Audacious Hope
Barak Obama has quickly risen through the ranks in the Democratic party to become one of the nation's hottest political figures. Saturday Obama announced that he is indeed running for the presidency so what was prior to this only a possibility and an exploratory committee has become a declared presidential candidacy.
With the release of his book "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" he has become one of the front-runners for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. Some within the Democratic party have already deemed the nomination race a two horse reace between Obama and former first lady and current New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton who has risen from the political sidelines of being the first lady to the position of being potentially the first female President in U.S. History.
A Soldier's Story
John McCain who represents the only frontrunner in the 2008 presidential campaign to have served his country in war during the Vietnam war, including time spent as a POW in a Vietnamese POW camp, represents the old guard and the new conservative in one package.
McCain is the classic old guard conservative supporting traditional family values and core Christian beliefs while at the same time embracing the more globalistic elements within the Republican party that have been the primary architects for the international policies of the George W. Bush administration. The current Senator from Arizona enjoys support from both sides of the aisle in many cases due in part to his ability to work with Democrats to pass legislation he feels is right for America. He is a self-proclaimed fiscal conservative that believes in smaller government and lower taxes. His support of the recent plan by George W. Bush to increase troop deployments in Iraq has eroded some of his support from more moderate voters but he still enjoys an overall favorable rating with most voters. While not a sure thing for the Republican nomination in 2008 McCain is seen as the frontrunner and other than Rudy Giuliani, not many of the candidates in the Republican field are regarded as having much of a chance to beat McCain in the 2008 primary election.
|
Will he run?
Despite protestations to the contrary, will Al Gore see the groundswell of support and run for President in 2008? Supporters and pundits think that a run for the White House may once again be in Al Gore's future. Poll numbers show him to be a formidable candidate and with the popularity of his movie "An Inconvenient Truth" Al Gore has newfound legitimacy with the younger voters who may well be the difference in the 2008 election
|
Can He Recover?
With recent comments about his opponent Barak Obama leaving some questioning Senator Joseph Biden's viability as a presidential candidate, the long-time Delaware Democrat will likely have a difficult primary run. Some comedians have already labeled this the shortest presidential campaign in US history given that the comments came just hours after his announcement of an exploratory committee being formed. The 2008 race is sure to be a test of Senator Biden's political will.
|
|
The Republican JFK?
During the 1960 presidential campaign many questions were raised about John F. Kennedy's alliances based on the fact that he was a Catholic. Some even questioned whether he would take his marching orders from the Pope in Rome. In the end, he was elected to be the 35th President of the United States in a close election. In 2008 will Mitt Romney face that same type of opposition due to his Mormon beliefs? The Republican primaries should be more interesting to watch with Mitt in the mix. His charismatic style and odd name will more than likely be the fodder for pundits and comedians alike in the coming months.
|
Great White Hope or Darth Nader?
Consumer crusader Ralph Nader has once again become the subject of speculation in the 2008 presidential campaign. While some on both sides of the political aisle would like to see him run, he has become the X-factor in U.S. presidential politics. Some Democrats and Republicans credit his entry into the 2000 and 2004 races as the tipping point for both of George W. Bush's election successes. With razor slim margins in both elections it is generally accepted that he more likely cost the Democrats votes than Republicans. If he enters the 2008 race many think he will once again cause a divide in the liberal ranks. Whether it will be enough to maintain the White House for the Republicans is anyone's guess at this point.
|
