US Presidential Election 2008

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By Z Rastegar

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US Presidential Election 2008

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Candidates and potential candidates

Politicians with ambition have begun to express formally their desire for the presidency in the form of "exploratory committees," which allows the hopeful to raise money and travel without having to follow certain financial restrictions mandated by federal law. With official events, such as debates and candidate forums, beginning as early as February 2007, the status of a candidate will be based on whether or not he or she is invited. Several minor candidates in the past have tried to litigate their way in, generating some publicity but little public support.


Conditions for listing a candidate
As stated above, the election is currently in its early stages and some candidates are not yet official.

Private Official Campaign Web Site, Required Data
Private web page (non-free web page)
Statement of FEC Status
Valid current contact information (name, address, telephone, non-free email)
Date and place of birth
Intent of ballot placement or write-in status
Current list of Registration for write-in status
FEC - FEC Registered Candidate
FEC-Other - FEC Registered Candidate, other election
Non-FEC - Non-FEC Registered Candidate


Democratic Party

Official and potential 2008 United States presidential election Democratic candidates

Candidates who have filed with the FEC for the Democratic Party:

Senator Joe Biden of Delaware (Campaign Site)
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York (Exploratory Committee)
Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut (Campaign Site)
Former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina (Campaign Site)
Former Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska (Campaign Site)
Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio (Campaign Site)
Senator Barack Obama of Illinois (Campaign Site)

Candidates who have formed exploratory committees, but not yet filed with the FEC:

Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico (Exploratory Committee)
Individuals who have expressed serious interest:

Retired General Wesley Clark of Arkansas (WesPAC)
Al Sharpton of New York[3]
Individuals frequently mentioned as possible candidates:

Former Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee[4]
Note: Although Al Gore has been widely discussed as a possible candidate, and has not categorically ruled out a possible candidacy, he has stated on a number of occasions that he is not interested: "I have no intention to run for president. I can't imagine in any circumstance to run for office again." Despite rumors that he would announce his candidacy during the 79th Academy Awards on February 25, 2007, during an appearance on stage Gore acted as if he were about to do so, only to be "played off stage" as part of the joke.[5].

Note: Former Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa was a presidential candidate from November 30, 2006 to February 23, 2007, who withdrew due to a lack of funds.[6]



Republican Party

Official and potential 2008 United States presidential election Republican candidates
Candidates who have filed with the FEC for the Republican Party:

Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas (Campaign Site)
John H. Cox of Illinois (Campaign Site)
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York (Exploratory Committee)[7]
Representative Duncan Hunter of California (Campaign Site)
Senator John McCain of Arizona (Exploratory Committee)
Former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts (Campaign Site)
Michael Charles Smith of Oregon (Campaign Site)

Candidates who have formed exploratory committees, but not yet filed with the FEC:

Former Governor Jim Gilmore of Virginia (Exploratory Committee)
Former Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas (Exploratory Committee)
Representative Ron Paul of Texas (Exploratory Committee)
Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado (Exploratory Committee)
Former Governor Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin (Exploratory Committee)
Individuals who have expressed serious interest:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia (Winning the Future)[8]
Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska (Sandhills PAC)[9]
Radio talk show host Michael Savage of California (Paul Revere Society) [10]



Third parties

Official and potential 2008 United States presidential election third party candidates


Constitution Party

Actively pursuing or interested in candidacy for the Constitution Party (United States):

James Gilchrist of California[11]


Green Party

Elaine Brown of Georgia[12]


Libertarian Party

Official candidates who have filed with the FEC for the Libertarian Party:

Steve Kubby of California (Campaign Site)
George Phillies of Massachusetts (Campaign Site)
Christine Smith of Colorado (Campaign Site)
Announced candidates:

Doug Stanhope of Arizona (Campaign Site)
Actively pursuing or interested in candidacy:

Gene Chapman of Texas (Campaign Site)
Barry Hess of Arizona[13]
Dave Hollist of California (Campaign Site)
Robert Milnes of New Jersey (Campaign Site)


Other parties and independent candidates

Actively pursuing or interested in candidacy

Steve Adams of Kentucky (Campaign Site)
Gene Amondson of Washington for the Prohibition Party (Campaign Site)
Bob W. Hargis of Oklahoma (Campaign Site)
Daniel Imperato of Florida (Campaign Site)
David A. Koch of Utah and Ken Goldstein of California (Campaign Site)
Charles T. Maxham of New Jersey (Campaign Site)
James H. McCall of Pennsylvania (Campaign Site)

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Possible electoral college changes

In 2007, Rep. Thomas M. Davis (R-VA) introduced the "DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2007" in the U.S. House. If enacted, the act would have the effect of increasing the size of the electoral college by 1. The bill's primary purpose is to give House representation to the District of Columbia. The Congressional Research Service has determined that if passed, the bill would likely be found unconstitutional. [1]

The bill also grants, for partisan balancing, an additional House seat to Utah, and increases Utah's electoral votes by 1, since Utah is likely to vote Republican and the District of Columbia is likely to vote Democratic. However, this will only be valid until the next census, when the extra seat will be reapportioned like all other seats. The District of Columbia's electoral vote count would remain unchanged at 3, as required by the 23rd amendment. The likely effect of the change, if enacted, on the 2008 presidential election would be to give a +1 advantage to the Republican candidate: Utah has not been carried by a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, and in the most recent election gave the Republican 71% of the vote. Even though the size of the electoral college would increase to 539, a candidate would still need 270 electoral votes to win.

Also, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is a proposed agreement between states in the United States dealing with their allocation of electoral votes. This interstate compact would effectively shift the method of election of the President of the United States to a national popular vote system. By the terms of the compact, states agree to give all of their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner, regardless of the balance of votes in their own states. The compact would only go into effect once it was joined by
states representing a majority of the electoral college.

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HILLARY CLINTON

Who is she? The first former First Lady to go on to hold elected office, she is now serving as senator for New York. Declared her intention to stand with a video saying "I'm in to win" on her website on 20 January 2007 - two years to the day before the next president is inaugurated.



Hillary Clinton: Leader of the pack

Why take her seriously? Unbeatable name recognition and unmatched fundraising ability make Hillary - no surname necessary - the clear front-runner for the Democrats. She has tried to stake out a position as a centrist in her six years in the Senate - and finished her 2006 Senate re-election campaign with $20m in the bank.

What is going to stand in her way? If Bill Clinton remains a divisive figure in American politics, that goes at least double for Hillary - some estimates say one in three Americans would never vote for her. And the US has never yet elected a woman president.

Did you know? Is there anything we do not already know about Hillary Clinton?

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CHRIS DODD

Who is he? Senior senator from the north-eastern state of Connecticut. He declared in January of 2007 he was running for president.


Chris Dodd: Iraq apology

Why take him seriously? Senator Dodd is chairman of the Senate banking committee, which could prove valuable when it comes to fundraising. He is well liked in the party, and has come out as a clear opponent of the Iraq war, apologising for his 2002 vote in favour of it.

What is going to stand in his way? Chris Dodd has been drawing much smaller crowds than his rivals in key early-primary states such as Iowa - and after the defeat of John Kerry in 2004, the Democratic party may be very reluctant to nominate another senator from a small, liberal New England state.

Did you know? Dodd, 62, has two young children, prompting him to joke that he is the only candidate on mailing lists both for pensioners and nappy buyers.

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JOHN EDWARDS

Who is he? Former lawyer and one-term North Carolina senator who ran for vice-president with John Kerry in 2004. He now runs an anti-poverty centre, and declared his White House ambition at the end of 2006.


John Edwards: Southern charmer

Why take him seriously? Supporters and detractors alike agree that Mr Edwards is an excellent speaker, a man the Washington Post's politics blogger Chris Cillizza dubbed "the most naturally talented politician in the field". He has campaigned hard in Iowa, visiting at least 10 times since the 2004 election.

What is going to stand in his way? Audiences - even sympathetic ones - tend to find Mr Edwards too slick. His poor-boy-made-good routine can also come across as patronising.

Did you know? Mr Edwards helped to depose key witnesses during the Senate's impeachment trial of Bill Clinton in 1999.

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AL GORE

Who is he? Vice-president for eight years under Bill Clinton and the loser of the most controversial presidential election in more than a century, against George W Bush in 2000.


Al Gore: Back in the limelight

Why take him seriously? Gore backers never fail to point out that more Americans voted for Mr Gore than for Mr Bush in 2000. He has kept largely out of politics for the past six years - but with his film about the environment up winning an Academy Award for best documentary, he is back in the spotlight.

What is going to stand in his way? Mr Gore has said repeatedly that he is not going to run for president in 2008.... although many believe he could be persuaded to change his mind. He made a joke about the speculation at the Oscars ceremony, pretending he was about to announce his candidacy, then being drowned out by the orchestra.

Did you know? Al Gore shared a room with the actor Tommy Lee Jones when the two were students at Harvard, and Jones gave one of the speeches officially nominating him for the presidency in 2000.

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BARACK OBAMA

Who is he? Mixed-race junior senator from Illinois who shot to prominence at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He began his official campaign on 10 February with a call for the Iraq war to end, saying US troops must withdraw by March 2008.


Barack Obama: "Rock-star" reception

Why take him seriously? Time magazine dubbed Senator Obama "America's hottest political phenomenon", while television's own phenomenon, Oprah Winfrey, urged him to announce his candidacy on her show. A book tour just a month before the 2006 mid-term elections saw him greeted like a rock star - as did a trip to the critical state of Iowa to campaign for fellow Democrats.

What is going to stand in his way? Barack Obama will have served only four years in the Senate when the 2008 election rolls around - even less than John F Kennedy did before he was elected in 1960. And while his supporters praise him as thoughtful, deliberative and liberal, some experts doubt those are the characteristics that get a politician to the White House.

Did you know? Barack Obama's mother was from Kansas and his father was from Kenya - leading observers to suggest he is an African and an American, but not an African-American.

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BILL RICHARDSON
Who is he? Governor of the south-western state of New Mexico who was US ambassador to the United Nations under Bill Clinton before becoming his secretary of energy.


Bill Richardson: Relevant experience
Why take him seriously? Gov Richardson hopes his CV will make him the ideal candidate in an age when voters are concerned about high gas prices and possible conflicts with Iran and North Korea. His Latino heritage may also win him votes with the country's largest minority population - one which both Republicans and Democrats need to compete for.

What is going to stand in his way? Gov Richardson is reportedly larger than life in small groups, easily able to connect with many different types of people - but in front of crowds he does not always demonstrate much charisma. And the small, out-of-the-way state of New Mexico is not a natural launching pad for a national campaign.

Did you know? Gov Richardson has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times.

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SAM BROWNBACK

Who is he? Senator from the Midwestern state of Kansas since 1996. He announced his intention to run for president in January 2007.


Sam Brownback: Right for the right?

Why take him seriously? Senator Brownback is one of many conservatives who hopes to become the standard-bearer of a religious right thought unlikely to rally behind Republican front-runners John McCain or Rudolph Giuliani. He has argued that President Bush has not done enough to promote "compassionate conservatism", and cited his own conservative values as reasons for his opposition to abortion and gay marriage and support for prison reform and intervention in the Darfur conflict.

What is going to stand in his way? The senator has been openly considering a presidential run since 2004, but has failed to generate much excitement. He remains little known outside Washington and his home state of Kansas.

Did you know? Senator Brownback appeared jointly with Democrat Barack Obama - another possible presidential candidate - at an influential megachurch on World Aids Day 2006 to talk about the importance of fighting the disease and to take an Aids test.

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NEWT GINGRICH

Who is he? Former congressman who led the 1994 Republican takeover of the House of Representatives, making him the first Republican Speaker of the House since 1955.


Newt Gingrich: Republican revolutionary

Why take him seriously? Mr Gingrich has kept busy as a writer, speaker and consultant since he left Congress in 1999, and was hinting even before President Bush's second inauguration that he was considering a 2008 bid. He retains the admiration of many Republicans for his role in breaking the 40-year Democratic lock on the lower house of Congress.

What is going to stand in his way? Mr Gingrich left Congress in 1999 and has not held office since then, so he does not have an obvious launching pad for a White House run. He has said he will not announce whether he intends to stand until September of 2007.

Did you know? Mr Gingrich was a history professor for eight years before being elected to Congress and has written nine books, mostly on policy but including a fictional alternative history in which the Confederacy wins the key Civil War Battle of Gettysburg.

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Rudolph Giuliani

Who is he? Former mayor of New York City who shot to international prominence for his firm leadership on 11 September 2001. He set up a committee to explore a White House bid shortly after the mid-terms in Nov 2006.


Rudolph Giuliani: "America's mayor"
Why take him seriously? Mr Giuliani emerged as a hero of 9/11, prompting Time magazine to name him Man of the Year for 2001. Even before then, he was credited with bringing down New York's crime rate - and since leaving office he has been an active fundraiser and campaigner for other Republican candidates, keeping his stock high. He regularly leads polls of likely Republican contenders, tied with John McCain or edging ahead of him.

What is going to stand in his way? "America's mayor" may be a law-and-order conservative, but his positions on gay rights, abortion and gun control are comparatively liberal, which does not endear him to the party's right wing. He has tried to make allies among the Christian right, but has not reversed his stance on the issues.

Did you know? Mr Giuliani was preparing to run against Hillary Clinton for a Senate seat in 2000 when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and quit the race.

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MIKE HUCKABEE

Who is he? Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2006, best known nationally for his dramatic weight loss in response to a diagnosis of diabetes. Also named to Time magazine's 2006 list of the nation's best governors.


Mike Huckabee: Dramatic change

Why take him seriously? Gov Huckabee has carved out a place for himself as a health advocate following his own turnaround from fat to fit. As an ordained Baptist minister who says his faith is inseparable from his politics, he may be a magnet for conservative Christian votes - especially if competing against a social liberal such as Rudolph Giuliani.

What is going to stand in his way? His Evangelical faith has led him to take positions that do not appeal to all Republicans, such as an increase in the state's minimum wage - which drew fire from fiscal conservatives. It is also not clear that he can keep up with better-known names when it comes to fundraising.

Did you know? Gov Huckabee plays bass guitar in a band called Capitol Offense.

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JOHN McCAIN

Who is he? Maverick senator from Arizona who ran against George W Bush for the Republican nomination in 2000 and has had complex relations with the president ever since. In Nov 2006, he took the first step towards declaring his 2008 candidacy, and made an official announcement on David Letterman's CBS show at the start of March 2007.


John McCain: Straight talker

Why take him seriously? John McCain is one of the highest-profile figures in Washington, known for sponsoring key measures against torture and in favour of campaign finance reform. He consistently places among the top Republican candidates in polling, with only Rudolph Giuliani beating him.

What is going to stand in his way? Although Sen McCain says unequivocally that he is a social conservative, his frequent s***mishes with the Bush administration have made him more popular with liberals than with conservatives. He has also doggedly backed America's keeping troops in Iraq, an increasingly unpopular position.

Did you know? Shot down as a Navy pilot over Vietnam in 1967, Mr McCain refused to be released ahead of other prisoners of war - earning himself five years of captivity, two in solitary confinement.