to demand that Congress put an end to loopholes for special interests and fix the broken system in Washington that too often allows lobbyists to write legislation and members of Congress to waste taxpayer money. In November 2004, Senator McCain was overwhelmingly reelected with nearly 77 percent of the vote.


John McCain

As the son and grandson of distinguished Navy admirals, John McCain deeply values duty, honor and service of country. John attended college at the United States Naval Academy, and launched a 22-year career as a naval aviator upon his graduation. He continued the McCain tradition of service to country passed down to him from his father and grandfather when he asked to serve in the Vietnam War.

John McCain

On July 29 1967, John narrowly survived the first of many near-death experiences during his lifetime while preparing to take off on a bombing mission over North Vietnam from his ship, the USS Forrestal. A missile accidentally fired from a nearby plane struck the fuel tanks on John's plane and created a deadly inferno aboard the ship. John barely escaped the fiery disaster that killed 134 men, injured hundreds more and destroyed 20 planes.

Instead of taking the option to return home after the Forrestal disaster, Senator McCain volunteered for more combat duty - a fateful decision that stopped the clock on his life and separated him from his family, and country, for five and a half years.

During his 23rd bombing mission on October 26, 1967, a missile struck John's plane and forced him to eject, knocking him unconscious and breaking both his arms and his leg. John was then taken as a prisoner of war into the now infamous "Hanoi Hilton," where he was denied necessary medical treatment and often beaten by the North Vietnamese.

John spent much of his time as a prisoner of war in solitary confinement, aided by his faith and the friendships of his fellow POWs. When he was finally released and able to return home years later, John continued his service by regaining his naval flight status.

Senator McCain's last Navy duty assignment was to serve as the naval liaison to the United States Senate. John retired from the Navy in 1981. His naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Flying Cross.


Senator McCain has seven children and four grandchildren, and currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife Cindy.

John McCain



United States Senator from Arizona, staged his second candidacy for the presidency of the United States for the 2008 presidential election. His candidacy was in the works for a number of years, was informally announced on February 28, 2007 and then formally announced on April 25, 2007.

Should McCain win in 2008, he would be the oldest person to assume the Presidency in history at initial ascension to office, being 72 years old and surpassing Ronald Reagan, who was 69 years old at his inauguration following the 1980 election. He has dismissed concerns about his age and past health concerns (malignant melanoma in 2000), stating in 2005 that his health was "excellent."[2][3] In the event of his victory in 2008, he would also become the first President of the United States to be born in a U.S. territory (the Panama Canal Zone) outside of the current 50 states, and the first sitting U.S. Senator since John F. Kennedy to win the presidency.

McCain began the campaign as the nominal frontrunner among Republicans, with a strategy of appearing as the establishment, inevitable candidate; towards this end he made substantial overtures towards elements of the Republican base that had resisted his 2000 insurgency campaign.[4] However, he soon fell behind in polls and fundraising; by July 2007 his campaign was forced to restructure its size and operations. The tide of Republican sentiment against immigration legislation he has sponsored also led to the erosion of his lead.[4]

At the tail end of 2007, however, McCain began a resurgence, which was capped by his January 2008 wins in the New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida primaries. This made him the front-runner for the Republican nomination. On Super Tuesday, McCain won both the majority of states and delegates in the Republican primaries, giving him a commanding lead toward the Republican nomination. By February 6, 2008, Rasmussen Reports gave McCain a 94 percent likelihood of winning the nomination.[5]



Campaign U.S. presidential election, 2008
Candidate John McCain
U.S. Senator 1987–present
Affiliation Republican Party
Headquarters Phoenix, Arizona
Key people Rick Davis (Manager)
Phil Gramm (co-chairman)
Tom Loeffler (co-chairman)
Tim Pawlenty (co-chairman)[1]
Total receipts US $32,124,785 (as of 9-30-07)
Slogan Best Prepared to Lead from Day One;
Courageous Service,
Experienced Leadership,
Bold Solutions.
Website www.johnmccain.com

ENDORSEMENTS

Click here to view the list of newspaper endorsements
GENERAL CHAIRMAN
Robert Mosbacher
Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Texas

GENERAL CO-CHAIRMEN
Phil Gramm
Former Senator, Texas
Thomas G. Loeffler
 Former U.S. Representative, Texas
Lindsey Graham
 U.S. Senator, South Carolina
Sam Brownback
 U.S. Senator, Kansas
Jon Huntsman
 Governor, Utah
Tim Pawlenty
 Governor, Minnesota

NATIONAL FINANCE COMMITTEE Co-CHAIRS
The Honorable George Argyros, California
Mr. Michael Ashner, New York
Mr. Brian Ballard, Florida
Mr. Lawrence E. Bathgate II, New Jersey
Mr. Wayne Berman, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Donald L. Bren, California
Mr. John Chambers, California
Mr. Jim Click, Arizona
The Honorable James A. Courter, New Jersey
Mr. Donald R. Diamond, Arizona
Mr. Ray Dalio, Connecticut
Mr. Lewis M. Eisenberg, New Jersey
Mr. Jon Hammes, Wisconsin
Mr. James B. Lee, Jr., New York
The Honorable Frederic V. Malek, Virginia
Mr. John A. Moran, Florida
Mr. Carter Pate, Virginia
Mr. A. Jerrold Perenchio, California
Mr. Fred Smith, Tennesse
Mr. John A. Thain, New York
The Honorable Ronald Weiser, Michigan

U.S. SENATORS
Sam Brownback, Kansas
Richard Burr, North Carolina
Saxby Chambliss, Georgia
Tom Coburn, Oklahoma
Susan Collins, Maine
Norm Coleman, Minnesota
Pete Domenici, New Mexico
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
Johnny Isakson, Georgia
Jon Kyl, Arizona
Joe Lieberman, Connecticut
Mel Martinez, Florida
Gordon Smith, Oregon
Olympia Snowe, Maine
John Thune, South Dakota
John Warner, Virginia

FORMER U.S. SENATORS
Howard Baker, Tennessee
Conrad Burns, Montana
Rudy Boschwitz, Minnesota
Dan Coats, Indiana
Alfonse D'Amato, New York
John C Danforth, Missouri
Dan Evans, Washington
Peter Fitzgerald, Illinois
Slade Gorton, Washington
Phil Gramm, Texas
Trent Lott, Mississippi
Mack Mattingly, Georgia
Don Nickles, Oklahoma
Warren Rudman, New Hampshire
Mike DeWine, Ohio
Howard Baker, Tennessee
Conrad Burns, Montana
Alphonse D'Amato, New York

U.S. REPRESENTATIVES
Spencer Bachus, Alabama
Gus Bilirakis, Florida
Mike Bilirakis, Florida
Mike Castle, Delaware
Tom Davis, Virginia
Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Florida
Mario Diaz-Balart, Florida
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Jim Gerlach, Pennsylvania
Darrell Issa, California
Ric Keller, Florida
Peter King, New York
Mark Kirk, Illinois
Randy Kuhl, New York
Ray LaHood, Illinois
Steven LaTourette, Ohio
Frank LoBiondo, New Jersey
Dan Lungren, California
Jeff Miller, Florida
Todd Platts, Pennsylvania
Chip Pickering, Mississippi
Deborah Pryce, Ohio
Jim Ramstad, Minnesota
Peter Roskam, Illinois
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Florida
John Shadegg, Arizona
Chris Shays, Connecticut
John Shimkus, Illinois
Fred Upton, Michigan
Joe Wilson, South Carolina
Jeff Miller, Florida

FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVES
Steve Bartlett, Texas
Jim Courter, New Jersey
Joseph J. DioGuardi, New York
Chuck Douglas, New Hampshire
Ambassador Fred J. Eckert, New York
Lou Frey, Florida
Greg Ganske, Iowa
Steve Kuykendall, California
Tom Loeffler, Texas
Frank Riggs, California
Joe Schwartz, Michigan
Rob Simmons, Connecticut
Dick Zimmer, New Jersey

GOVERNORS
Charlie Crist, Florida
Mitch Daniels, Indiana
Jim Douglas, Vermont
Jon Huntsman, Utah
Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota
Rick Perry, Texas
Arnold Schwarzenegger, California
Tommy Thompson, Wisconsin

FORMER GOVERNORS
Pete Wilson, California
Paul Cellucci, Massachusetts,
William Clements, Texas
George Deukmejian, California
Jim Edgar, Illinois
Tom Kean, New Jersey
Frank Keating, Oklahoma
Jim Martin, North Carolina
John McKernan, Maine
William Milliken, Michigan
Walter Peterson, New Hampshire
Tom Ridge, Pennsylvania
Buddy Roemer, Louisiana
Don Sundquist, Tennessee
Jane Swift, Massachusetts
Jim Thompson, Illinois


LAWYERS FOR McCAIN
Dick Wiley, Chairman, Washington D.C.
Stanton Anderson, Washington D.C.
A.B. Culvahouse, Virginia
Hayden Dempsey, Florida
Thomas Leary, Washington D.C., Former Federal Trade Commission Commissioner

STATE PARTY CHAIRS
George Gallo, Connecticut
Alec Poitevint, Georgia

FORMER STATE PARTY CHAIRS
Winton Blout, III, Alabama
Jean Inman, Massachusetts
Marlys Popma, Iowa

NATIONAL POLICY
Bill Simon, National Policy Co-Chair
Steve Goldsmith

ECONOMIC POLICY ADVISORS
Grant Aldonas, Department of Commerce
Carlos Bonilla, Sr VP Washington Group
Michael Boskin, Former Council Of Economic Advisors Chairman
Jeff Brown, Associate Professor of Finance, Univ of Illinois
Juan Buttari, Independent Consultant and Researcher in Development Economics
Kathleen Cooper, Dean, College of Business, Univ Of North Texas
Steve Davis, CRA International And University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business
Richard Dekaser, Senior Vice President And Chief Economist, National City Corporation
John Diamond, Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Tax Policy, Baker Institute Of Public Policy, Rice University
Martin Feldstein, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, President Reagan's Chief Economic Adviser, member of President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
Emil Frankel, Transportation Consultant And Former Assistant Secretary For Transportation Policy, Department Of Transportation
Luke Froeb, Professor, Vanderbilt University
Senator Phil Gramm, Former U.S. Senator From Texas
Kevin Hassett, Resident Scholar And Director Of Economic Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute(AEI)
David John, Senior Research Fellow, Heritage Foundation
Tim Kane, Director, Center for International Trade and Economics, Heritage Foundation
Melissa Kearney, Assistant Professor Of Economics, University Of Maryland
Anne Krueger, Professor At The Johns Hopkins School Of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) & Former First Deputy Managing Director, IMF
Adam Lerrick, Visiting Scholar For The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) And Friends Of Allan H. Meltzer Professor Of Economics For Carnegie Mellon
Phil Levy, Resident Scholar for the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and Former Senior Economist for Trade on the President's Council of Economic Advisers
Will Melick, Gensemer Associate Professor of Economics, Kenyon College
Michael Moore, Professor Of Economics And International Affairs, George Washington University
Tom Miller, Resident Fellow for American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
Tim Muris, Foundation Professor, George Mason University School Of Law, Former Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission
Sean O'Keefe, Former Secretary Of The Navy, NASA Administrator, & Deputy Director Of Office of Management & Budget, The White House
Gerry Parsky, Senior Economic Advisor
Nancy Pfotenhauer, Former President, Independent Women's Forum
James Rill, Partner, Howrey LLP and Former Assistant Attorney General (Antitrust), U.S. Department of Justice
Kenneth Rogoff, Professor Of Public Policy, Harvard University
Harvey Rosen, Professor Of Economics And Business Policy, Princeton University
John Silvia, Managing Director, Chief Economist, Wachovia Bank
Aquiles Suarez, Vice President For Government Affairs For National Association Of Industrial And Office Properties & Former Special Assistant To The President For Domestic Policy
Dr. John Taylor, Professor Of Economics At Stanford, Senior Fellow At The Hoover Institution & Former Under Secretary Of Treasury
Anthony Villamil, Chief Executive Officer, The Washington Economics Group, Inc. & Former Under Secretary Of Commerce For Economic Affairs
Joseph Wright, Chairman Of The Board For Intelsat
Mark Zandi, Chief Economist For Moody's Economy.Com

STATE LEADERS
Alabama Leaders
Arizona Leaders
California Leaders
Colorado Leaders
Connecticut Leaders
Delaware Leaders
Florida Leaders
Georgia Leaders
Illinois Leaders
Kansas Leaders
Maine Leaders
Massachusetts Leaders
Minnesota Leaders
Montana Leaders
New Hampshire Leaders
New Jersey Leaders
New York Leaders
North Dakota Leaders
Oklahoma Leaders
Rhode Island Leaders
South Carolina Leaders
Tennessee Leaders
Vermont Leaders
Virginia Leaders
West Virginia Leaders

FORMER U.S. OFFICIALS

Former Secretaries of State
Lawrence S. Eagleburger, Former Secretary of State
Alexander M. Haig, Former Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger, Former Secretary of State, New York
George P. Shultz, Former Secretary of State, California

Former Cabinet Secretaries
Jack Kemp, Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Former U.S. Representative, New York
Ann McLaughlin Korologos, Former Secretary of Labor, DC
Robert Mosbacher, Former Secretary of Commerce, Texas
Peter Peterson, Former Secretary of Commerce, New York
Anthony Principi, Former Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Maryland
Former Governor Tom Ridge, Former Secretary of Homeland Security, Pennsylvania
James R. Schlesinger, Former Secretary of Defense

Former National Security Officials
Tom Kean, 9/11 Commission Chairman, New Jersey
Robert C. "Bud" McFarlane, Former National Security Advisor, Washington, DC
R. James Woolsey Jr., Former CIA Director
Robert Inman, Former National Security Advisor and Deputy Director of the CIA

Former Army Generals
Norman Schwarzkopf, General U.S. Army (Ret.)
Click here to read the endorsements of over 100 Admirals and Generals.

Former Navy Secretaries
William Ball, Former Secretary of the Navy, South Carolina
John Lehman, Former Secretary of the Navy, New York

Former Ambassadors
Chuck Cobb, Former Ambassador, Florida
Sue Cobb, Former Ambassador, Florida
Fred Eckert, Former Ambassador, North Carolina
Fred Malek, Former Ambassador, Virginia
Ron Weiser, Former Ambassador, Michigan
Al Hoffman, Former Ambassador, Florida
Otto Juan Reich, Former Ambassador, Florida

FORMER POW'S
Commander Everett Alvarez, (ret), Maryland
Al Carpenter (ret), Virginia
Captain Mike Cronin USN (ret), Maryland
Colonel Bud Day, MOH USAF (ret), Florida
Commander Paul Galanti USN (ret), Virginia
Lt Colonel Orson Swindle USMC (ret), Virginia
Click here to read about more military Veterans who support John McCain.

BUSINESS LEADERS
John Chambers, CEO of Cisco
Carly Fiorina, Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard
Steve Forbes
James Huffines, Banking Executive
David Pottruck, Chairman of Red Eagle Ventures
Frederick W. Smith, CEO of FedEx
Dax Swatek, President of Swatek and Associates
John Thain, CEO of Merrill Lynch

ATTORNEYS GENERAL
Bill Barr
Griffin Bell
Mike Bowers, Georgia
Steve Carter, Indiana
Richard Cullen, Virginia
Troy King, Alabama
Jerry Kilgore, Virginia
Rob McKenna, Washington
Henry McMaster, South Carolina
Mark Shurtleff, Utah
Wayne Stenehjem, North Dakota

SOLICITOR GENERALS
Theodore B. Olson

SECRETARY OF STATE
Mark Hammond, South Carolina


FORMER STATE SECRETARIES OF STATE
Randy Daniels, New York
Bill Jones, California
Jim Smith, Florida

STATE SENATE LEADERS
Glenn McConnell, South Carolina President Pro Tempore

STATE SENATORS
Bill Baroni, New Jersey
Michael S. Bennett, Florida
Lee Constantine, Florida
Joseph Delahunty, New Hampshire
John Gallus, Michigan
Anthony Guglielmo, Connecticut
Jim King, Florida
Hugh Leatherman, South Carolina
John E. Lyons, Jr., New Hampshire
Michelle McManus, Michigan
Kevin O'Toole, New Jersey
Durell Peaden, Florida
Randy Richardville, Michigan
Robert Watson, Rhode Island

STATE HOUSE LEADERS
Kevin Elsenheimer, Assistant Minority Leader, Michigan
Kevin Green, Minority Whip Leader, Michigan
Bobby Harrell, Speaker of the House, South Carolina
Ric Killian, Republican Freshman Leader, North Carolina
Jim Merrill, House Majority Leader, South Carolina
Doug Smith, Speaker Pro Tempore, South Carolina
Josh Tardy, House Leader, Maine
Chris Ward, Minority Floor Leader, Michigan

FORMER STATE SENATE LEADERS
Bob Brown, Former Senate President, Montana

FORMER STATE HOUSE LEADERS
Rick Johnson, Former House Speaker, Michigan
Chuck Perricone, Former House Speaker, Michigan

STATE HOUSE MEMBERS
Ellyn Bogdanoff, Florida
Jason Brown, Missouri
Judy Emmons, Michigan
Marcelo Llorente, Florida
Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Florida
Stand Jordan, Florida
Brian Calley, Michigan
Adam Hasner, Florida
Fred King, Sr., New Hampshire
John Labruzzo, Louisiana
David Law, Michigan
John Legg, Florida
David P. Rible, New Jersey
David Russo, New Jersey
David Russo, New Jersey
Chris Saxman, Virginia
David Simmons, Florida
Glenn Steil, Jr., Michigan
Eric Stohl, New Hampshire
Robert Watson, Rhode Island
Trebor Worthen, Oklahoma
Lorence Wenke, Michigan

MAYORS
Rudy Giuliani, New York
Tommy Joe Alexander, Irondale, Alabama
Carlos Alvarez, Florida
George Andersen, Iowa
Rick Anderson, Iowa
Ron Colling, Iowa
Nelson Crabb, Iowa
Rich Crotty, Florida
Darrell Dobernecker, Iowa
Darrell Downs, Iowa
Thomas Ginger, Iowa
Sandra Hatfield, Iowa
Jim Heavens, Iowa
Dave Kleis, Minnesota
Dennis Kunkle, Iowa
Rick Lott, Florida
John Meserve, Florida
Virgil Murray, Iowa
John Nieland, Iowa
Reynold Peterson, Iowa
Ruth Randleman, Iowa
Steve Samuels, Iowa
Bernie Streeter, New Hampshire
Bob Walkup, Arizona
Ed Winborn, Iowa

FIRST RESPONDERS FOR McCAIN
Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles County Sheriff
John S. Dempsey, Captain, NYC Police Department (Ret.)
Tom Kean, Former 9/11 Commission Chairman
Frank Keating, Former Oklahoma Governor
Robert "Bud" McFarlane, Former National Security Advisor for President Ronald Reagan
Mr. Edward D. Mullins, President of the Sergeants Benevolent Association of New York City
Tom Ridge, Former Secretary of Homeland Security
[read more]

NATIONAL HISPANIC ADVISORY BOARD
Mayor Carlos Alvarez, Florida
Honorable Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Florida
Honorable Mario Diaz-Balart, Florida
Pastor Mark Gonzalez, Texas
Honorable Manuel Lujan, New Mexico
Mr. Tony Orlando, Florida
Honorable Illeana Ros-Lehtinen, Florida
Mr. Solomon D. Trujillo, Colorado
Major General Freddy Valenzuela, Florida
Honorable Albert C. Zapanta, Texas
[read more]

ACADEMIC LEADERS
Bernie Machen, President, University of Florida

RNC MEMBERS
Bruce Ash, Arizona
Sharon Giese, Arizona
Jerry Lathan, Alabama John Matlusky, Delaware
Alec Poitevint, Georgia
Mary Jo Arndt, Illinois
Steve Cloud, Kansas
Alicia Salisbury, Kansas
Gary Emineth, North Dakota
Mary Jean Jensen, South Dakota
Chuck Yob, Michigan
Holly Hughes, Michigan

Former Commissioners
Michael Powell, FCC

ENTERTAINER/ATHLETES
Curt Schilling, Pitcher, Boston Redsox
Sylvester Stallone



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Hillary Clinton (Chris Hondros/Getty Images); John McCain (AP); Barack Obama (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Report: Voter turnout records broken

By ANN SANNER, Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON - Voters came out in record numbers in about half the states that have voted in presidential primaries so far, according to an analysis Wednesday.

Turnout among Republicans on Super Tuesday toppled a 20-year record in Alabama, according to the report issued by American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate. More than 16 percent of those eligible voted in the GOP race, compared with about 7 percent in 1988.

The report's findings were based on unofficial results from the primaries held through Tuesday. Caucuses and California primary results were excluded.

Alabama had 58,000 new voters sign up in the three months leading up to Tuesday's race, just one sign of newfound interest in a primary that used to be held in June and had little or no significance.

In Georgia, Democrats came out in droves to support Barack Obama, breaking a more than 30-year-old turnout record. More than 16 percent of eligible voters showed up at the polls Tuesday, compared with less than 15 percent in 1976.

"We are likely to see more records broken until the contests are decided, which in the Democratic Party's case, at least may last until their convention," said Curtis Gans, the center's director who performed the analysis.

About 14 million people voted in the Democratic primaries this year compared with the slightly more than 10 million who voted in GOP primaries, according to the analysis.

Twenty states have held Democratic and Republican primaries so far.

Here are some of the report's findings:

_Democratic primaries in 12 states set records. They are Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Utah.

_Republican primaries in 11 states saw their highest percentages of voter turnout ever. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah.

_Combining party turnouts, the highest percentage of eligible voters showing up this year came in New Hampshire — 52 percent.

_Among the record-setting states, New York primaries had the lowest percentage of people voting with just more than 18 percent of all those eligible casting votes.

  • John McCain
    Big night

    McCain takes command of GOP race as Obama and Clinton trade wins.

Yahoo Video on the the 2008 USA Elections




Feb 6, 2008 Hillary Clinton (Chris Hondros/Getty Images); John McCain (AP); Barack Obama (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Dividing the nation

Analysts believe the major candidates have split their parties and the country. » The dilemma WSJ.com


United States Republican presidential candidates, 2008


This article lists both declared and potential Republican candidates for the President of the United States in the 2008 election.

In accordance with the 22nd Amendment, incumbent President George W. Bush will not be eligible for re-election in 2008, and Vice President Dick Cheney has not sought the nomination and will not run for President.[1] Since both are Republicans, the field is clear.

Total delegates so far projected: 208
Other delegates yet to be assigned: 2,172
Total number of delegates: 2,380
Delegates required for nomination: 1,191
States already polled: 7 (Iowa, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina, Florida)
States yet to be polled: 43
Also to be polled: District of Columbia
Next State(s) in contest:
February 2nd, Maine, Republican closed caucus
February 5th, Super Tuesday, 21 states, 1069 delegates[2]
2008 Republican presidential primaries delegate count
As of January 29, 2008


Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas

(Campaign site)

Main article: Mike Huckabee presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Mike Huckabee

Mike Huckabee, born August 24, 1955, in Hope, Arkansas, served as Governor of Arkansas for over 10 years. Huckabee has announced he will seek the Presidency in the 2008 presidential election.[3] He has made several trips to important primary states, including a four-day trip to New Hampshire in August 2006. His campaign has been focused largely on Iowa for the Ames Straw Poll on August 11, 2007 He announced that he would be running in 2008 on NBC's Meet the Press television show with Tim Russert.[4] and has since made three appearances on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, The Today Show on NBC and many appearances on CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC regarding the 2008 presidential election. He was declared the victor of the January 3, 2008 Iowa caucus.[5]


Alan Keyes, former Ambassador to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations

(Campaign site)

Main article: Alan Keyes presidential campaign, 2008

Alan Keyes, born August 7, 1950, in New York City, filed a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission on September 14, 2007.[6] He served as Ambassador to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations under President Ronald Reagan, and served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs from 1985 to 1987. He is currently on the ballot in 25 states.[7] He participated in Republican debates on September 17[8] and December 12.[9] If elected, Keyes would be the first African-American to hold the office of president, as well as the second Roman Catholic after John F. Kennedy. Keyes supports an amendment against gay marraige.[10] Keyes stated he would not have gone to war in Iraq[11], but also said that the war was justified[12] and defended President Bush's decision in on of his 2004 debates with Obama[13]. He has stated that troops should stay in Iraq [14] but also said that he would have turned over operations to the UN.[15] However, Keyes has stated that even while he was an Ambassador there, he was not a supporter of the United Nations[16].




Senator John McCain

(Campaign site)

Main article: John McCain presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of John McCain

John McCain, born August 29, 1936, in the U.S.-controlled Panama Canal Zone, Senator from Arizona. Often characterized as a Republican maverick in the Senate, he is well-known. In 2000, he failed in his attempt to deny George W. Bush the Republican nomination: McCain continued his ultimately unsuccessful campaign long after the other Republican candidates had united behind Bush.

McCain's bipartisan compromise on judicial nominations and his strong support of campaign finance reform have drawn the ire of many groups,[17] many of which have vowed to work against any McCain campaigns for the Republican nomination in 2008. However, he has a strong stance on many issues and economically falls more along the lines of traditional "fiscal conservatism." These factors, along with his commitment to the War on Terror (including Iraq) have boosted his popularity amongst conservatives since 2004, when he emphasized these traits while stumping for Republican candidates.

On November 15, 2006, McCain announced that he would form an exploratory committee.

On the Late Show with David Letterman on February 28, 2007, Sen. John McCain announced he will seek the GOP presidential nomination, and made a formal announcement on April 25, 2007.



Representative Ron Paul (Campaign site

Main article: Ron Paul presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Ron Paul

Ron Paul, born August 20, 1935, in Green Tree, Pennsylvania, is a long time U.S. Representative from Texas with a strong constitutionalist and libertarian voting record. Nicknamed "Dr. No" for his opposition to tax increases and spending bills, Paul has chastened his fellow Republicans for abandoning the party's commitment to limited government, and for helping to create an unsustainable national debt now in the trillions of dollars.[18] Paul seeks to "reinstate the Constitution and restore the Republic."[19]

On January 11, 2007, Paul filed papers to form an exploratory committee for the 2008 presidential race.[20][21] He formally declared his candidacy 12 March 2007 as a guest on Washington Journal on C-SPAN.[22][23] Paul ran for President as a Libertarian nearly two decades ago. He is opposed to the Iraq War and had the distinction of being one of only seven Republican congressmen who voted against Iraq War authorization in October 2002. He has also opposed George W. Bush and the majority of Republican congressmen on many other issues, including the PATRIOT Act.

On February 20, 2007, Paul's exploratory committee posted on YouTube a formal video of him explaining his reason for running.[24]

Paul did well in Republican straw polls, has broken fundraising records, and has placed second in the Nevada ,Louisiana caucuses, and Maine Republican caucuses. Paul also received 10% in Iowa, 7% in New Hampshire, 6% in Michigan, under 4% in South Carolina, 3% in Florida and last in Wyoming.


Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts

(Campaign site)

Main article: Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney, born March 12, 1947, in Michigan, is former Governor of Massachusetts; he did not seek a second term in November 2006. Romney has made numerous trips to primary states such as South Carolina, Michigan, and New Hampshire, during recent years. Romney is running on his record as co-founder of Bain Capital, the CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympics, and his record as Governor of Massachusetts. Although he ran as a moderate for the office of Governor of Massachusetts and during his failed Senate bid in 1994, he supported more conservative positions as his term progressed. Romney formed a presidential exploratory committee on January 3, 2007, the day he left the governor's office.[25]

On January 9, Romney raised $6.5 million in his first fundraiser, beating both Giuliani and McCain's fundraising efforts ($1 and $2 million respectively).

Romney has already received major endorsements, including that of former Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert.

Romney officially announced his candidacy on February 13 at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.[26][27]



Other candidates


The following candidates have filed with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC).


Withdrawn from seeking nomination

Candidates who have withdrawn their candidacies


Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City (Campaign site
Main article: Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani, born May 28, 1944, in New York, former mayor of New York City. Giuliani said on October 2, 2005, that he would look at the possibility of running for President. On November 13, 2006, he announced that he was forming an exploratory committee. He has led several state and nationwide polls for the Republican nomination and the general election, and has been mentioned by many media sources as a possible candidate since the 9/11 attacks and a speech to the 2004 Republican Convention.[47] (See polls below) Giuliani is pro-choice, and supports a type of civil union between same sex couples and agrees for legal and medical reasons that same sex relationships should get the same rights under the law. He also believes in strong restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms and agrees with harsh punishment for illegal weapons or non permitted weapons. While opinions differ, some think that these positions could help him, should he secure the nomination, in the general election; others question whether the Republican base would support a nominee with Giuliani's social positions. On February 5, 2007, Giuliani unofficially entered the race for the 2008 U.S. presidential election by filing a "statement of candidacy" with the Federal Election Commission, but legally keeping him at the same level as he was while running an exploratory committee.[48] On February 15, Giuliani officially announced that he was running on CNN's Larry King Live show.[49] If elected, Giuliani would be the first Italian-American to hold the office of president, as well as the second Roman Catholic after John F. Kennedy. Giuliani finished third in the Florida primary on January 29, 2008. The next day he withdrew and endorsed John McCain.[50]


Senator Sam Brownback

Sam Brownback, born September 12, 1956, in Kansas, senior Senator from that state. In April 2005, the Associated Press reported that Brownback, who is little known outside his home state, "is using a network of social conservatives and Christian activists to raise his profile" in such battleground states as Iowa and New Hampshire. He is well known for his social and fiscal conservative record, such as opposing abortion and instituting a flat tax alternative to the current IRS Code. He was also instrumental in Congress' bestowing the Congressional Medal upon Mother Teresa. In his own words, "The core of my being is to rebuild the family and renew the culture." On December 4, 2006, Brownback announced that he would form an exploratory committee.[51] On January 20, 2007, Brownback officially announced his candidacy.[52] Of his campaign, Brownback has said, "I'm a son of a farmer from Kansas ... I still think anybody can be president. I don't think you have to show up with $100 million to do it. ... I'm the tortoise in the race. And I don't like how the race starts; I like how it ends up."[53] Brownback was one of three who raised his hand in the May 3, 2007, Republican candidates debate when asked "Is there anybody on the stage who does not believe in evolution?". [54] Brownback officially withdrew from the presidential race on October 19, 2007, and has since then endorsed John McCain. [55]





Jim Gilmore former Governor of Virginia

A Draft Jim Gilmore for President group was formed in August of 2006, encouraging former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore to run for president after he was seen traveling to the presidential primary states. In November 2006, Gilmore told ABC News that a 2008 presidential run was one of several possibilities he is considering.[56] On December 19, 2006, Gilmore announced he was forming an exploratory committee for a presidential candidacy.[57] Gilmore announced on December 20, 2006, that he would launch his exploratory committee on January 2, 2007.[58] Perhaps hoping to mirror the surprising 2004 campaign of Democrat Howard Dean, another former governor with little national recognition when he entered the race, Gilmore declared that he represents "the Republican wing of the Republican Party" echoing the popular Dean quotation. Gilmore declared his candidacy from the Des Moines, Iowa GOP headquarters on April 26, 2007. Gilmore, however, raised a mere $380,000 in the first half of 2007, which he cited as a reason why he withdrew from the contest on July 14, 2007. [42]


Representative Duncan Hunter

Main article: Duncan Hunter presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Duncan Hunter

Duncan Hunter, born May 31, 1948, in Riverside, California, U.S. Representative from that state and former Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Hunter formally announced his presidential candidacy in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on January 25, 2007. He is known for his strong stance against illegal immigration, and opposition to free trade agreements like North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization.[59] He introduced H.R. 552, The Right to Life Act, "to implement equal protection . . . for the right to life of each born and preborn human person"; it has over 100 co-sponsors. Hunter withdrew from the race on January 19, 2008 after a poor showing in the Nevada Republican caucuses.[60] He has since then endorsed Mike Huckabee.[61]


Representative Tom Tancredo

Main article: Tom Tancredo presidential campaign, 2008

Tom Tancredo, born December 20, 1945, in Colorado, U.S. Representative from that state and leading advocate for more restrictive immigration policies. On April 2, 2007, Rep. Tancredo announced his official candidacy on Iowa talk radio station 1040 WHO. Tancredo has a dedicated grassroots following among paleoconservatives. He has visited early Presidential primary states such as New Hampshire, Michigan and Iowa to begin building popular support and has polled favorably amongst grassroots Republicans. Tancredo announced on January 16, 2007, that he was forming an exploratory committee.[62] Tancredo was one of three who raised his hand in the May 3, 2007, Republican candidates debate when asked "Is there anybody on the stage who does not believe in evolution?"."[63] On December 20, 2007, Tancredo withdrew from the race and endorsed Mitt Romney. [64]



Fred Thompson, former Senator of Tennessee
Main article: Fred Thompson presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Fred Thompson

Fred Dalton Thompson, born August 19, 1942, former Senator from Tennessee and actor, best known for playing D.A. Arthur Branch on Law & Order. There was speculation that Thompson would run for Governor of Tennessee in 2006, but he declined to run against the popular Governor Phil Bredesen. On March 11, 2007, Thompson said "I'm giving some thought to it. Going to leave the door open. A lot of people think it's late already. I don't really think it is, although the rules of the game have changed somewhat. ... I think people are somewhat disillusioned. I think a lot of people are cynical out there. I think they're looking for something different." [65] On June 1, Thompson announced he had established a preliminary campaign committee, thus taking his first formal step toward an official presidential bid. [66]On September 5, he officially entered the presidential race.[67] On January 22, 2008 he dropped out of the race.[68]


Tommy Thompson, former Governor of Wisconsin

Tommy Thompson, born November 19, 1941, in Elroy, Wisconsin, is the former four-term Governor of Wisconsin and was Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He recently announced interest in the 2008 nomination and, on December 15, 2006, announced that he had formed an exploratory committee.[69] He officially announced his candidacy on April 1, 2007.[70] After a poor showing in the August 11 Iowa Straw Poll, Tommy Thompson announced on the following day that he is withdrawing from the race, and has since endorsed Rudy Giuliani.

Declined to seek nomination


George Allen, former Senator
George Allen, was the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for the 2008 presidential election.[71], in a survey of 175 Washington insiders conducted by National Journal's "The Hotline" and released April 29, 2005.

Prior to his November loss to Jim Webb in the 2006 Virginia senatorial race, Allen had traveled a number of times to Iowa — the first state with a presidential caucus — and New Hampshire — the first state with a presidential primary). He had been widely assumed to be preparing a run for president.[72] On December 10, 2006, Allen gave an interview[73] in which he stated that he would not seek the 2008 nomination.


Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida

Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida; his family connections and history indicate that he may be next in line to continue the Bush family legacy, although his mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, has stated that he will not seek the 2008 Republican nomination, and many analysts state that he would be a natural frontrunner for the Vice President slot on the Republican ticket. On January 27, 2007, as the keynote speaker at the National Review Institute's Conservative Summit in Washington, D.C., Bush denied rumors that he would run for President in 2008, but “when questioned did not rule out running as a vice presidential candidate.”[74]


Vice President Dick Cheney

Dick Cheney, current Vice President of the United States, has asserted his intent to not seek the 2008 nomination several times throughout the presidency of George W. Bush. In an interview on Face the Nation, Cheney said, "I've taken the Sherman statement. 'If nominated, I will not run, If elected, I won't serve,'"[75]


Bill Frist, former Senate Majority Leader

Former Senator from Tennessee and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist stated on November 29, 2006 that he does not intend to seek the nomination but wants to go back to practicing medicine.[76]


Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House

Newt Gingrich was the former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and former U.S. Representative from Georgia. According to the Associated Press, "The former House speaker who led Republicans to power a decade ago said he soon will visit Iowa and New Hampshire to promote his book, try to influence public policy and keep his political options alive." The AP reported him as saying "Anything seems possible," including a White House race. Gingrich first explicitly suggested he may run in 2008 on October 13, 2005, saying "There are circumstances where I will run", elaborating that such circumstances would be if no other candidate champions the major platform ideas that Gingrich advocates. However, he has since then said that the odds of his becoming a candidate are 4-to-1 against.[77] However, on September 20, Gingrich said that he would consider running for president if his supporters could raise $30 million in pledges by the end of October.[78] On September 29, 2007, Gingrich's spokesman Rick Tyler announced that Gingrich would not run for president.[79]


Senator Chuck Hagel

Chuck Hagel is the senior US Senator from Nebraska; however, he swore a pledge to only serve two terms, and thus will not be running for re-election to the Senate in 2008. According to NPR, Hagel was considering a Presidential campaign in 2005. [80] There were also a number of Draft Hagel blogs and groups online.[81] On March 12, 2007, Hagel made a statement on his political future, in which he kept open the possibility to enter the presidential race later in the year.[82] Despite being a fairly conservative Republican, he would have had to deal with elements of the party faithful due to his criticism of President Bush over the war in Iraq. It is widely thought that Senator Hagel would have had trouble emerging from the shadow of John McCain, as they are both outspoken Vietnam veterans. On September 10, 2007, Hagel announced that he would not seek the nomination.[83]


Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice, currently the Secretary of State, said in March 2005 on Meet the Press[84], and elsewhere, that she doesn't intend to run for President, but can't rule it out. In an August 8-10, 2005, Republican primary poll in Iowa, Rice came in first with 30 percent, beating McCain and Giuliani, who each got about 15 percent. In October 2005, Condi vs. Hillary, a book by political commentator Dick Morris, discussing Rice as the Republican candidate, was published.


Governor Mark Sanford

Mark Sanford, Governor of South Carolina; popular with fiscal conservatives, but has said he does not intend to run. Sanford professes to be a firm supporter of limited government, and many pundits have described his views as being libertarian in nature. There are several Internet-based groups trying to convince him to run for President in 2008. However, on November 7, 2006, he said that his gubernatorial race at that point would be his last campaign, win or lose.[85]


Rick Santorum, former Senator

Rick Santorum, former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania; A number of polls had mentioned him as a potential Republican candidate. Once he lost his seat to his Democratic opponent, Pennsylvania treasurer Bob Casey, Jr., a run for the Presidency became decidedly less likely and on November 17, 2006, in regard to a Presidential bid, he stated "Absolutely, positively not. Absolutely not, my wife would throw me out of the house if I do anything in '08."[86]



United States Democratic presidential candidates, 2008

This article contains lists of people associated with the 2008 Democratic Party Primaries for the 2008 United States Presidential Election.

Active candidates with national campaigns

These have filed (or announced plans to file) with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC).

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
(Campaign site)

Main article: Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton, born October 26, 1947, in Illinois, U.S. Senator from New York and former First Lady of the United States. Clinton announced the formation of her exploratory committee on January 20, 2007, with a post on her website.[1] She has delivered several speeches intended to reach out to moderates, according to analysts. She has also been holding fundraising meetings, including meeting with women from Massachusetts, a key constituency of potential rival and 2004 nominee John Kerry; however, these activities are consistent with the lead up to a campaign for re-election to her Senate seat in 2006. If elected, Clinton would be the first female president. Clinton announced on January 20, 2007, that she will run in 2008 (the same day she announced the formation of an exploratory committee). She has filed the official paperwork for an exploratory committee.[2] She placed first in the New Hampshire primary on January 8, 2008 and placed first in the Nevada caucuses on January 19 but fell one delegate short of Barack Obama. She placed first in the Florida primary on January 29, 2008, but was awarded no delegates, due to a prior ruling of the party unseating the state representatives because of the early date.

Former Senator Mike Gravel
(Campaign site)

Main article: Mike Gravel presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Mike Gravel

Mike Gravel, born May 13, 1930, in Springfield, Massachusetts. U.S. Senator from Alaska from 1969 to 1981 and an active candidate for Vice President in 1972. He is most known for playing a key role in ending the draft during the Vietnam War through the release of the Pentagon Papers and through staging a one-man filibuster for 5 months. He is also notable for advocating a guaranteed annual income, which he termed a "citizen's wage," of US$5,000 per person, regardless of whether the person worked. On April 13, 2006, Gravel announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. His policy announcements to date include support for direct democracy, FairTax, and withdrawal from Iraq. Mike Gravel filed with the FEC in April according to various news sources.[3][4] The FEC's site has listed his reports since July.[5] MSNBC incorrectly reported that Gravel had dropped out of the race on January 3, 2008 after a poor performance in the Iowa caucuses. His website confirmed that he is still in the race.

  • Alaska State Representative: 1962–1966 (Speaker: 1965–1966)
  • U.S. Senator from Alaska: 1969–1981
Senator Barack Obama
(Campaign site
Main article: Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Barack Obama

Barack Obama, born August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Senator from Illinois. A "draft Obama" movement began with his well-received 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address. Obama was the featured speaker at Iowa Senator Tom Harkin's annual steak fry, a political event favored by presidential hopefuls in the lead-up to the Iowa caucus. He was endorsed by talk show host Oprah Winfrey in 2006.[6] Various recent opinion polls have seen Obama trailing only Hillary Clinton in several polls.[7] If elected, he would become the first African-American President of the United States. Obama announced on February 10, 2007, that he will run in 2008. He has filed the official paperwork.[8] Obama placed first in the January 3, 2008 Iowa caucuses, followed by Edwards and Clinton. He has also placed first in the January 26, 2008 South Carolina primary.

  • Illinois State Senator: 1996–2004
  • U.S. Senator from Illinois: 2005–Present

Other candidates


The following people have filed with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC):


Withdrawn from seeking nomination


Senator Joe Biden

(Campaign site)

Main article: Joe Biden presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Joe Biden

Joe Biden, born November 16, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. Senator from Delaware and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988, although he ceased active campaigning in 1987, before the first primaries. Biden first hinted that he might run in 2008 in a December 8, 2004, radio interview with host Don Imus, saying: "I'm going to proceed as if I'm going to run." Biden had repeatedly stated his intention to run, and did so as early as 21 March 2006. Biden's Federal Leadership PAC is "Unite Our States", which tracks Biden's public appearances and policy positions. On 7 January 2007, when asked by Tim Russert on Meet the Press, "Are you running for President?" he responded, "I am running for President." He also said he planned to create an exploratory committee by the end of the month.[29][30][31] On January 31, 2007, he officially signed the papers with the FEC to run for president. He dropped out of the race on January 3, 2008 after a poor performance in the Iowa caucus.


Senator Chris Dodd

(Campaign site)

Main article: Chris Dodd presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Chris Dodd

Christopher Dodd, was born May 27, 1944, in Willimantic, Connecticut and is a five-term U.S. Senator from that state. Dodd was reported to be a likely contender for the Democratic Vice President slot on John Kerry's ticket in 2004. In May 2006, Dodd said he has "decided to do all the things that are necessary to prepare to seek the presidency in 2008", including hiring staff, raising money and traveling around the country in the next few months to enlist support.[32] On Jan. 11, 2007, Dodd announced his Presidential candidacy on the "Imus in the Morning" radio show with Don Imus.[33] As a result of unpromising results in the Iowa Caucus on January 3, 2008, Dodd dropped out of the race for presidency.

Former Senator John Edwards
(Campaign site

Main article: John Edwards presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of John Edwards

John Edwards, born June 10, 1953 in South Carolina, is a former U.S. Senator from North Carolina. As a 2004 presidential candidate, Edwards was famed for his populist message in his "Two Americas" speech and also for his optimistic, positive attitude. This was evidenced by his refusal to attack his opponents. In the primaries, Sen. Edwards had strong come-from-behind showings in the crucial states of Iowa, Oklahoma, Virginia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Georgia. On February 5, 2005, Edwards spoke at the New Hampshire Democratic Party's fundraising dinner. On August 18, 2005, Edwards traveled to Waterloo, Iowa, to deliver an address to the Iowa AFL-CIO, a potential key supporter in the Iowa caucuses. On December 26, 2006, Edwards formally announced his candidacy.[34] On January 30, 2008, Edwards ended his bid for the Presidency[35]


Representative Dennis Kucinich

(Campaign site)


Representative Dennis Kucinich

(Campaign site)

Main article: Dennis Kucinich presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Dennis Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich, born October 8, 1946, in Cleveland, Ohio. Ohio Congressman, former Mayor of Cleveland, and 2004 Democratic primary candidate. Dennis Kucinich is known by many as "The Peace Candidate", having received the 2003 Gandhi Peace Award. Kucinich opposed the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act. Under Kucinich's plan, United Nations peace-keepers would go to Iraq if the Iraqi citizens desire their presence. The Congressman re-introduced legislation to create a United States Department of Peace via HR 808 on February 5, 2007. He is currently campaigning to end the war in Iraq by cutting off funding, if such measures are necessary. He is in support of peaceful diplomatic relations with Iran, and all nations. Kucinich has received many awards praising his courage and work for peace.[36][37] On December 12, 2006, Kucinich announced his candidacy at an event at Cleveland's City Hall.[38] He withdrew from the race on January 25th, and turned his focus to his re-election for his congressional seat. [39]


Governor Bill Richardson (Campaign site

Main article: Bill Richardson presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of Bill Richardson

Bill Richardson, born November 15, 1947, in Pasadena, California, Governor of New Mexico, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Secretary of Energy and U.S. Representative. After reportedly informing party leaders in February 2005 of his intention to run for president, on December 7, 2006, Richardson said "I am running" during his response to a prospective question about the 2008 presidential election by Fox News, however he later retracted the decision and said he would make an official decision by January. On May 21, 2007, he officially declared his candidacy.[40] On January 9, 2008 he pulled out of the race.[41]


Former Governor Tom Vilsack

Tom Vilsack, born December 13, 1950, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, former Governor of Iowa, Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. Many suspected Vilsack was high on the list of potential running mates for John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential Election. In 2005, Vilsack established Heartland PAC,[42] a political action committee aimed at electing Democratic Governors and other statewide candidates. Unlike the PACs of potential candidates, Heartland PAC is not a federal PAC and can not contribute to federal candidates. He filed papers with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) to run for President on November 9, 2006.[43] He dropped out of the race on 23 February 2007 citing fundraising woes. He has since given his support to Hillary Rodham Clinton.[44][45]

Declined to seek nomination


Senator Evan Bayh
Evan Bayh, born December 26, 1955, Indiana, former two-term Governor and currently a second-term U.S. Senator from that state. In February 2005, Bayh renamed his Federal Leadership PAC the All America PAC and hired a new veteran staff with experience on the 2004 campaigns of John Kerry and Wesley Clark for President and Tom Daschle for senate. Although the "Friends of Evan Bayh" draft committee filed papers with the FEC to form a presidential exploratory committee on December 5, 2006, he announced on December 16, 2006 that he would not seek the Democratic nomination for President, and since then has endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton.[46]
General Wesley Clark (Ret.)

Wesley Clark, born December 23, 1944, in Illinois, from Arkansas, a Vietnam war veteran, a retired United States Army four-star general and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. He graduated first in his class from West Point. Clark is traveling widely through his Federal Leadership PAC WesPAC,[47] and is a commentator on MSNBC, while grassroots campaigns for Clark have become active on the internet.[48] Clark was a 2004 Presidential candidate as well, narrowly winning the Oklahoma primary. During a January 17, 2007, speech given to a local UAW group in Alabama and posted on YouTube, Clark stated "when I run, I'll be the national security candidate." [49] He endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton on September 15, 2007, seemingly ruling out a future run, though making him a frontrunner to be Senator Clinton's running-mate, should she win the Democratic nomination.


Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader

Tom Daschle, born December 9, 1947, in South Dakota, former U.S. Senator from that state. He set up a new political action committee and planned a Jefferson-Jackson Day speech in the politically pivotal state of Iowa. Daschle has transferred $500,000 into the new Federal Leadership PAC, New Leadership for America.[50] In July 2005, Daschle said he was not planning a rematch against his successor John Thune in 2010, and he told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader newspaper that he was seriously considering a run and would not "rule out the possibility of an official announcement in the near future." However, on December 2, 2006, Daschle announced he would not run for President in 2008, and has since thrown his support behind Barack Obama's campaign.[51]
Howard Dean, former Governor of Vermont
Howard Dean, born November 17, 1947, in New York, former Governor of Vermont. Howard Dean is the current DNC Chairman, and was a candidate for the nomination in 2004. Dean said if he won the DNC Chairmanship he would not run for president and, since he won, has often repeated this.[52]
Senator Russ Feingold
Russ Feingold, born March 2, 1953, in Wisconsin, U.S. Senator from that state. Announced to a meeting of the Tiger Bay Club of Volusia County, Florida, in January 2005 that he was considering a run for the nomination, and would decide after "going around the country" to campaign for fellow Democrats running for other offices.[53] His Federal Leadership PAC is the Progressive Patriots Fund,[54] which financed his travels around the country.[55] In early March 2005, his Senate campaign registered the domain name for the website www.russfeingold08.com as well as the .org and .net versions.[56][57][58] Later that month, he took a listening trip to Alabama.[59] In early April 2005, Feingold announced that he would be divorcing his second wife, a move which some analysts believe could diminish his chances of winning the presidential nomination. On August 17, 2005, Feingold became the first U.S. Senator to publicly support a firm date for withdrawal from the Iraq War,[60] suggesting December 31, 2006, as a reasonable date. Although Feingold's stance was generally criticized by other Democratic senators, including Biden and Clinton, his support in nonscientific internet polls of party activists jumped. In December 2005, when he led the Senate campaign against the renewal of the Patriot Act his support among party activists further intensified. Following the overwhelming resonance for his anti-war and bi-partisan rule of law positions in the 2006 Congressional elections, Feingold commented that the legislative victory "pushes me in both directions," and "he could make a decision on a presidential run before the end of the year".[61] However, on November 12, 2006, Feingold ruled out a 2008 presidential candidacy,[55] but has stated he is willing to consider an offer from the eventual nominee for the vice presidency.[62] Feingold has stated that his first choice for president in 2008 would be someone who voted against the war in Iraq, and failing that, his second choice would be someone who wasn't in Congress but spoke out against the war at the time. He also said he would "be happy" if Barack Obama or Al Gore ran, but stated he was not offering an endorsement.[63]
Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States

Al Gore, born in Washington, D.C., is the former U.S. Vice President, and was the 2000 Democratic nominee, winning the popular vote. Gore is not a declared candidate in the 2008 presidential election. However, he has not rejected the possibility of future involvement in politics.[64] The prospect of a Gore candidacy was thus a topic of public discussion and speculation.[65][66] There were also grassroots draft campaigns. A grassroots group in New Hampshire considered a write-in campaign for the New Hampshire primary on 8 January 2008. [67] The campaign was halted, however. [68] Previous grassroot groups in California [69] and New York[70] attempted to convince him to run. There were also draft campaigns via websites.[71][72][73][74][75]

The release of An Inconvenient Truth in 2006 increased Gore's popularity among progressives.[76] After it was nominated for an academy award, Donna Brazile, Gore's campaign chairwoman from the 2000 campaign stated during a speech on January 31, 2007, at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that, "Wait till Oscar night, I tell people: 'I'm dating. I haven't fallen in love yet. On Oscar night, if Al Gore has slimmed down 25 or 30 pounds, Lord knows.'"[77] The meaning of these remarks became clearer when on award night, while in attendance and acting as a presenter for an award, Gore began a speech that seemed to be leading up to an announcement that he would run for president. However, background music drowned him out and he was escorted offstage, implying it was a rehearsed gag.[78]

A nationwide Gallup poll of 485 Democrats and Democratic leaners in mid-November 2007 showed Gore receiving 17% of the votes in a hypothetical Democratic primary, second to Hillary Clinton, tied with Barack Obama, and ahead of John Edwards. A previous 29 June 2007 article in the The Guardian cited a poll conducted "in New Hampshire by 7News and Suffolk University" that found that if Gore "were to seek the Democratic nomination, 29% of Mrs. Clinton's backers would switch their support to him [...] when defections from other candidates are factored in, the man who controversially lost to Mr. Bush in the 2000 election takes command of the field, with 32% support."[79]An even earlier April 2007 Quinnipiac University poll of 504 registered Democrats in New Jersey showed Gore receiving 12% of the votes in a hypothetical Democratic primary, in third place behind Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.[80] However, all of the polls which indicated that Al Gore would not be the leading Democratic candidate were all conducted before his Nobel Prize. The US has never had a presidential candidate who has already won a Nobel Prize. While he never officially said he was not going to seek nomination, it is now impossible for him to because of the deadline.


Senator John Kerry

John Kerry, born December 11, 1943, in Denver, Colorado, is the U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, and the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee. On March 1, 2005, Kerry created a new Federal Leadership PAC named Keeping America's Promise.[81] Dan Payne, a Democratic strategist, told the Washington Post that "This is the kind of thing he has to do" in order to run for president again in 2008.[82] Through Keeping America's Promise, Kerry boasts to have raised or given away over $14 million to nearly 300 progressive candidates, committees or causes.[83] Kerry told CNN, with respect to a run in 2008, "it's crazy to be thinking about it now" but went on to say that "I'll make my judgment when the time comes and I don't care what history says."[84] However, there was a controversy on October 30, 2006, over a speech made by Kerry at Pasadena City College. Future implications of his comments are still unclear, however Kerry himself claimed the incident will have little bearing on 2008 and that he will make a decision in early 2007.[85] On January 24, 2007, Kerry announced that he would not seek the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2008.[86] Kerry and his JohnKerry.com e-mail list was also a supporter of Al Gore's recent house parties across the United States to spread information about global warming. In a letter e-mailed from JohnKerry.com, Kerry stated: "When strong leaders like Al Gore step forward to educate and organize people around vitally important issues, they deserve our full support."[87] Since, he has endorsed Senator Barack Obama.
  • U.S. Senator from Massachusetts: 1985-Present
  • Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts: 1983-1985

Al Sharpton

Al Sharpton, of New York, Pentecostal minister, civil rights activist, former candidate for mayor of New York and for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator from New York, and candidate for the 2004 nomination. When asked about 2008, he replied, "Don't get Hillary mad at me."[88] He was one of the first candidates to enter the 2004 race, but thus far he has said nothing more about 2008. His 2004 campaign was not a great success. He never got more than 10% of the vote in any state, although he did get 20% in the District of Columbia.[89] There are still unresolved campaign-finance issues left over from that campaign. In January 2007, when asked if he was considering running in 2008, Sharpton said "I don't hear any reason not to," adding, "we'll see over the next couple of months." [90]

On April 2, 2007, Sharpton announced that he won't get into the 2008 presidential race this time. "I am not going to run." [4]




Mark Warner, former Governor of Virginia

Mark Warner, born December 15, 1954, former Governor of Virginia. As a successful Governor from a "red state" (barred from serving consecutive terms by state law) and popular within the party, it was highly anticipated that Warner would mount a Presidential bid. While it was ruled out by Warner himself in October[91], news that he was considering a bid was confirmed by colleague Dan Conley in December[92]. With Governor Warner's fund-raising capabilities and his potential as a vice presidential candidate, it was possible that Warner would still play a significant role in the campaign, until he became a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Candidates
Actual
pledged delegates
(67 of 137 total)

Delegate statistics:

  • Total pledged delegates assigned: 92
  • Total unpledged delegates, and pledged delegates yet to be assigned: 3957
  • Total number of delegates: 4049 (796 unpledged "superdelegates" and 3,253 pledged elected delegates)
  • Delegates required for nomination: 2025
  • States already polled: 4 (Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina, Florida)
  • States yet to be polled: 46
  • Other electorates to be polled: District of Columbia, American Samoa, Democrats abroad, Guam, US Virgin Islands[93]

















Presidency 2008

dennis kucinich pollsdennis kucinich pollshillary clinton pollsjohn edwards pollsbarack obama polls

ron paul pollsrudy giuliani pollsjohn mccain pollsmitt romney pollsfred thompson pollsmike huckabee polls

For the first time since 1928, both major parties will have open contests for the Presidential nomination without a sitting President or Vice President in the running. Politics1 presents a "first look" at those people being mentioned as possible, likely, speculative, or draft candidates for President in 2008.

United States presidential election, 2004

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Senator Kerry at a primary rally in St. Louis, MO at the St. Louis Community College - Forest Park
Senator Kerry at a primary rally in St. Louis, MO at the St. Louis Community College - Forest Park

2 November 2004

Nominee George W. Bush John Kerry
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Texas Massachusetts
Running mate Richard B. Cheney John Edwards
Electoral vote 286 251
States carried 31 19+DC
Popular vote 62,040,610 59,028,111
Percentage 50.7% 48.3%

The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. It was the 55th consecutive quadrennial election for the president and vice president of the United States. Republican candidate George Walker Bush, the President of the United States, defeated Democratic candidate John Kerry, the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. This marked the first time in United States election history where the sitting president was re-elected after losing the popular vote (but winning the presidency) in the previous election This was done in strong fashion, too. Bush not only finished first in the popular vote, but also became the first person since his father in 1988 to win a majority of the popular vote. It was also a very active election. In 2004, Bush received more popular votes than any presidential candidate in history, and Kerry finished with the second most ever for a candidate in history. Foreign policy was the dominant theme throughout the election campaign, particularly Bush's conduct of the War on Terrorism and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

As in the presidential election of 2000, voting controversies and concerns of irregularities emerged during and after the vote. The winner was not determined until the following day, when Kerry decided not to dispute Bush's win in the state of Ohio. The state held enough electoral votes to determine the winner of the presidency. Both Kerry and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean have stated their opinion that voting in Ohio did not proceed fairly, and that had it done so, the Democratic ticket might have won that state and therefore the election.[1]

Bush received about 51 percent of the votes cast (62 million votes), making him the first presidential candidate to win a majority of the popular vote since his father George H. W. Bush in the presidential election of 1988. The 62 million votes cast for Bush were the most individual votes cast for anyone in history, though John Kerry's 59 million votes ranked second in that category as well.

In the Electoral College George W. Bush received 286 Electoral Votes, John Kerry received 251 Electoral Votes, and John Edwards received 1 Electoral Vote (see “Faithless elector” in Minnesota section of this article).

United States presidential election, 2004

Presidential election results map. Red denotes states won by Bush/Cheney (31), Blue denotes those won by Kerry/Edwards (19+DC). Light blue denotes the faithless elector's vote counted for John Edwards. Each number represents the electoral votes a state gave to one candidate.

Incumbent
George W. Bush
Republican

Successor
George W. Bush
Republican

The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. It was the 55th consecutive quadrennial election for the president and vice president of the United States. Republican candidate George Walker Bush, the President of the United States, defeated Democratic candidate John Kerry, the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. This marked the first time in United States election history where the sitting president was re-elected after losing the popular vote (but winning the presidency) in the previous election This was done in strong fashion, too. Bush not only finished first in the popular vote, but also became the first person since his father in 1988 to win a majority of the popular vote. It was also a very active election. In 2004, Bush received more popular votes than any presidential candidate in history, and Kerry finished with the second most ever for a candidate in history. Foreign policy was the dominant theme throughout the election campaign, particularly Bush's conduct of the War on Terrorism and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

As in the presidential election of 2000, voting controversies and concerns of irregularities emerged during and after the vote. The winner was not determined until the following day, when Kerry decided not to dispute Bush's win in the state of Ohio. The state held enough electoral votes to determine the winner of the presidency. Both Kerry and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean have stated their opinion that voting in Ohio did not proceed fairly, and that had it done so, the Democratic ticket might have won that state and therefore the election.[1]

Bush received about 51 percent of the votes cast (62 million votes), making him the first presidential candidate to win a majority of the popular vote since his father George H. W. Bush in the presidential election of 1988. The 62 million votes cast for Bush were the most individual votes cast for anyone in history, though John Kerry's 59 million votes ranked second in that category as well.

In the Electoral College George W. Bush received 286 Electoral Votes, John Kerry received 251 Electoral Votes, and John Edwards received 1 Electoral Vote (see “Faithless elector” in Minnesota section of this article).

Contents

[hide]
Bush speaking at campaign rally in St. Petersburg, Florida, October 19, 2004
Bush speaking at campaign rally in St. Petersburg, Florida, October 19, 2004

Candidates gallery


Background


George W. Bush won the presidency in 2000 after the Supreme Court settled issues over ballot re-counts and standards in a contest where Al Gore, the Democratic candidate alleged voting irregularities in Florida. The votes were recounted in certain Democratic counties, first by machine and then manually, with George W. Bush leading narrowly after each recount. Ultimately, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Florida Supreme Court's 4-3 reversal of a lower court ruling in favor of the Republican candidate's arguments, ordering the state to stop further selective recounts.

Just eight months into his presidency, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 suddenly transformed Bush into a "wartime president." Bush's approval ratings surged to near 90%. Within a month, the forces of a coalition led by the United States invaded Afghanistan, which had been sheltering Osama bin Laden, suspected mastermind of the September 11 attacks. By December, the Taliban had been removed as rulers of Kabul, although a long and ongoing occupation would follow.

The Bush administration then turned its attention to Iraq. The administration argued that the need to remove Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq had become urgent. The stated premise was that Saddam's regime had tried to acquire nuclear material and had not properly accounted for biological and chemical material it was known to possess, potential weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in violation of U.N. sanctions. This interpretation has been hotly debated since its proposal, and its basis in U.S. military intelligence has since been compromised with the failure of the U.S. to find the aforementioned WMDs in Iraq. This situation escalated to the point that the United States assembled a group of about forty nations, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and Poland, which President Bush called the “coalition of the willing”, to invade Iraq.

The coalition invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003. The invasion succeeded swiftly, with the collapse of the Iraq government and the military of Iraq in about three weeks. The oil infrastructure of Iraq was rapidly secured with limited damage in that time. On May 1, George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in a Lockheed S-3 Viking, where he gave a speech announcing the end of major combat operations in the Iraq war. Bush's approval rating in the month of May rode at 66%, according to a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll.[2]


However, Bush's high approval ratings did not last. First, while the war itself was popular, the post-war occupation lost support as months passed and casualty figures increased, with no decrease in violence nor progress toward stability in Iraq. Second, as investigators combed through the country, they failed to find the predicted WMD stockpiles, which led to debate over the rationale for the war. Third, with the war over and 9-11 attacks two years past, domestic concerns began to rise to the forefront, an issue that usually favored the Democrats, as fading national security matters were considered to benefit the Republicans. [1] [2]

Nominations


Republican nomination

Main articles: George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2004, U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination, 2004, and 2004 Republican National Convention

Bush's popularity as a wartime president helped consolidate his base, and ward off any serious challenge to the nomination. On March 10, 2004, Bush officially clinched the number of delegates needed to be nominated at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City. Bush accepted the nomination on September 2, 2004, and selected Vice President Dick Cheney as his running mate. (In New York, the ticket was also on the ballot as candidates of the Conservative Party of New York State.) During the convention and throughout the campaign, Bush focused on two themes: defending America against terrorism and building an "ownership society." The "ownership society" included allowing people to invest some of their Social Security in the stock market, increasing home and stock ownership, and encouraging more people to buy their own health insurance.

Democratic nomination

Main articles: John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004, Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2004, and 2004 Democratic National Convention

Democratic candidates


By summer of 2003, Dean had become the apparent frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, performing strongly in most polls and leading the pack in fundraising. Dean's strength as a fundraiser was attributed mainly to his embrace of the Internet for campaigning. The majority of his donations came from individual DEANO supporters, who came to be known as Deanites, or, more commonly, Deaniacs. Generally regarded as a pragmatic centrist during his time as governor, Dean emerged during his presidential campaign as a left-wing populist, denouncing the policies of the Bush administration (especially the 2003 invasion of Iraq) as well as fellow Democrats, who, in his view, failed to strongly oppose them. Senator Lieberman, a liberal on domestic issues but a hawk on the War on Terror, failed to gain traction with liberal Democratic primary voters.

In September 2003, retired four-star general Wesley Clark announced his intention to run in the presidential primary election for the Democratic Party nomination. His campaign focused on themes of leadership and patriotism; early campaign ads relied heavily on biography. His late start left him with relatively few detailed policy proposals. This weakness was apparent in his first few debates, although he soon presented a range of position papers, including a major tax-relief plan. Nevertheless, many Democrats did not flock to his campaign.

By the January 2004 Iowa caucuses, the field had dwindled down to nine candidates, as Bob Graham dropped out of the race and Howard Dean was a strong front-runner. However, the Iowa caucuses yielded unexpectedly strong results for Democratic candidates John Kerry, who earned 38% of the state's delegates and John Edwards, who took 32%. Former front-runner Howard Dean slipped to 18% and third place, and Richard Gephardt finished fourth (11%). What hurt Dean even more than his poor performance was a speech he gave at a post-caucus rally;[dubious – discuss] at the end of the speech—which has become known as the "I have a scream" speech or the "Dean scream"—Dean frantically yelled out the names of states and culminated with a yelp. On January 27 Kerry triumphed again, earning first place in the New Hampshire primary. Clark took third place in New Hampshire, behind New Englanders Kerry and Dean.

The following week, John Edwards won the South Carolina primary and finished a strong second in Oklahoma. After Howard Dean's withdrawal from the contest, Edwards became the only major challenger to Kerry for the Democratic nomination. However, Kerry continued to dominate, taking in a string of wins in Michigan, Washington, Maine, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., Nevada, Wisconsin, Utah, Hawaii, and Idaho. Many other candidates dropped out during this time, leaving only Sharpton, Kucinich, and Edwards in the running against Kerry.

In March's Super Tuesday, Kerry won decisive victories in the California, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island primaries and the Minnesota caucuses. Dean, despite having withdrawn from the race two weeks earlier, won his home state of Vermont. Edwards finished only slightly behind Kerry in Georgia, but, failing to win a single state other than South Carolina, chose to withdraw from the presidential race.

On July 6, John Kerry selected John Edwards as his running mate, shortly before the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts, held later that month. Days before Kerry announced Edwards as his running mate, Kerry gave a short list of three candidates: Sen John Edwards, Rep Dick Gephardt, and Gov Tom Vilsack. Heading into the convention, the Kerry/Edwards ticket unveiled their new slogan--a promise to make America "stronger at home and more respected in the world." Kerry made his Vietnam War experience the prominent theme of the convention. In accepting the nomination, he began his speech with, "I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty." He later delivered what may have been the speech's most memorable line when he said, "the future doesn't belong to fear, it belongs to freedom," a quote that later appeared in a Kerry/Edwards television advertisement.

Other nominations

See also: List of candidates in the United States presidential election, 2004

There were five other pairs of candidates who were on the ballot in states with enough electoral votes to have a theoretical chance of winning a majority in the Electoral College.


General election: campaign


Campaign issues


President Bush focused his campaign on national security, presenting himself as a decisive leader and contrasted Kerry as a "flip-flopper." Bush's point was that Americans could trust him to be tough on terrorism while Kerry would be "uncertain in the face of danger." Bush also sought to portray Kerry as a "Massachusetts liberal" who was out of touch with mainstream Americans. One of Kerry's slogans was "Stronger at home, respected in the world." This advanced the suggestion that Kerry would pay more attention to domestic concerns; it also encapsulated Kerry's contention that Bush had alienated American allies by his foreign policy.

Exit polls revealed Americans who voted for President Bush cited the issues of terrorism and moral values [3] as the most important factors in their decision. Kerry supporters cited the war in Iraq, economic issues like jobs and health care.

Over the course of Bush's first term in office, his extremely high approval ratings immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks steadily dwindled, peaking only during combat operations in Iraq in the Spring of 2003, and again following the capture of Saddam Hussein in December the same year.[4] Kerry supporters attempted to capitalize on the dwindling popularity to rally anti-war sentiment.

During August and September of 2004, there was an intense focus on events that occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Bush was accused of failing to fulfill his required service in the Texas Air National Guard.[5] However, the focus quickly shifted to the conduct of CBS News after they aired a segment on 60 Minutes Wednesday introducing what became known as the Killian documents.[6] Serious doubts about the documents' authenticity quickly emerged,[7] leading CBS to appoint a review panel that eventually resulted in the firing of the news producer and other significant staffing changes.[8][9]

Meanwhile, Kerry was accused by the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, who averred that "phony war crimes charges, his exaggerated claims about his own service in Vietnam, and his deliberate misrepresentation of the nature and effectiveness of Swift boat operations compels us to step forward." The group challenged the legitimacy of each of the combat medals awarded to Kerry by the U.S. Navy, and the disposition of his discharge.

In the beginning of September, the successful Republican National Convention along with the allegations by Kerry's former mates gave President Bush his first comfortable margin since Kerry had won the nomination. A post-convention Gallup poll showed the President leading the Senator by 14 points.[10][11]

Debates

“ I learned these guys are not that smart. I expected them to be a lot smarter, a lot more difficult to debate, and I learned a lot of them only have the value system of win, win, win. They don’t believe in anything.... I thought they had some core beliefs. Most of them didn’t have core beliefs. ”






Main article: United States presidential election debates, 2004

Three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate were organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, and held in the autumn of 2004. As expected, these debates set the agenda for the final leg of the political contest. Libertarian Party candidate Michael Badnarik and Green Party candidate David Cobb were arrested while trying to access the debates. Badnarik was attempting to serve papers to the Commission on Presidential Debates.



President Bush focused his campaign on national security, presenting himself as a decisive leader and contrasted Kerry as a "flip-flopper." Bush's point was that Americans could trust him to be tough on terrorism while Kerry would be "uncertain in the face of danger." Bush also sought to portray Kerry as a "Massachusetts liberal" who was out of touch with mainstream Americans. One of Kerry's slogans was "Stronger at home, respected in the world." This advanced the suggestion that Kerry would pay more attention to domestic concerns; it also encapsulated Kerry's contention that Bush had alienated American allies by his foreign policy.

Exit polls revealed Americans who voted for President Bush cited the issues of terrorism and moral values [3] as the most important factors in their decision. Kerry supporters cited the war in Iraq, economic issues like jobs and health care.


Over the course of Bush's first term in office, his extremely high approval ratings immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks steadily dwindled, peaking only during combat operations in Iraq in the Spring of 2003, and again following the capture of Saddam Hussein in December the same year.[4] Kerry supporters attempted to capitalize on the dwindling popularity to rally anti-war sentiment.

During August and September of 2004, there was an intense focus on events that occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Bush was accused of failing to fulfill his required service in the Texas Air National Guard.[5] However, the focus quickly shifted to the conduct of CBS News after they aired a segment on 60 Minutes Wednesday introducing what became known as the Killian documents.[6] Serious doubts about the documents' authenticity quickly emerged,[7] leading CBS to appoint a review panel that eventually resulted in the firing of the news producer and other significant staffing changes.[8][9]

Meanwhile, Kerry was accused by the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, who averred that "phony war crimes charges, his exaggerated claims about his own service in Vietnam, and his deliberate misrepresentation of the nature and effectiveness of Swift boat operations compels us to step forward." The group challenged the legitimacy of each of the combat medals awarded to Kerry by the U.S. Navy, and the disposition of his discharge.

In the beginning of September, the successful Republican National Convention along with the allegations by Kerry's former mates gave President Bush his first comfortable margin since Kerry had won the nomination. A post-convention Gallup poll showed the President leading the Senator by 14 points.[10][11]



Debates

"I learned these guys are not that smart.  I expected them to be a lot smarter, a lot more difficult to debate, and I learned a lot of them only have the value system of win, win, win. They don’t believe in anything.... I thought they had some core beliefs. Most of them didn’t have core beliefs."

Three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate were organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, and held in the autumn of 2004. As expected, these debates set the agenda for the final leg of the political contest. Libertarian Party candidate Michael Badnarik and Green Party candidate David Cobb were arrested while trying to access the debates. Badnarik was attempting to serve papers to the Commission on Presidential Debates.

The first debate was held on September 30 at the University of Miami, moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS. Though originally intended to focus on domestic policy, questions were asked on the War on Terror, the War in Iraq and America's international relations.[13] During the debate John Kerry accused Bush of having failed to gain international support for the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, saying the only countries assisting the USA during the invasion were the United Kingdom and Australia. Bush replied to this by saying, "Well, actually, he forgot Poland." (In an ironic turn of events, Poland announced plans to withdraw its troops from Iraq shortly after the debate.) Later, a consensus formed among mainstream pollsters and pundits that Kerry won the debate decisively, strengthening what had come to be seen as a weak and troubled campaign.[14] In the days after, coverage focused on Bush's apparent annoyance with Kerry and numerous scowls and negative facial expressions. On October 5, the Vice Presidential debate was held between Dick Cheney and John Edwards at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and was moderated by Gwen Ifill of PBS. It again focused on Iraq and the War on Terror. Cheney showed his so called "Bulldog" debating mentality and appeared to be much tougher than Edwards on most of the issues.[citation needed] Most liberal voters said that Cheney was aggressive pushing Edwards to appear passive.[citation needed] An initial poll by ABC indicated a victory for Cheney, while polls by CNN and MSNBC gave it to Edwards.[15][16][17][18]

The second presidential debate was held at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri on October 8, moderated by Charles Gibson of ABC. Conducted in a "town meeting" format, less formal than the first Presidential debate, this debate saw President Bush and Senator Kerry taking questions on a variety of subjects from a local audience.[19] Bush attempted to deflect criticism of what was described as his scowling demeanor during the first debate, joking at one point about one of Kerry's remarks, "That answer made me want to scowl."[20]

Bush and Kerry met for the third and final debate at Arizona State University on October 13.[21] 51 million viewers watched the debate which was moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS News. However, at the time of the ASU debate, there were 15.2 million viewers tuned in to watch the Major League Baseball championship games broadcast simultaneously.


Other nominations

See also:
 List of candidates in the United States presidential election, 2004

There were five other pairs of candidates who were on the ballot in states with enough electoral votes to have a theoretical chance of winning a majority in the Electoral College.


  1. State-by-state results
  2. Delegate count
  3. Election videos
  4. Audio slideshow

 



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