US Presidential Election

Denver:: Colorado -Democratic Election Convention 08

2008-08-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

DEMOCRATIC CONVETION- Denver-Colorado (25-28 August 2008):
America Votes 2008
Thousands gathered at Denver – Colorado to listen and enjoy the Democratic Convention for America Votes 2008.
First Lady Michelle’s Speech
A rousing speech by the potential future First Lady Mrs. Michelle Barack Obama at the Denver, Colorado convinced the voters to vote her husband. It was a tremendous response when she told about the family value. Michelle drawn the cheers of the crowd as the historic Democratic Convention opened here in a pageant political symbolism. She portrayed her husband a crusader for justice. The aspiring First Lady told, “I stand here today knowing that my piece of the American Dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before.” She lauded of Hillary Clinton who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters, and sons can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher.”
Michelle said that her husband she and her husband were driven by the simple belief that the world as it is just will not do. That’s a thread that connects our hearts together. “That is my journey and Barack’s journey and so many improbable journeys that have brought us here to night, where the current of history meets this new hope.” “That’s why I love this country.”

Kennedy’s Surprise Appearance: Kennedy Dynasty

Ted Kennedy, the American most fabled political dynasty- the brother of slain leader, President John F Kennedy made a surprise appearance at the political extravaganza, barely three months after being diagnosed with malignant brain tumor. The remarkable roaring speech of the Massachusetts senator said, “This November the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans, so with Barack Obama, and for you, and me, our country will be committed to his cause.”
“The work will begin anew, the hope will rise again, and the dream lives on.”

Show Stopper: (Daughters of Obama):

Two little girls stole the hearts of diehard American political activists on Monday 26th August 2008 when Malia and Sasha Obama appeared at the Democratic convention, blowing kisses to their daddy, Barack Obama.” I love you daddy,” shouted 7-year old Sasha excitedly into microphone. While Obama speaking after the rousing speech by his wife Michelle who said, " he would be an extraordinary president” as his daughter stole the show. “Which city are you daddy?” she asked. Waving, blowing kisses the two girls were completely unfazed by the thousands of crowd cheering and applauding around them.
Listen to what Hillary Clinton,

Bill Clinton

, & Joe Biden- VP Running Mate of Barack Obama says about Obama.

Will McCain at All Win the Presidential Election 2008?

2008-08-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama Selected His Running Mate:: Will Obama or McCain Win the Election to occupy White House?

It was a surprise to all who have been guessing who will be the running mate with Barack Obama as the Vice President of the White House in 2008 Election. Last Night all guessing came to an end when he chosen Mr. Joseph Biden- the Senator who was the most critic of Obama. Everybody thought that Mrs. Hillary Clinton would be surely the running mate. All the developing countries like India, Bangladesh , China, Pakistan and the Middle Eastern countries have been looking for that Mrs. Clinton at least would be the Vice President though she lastly lost to Mr. Obama in the primaries to be the Democrat Presidential candidate. Now we will be waiting whom Mr. McCain choses as his running mate as the Vice President. That will be decided in the coming Convention.

But will Mr. Obama or McCain win the election 2008 ? We saw maximum American citizens are not very much aware of who is running for the White House or how many candidates fought for the Primaries or which candidate got what ratings. Do not be upset hearing this. You will trust that majority of American you will find are busy in daily works, then enjoy the weekend with drinks or alcohol or recreation that they do not have any time or seldom got any time to think of politics. I do not mean all. When we saw Jay Leno show where Mr. Jay went out with his cameraman and crew to interview a bunch of public whether they know who is their president. Most answered either Clinton, or Condolisa Rice or have been laughing " I really do not know". Then what do you expect from them. While you go to India, Bangladesh, or any third world country and ask the general public, I hope they would do better score in this quiz. I am correct? So majority Americans than the elite or high profile citizen who controls the American politics are not much aware of their internal politics or economics at all. So the politicians are doing whatever they like . Whether the economy is shrinking, inflation is sky rocketing, country is losing in the battle to fight for standard of life, the really do not care at all. They care what their politician promised to win the war or continue to spend huge amounts of trillion dollars from the exchequer. Where are going?
So I am talking about who will win the Election in 2008. Correct? You will bet and see that though in the current poll shows Mr. McCain will win, but after the Conventions of the parties you will find Mr. Obama will be leading ahead. Then in the Election you will see he wins the Election with majority margin as who controls the election in America?

Obama Selected His Running Mate:: Will he Win?

2008-08-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Obama Selected His Running Mate:: Will he Win?

It was a surprise to all who have been guessing who will be the running mate with Barack Obama as the Vice President of th White House in 2008 Election. Last Night all guessing came to an end when he chosen Mr. Joseph Biden- the Senator who was the most critic of Obama. Everybody thought that Mrs. Hillary Clinton would be surely the running mate. All the developing countries like India, Bangladesh , China, Pakistan and the Middle Eastern countries have been looking for that Mrs. Clinton at least would be the Vice President though she lastly lost to Mr. Obama in the primaries to be the Democrat Presidential candidate.
But will Mr. Obama at all win the election? We saw maximum American citizens are not very much aware of who is running for the White House or how many candidates fought for the Primaries or which candidate got what ratings. Do not be upset hearing this. You will trust that majority of American you will find are busy in daily works, then enjoy the weekend with drinks or alcohol or recreation that they do not have any time or seldom got any time to think of politics. I do not mean all. When we saw Jay Leno show where Mr. Jay went out with his cameraman and crew to interview a bunch of public whether they know who is their president. Most answered either Clinton, or Condolisa Rice or have been laughing " I really do not know". Then what do you expect from them. While you go to India, Bangladesh, or any third world country and ask the general public, I hope they would do better score in this quiz. I am correct? So majority Americans than the elite or high profile citizen who controls the American politics are not much aware of their internal politics or economics at all. So the politicians are doing whatever they like . Whether the economy is shrinking, inflation is sky rocketing, country is losing in the battle to fight for standard of life,the really do not care at all. They care what their politician promised to win the war or continue to spend huge amounts of trillion dollars from the exchequer. Where are going?
So I am talking about who will win the Election in 2008. Correct? You will bet and see that though in the current pol shows Mr. Obama will win, but after the Conventions of the parties you will find Mr.McCain will be leading ahead. Then in the Election you will see McCain wins the Election with majority margin as the Riches control the election in America. You Bet and will lose your bet !

Who will be the next president of United States?

2008-06-22T23:08:00.000-07:00

Mr. Mccain or Mr. Obama ? Now after the primaries all are just discussing about who will be the 2009 president of USA. Some who likes Mr.Obama will forecast his chance is great while others who love Mr.Mccain will definitely select him and see his all virtues. But ultimately could we forecast who will lead the nation?

http://dogtownmax.blogspot.com/

2008-03-30T14:30:00.001-07:00

http://dogtownmax.blogspot.com/

Previous Practices since 1928

2008-03-08T07:03:00.001-08:00

United States presidential election, 2008 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United States presidential election, 2008

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This article or section contains information about an upcoming or ongoing election in the United States.

Content may change as the election approaches.

‹ 2004 2012 ›

United States presidential election, 2008

November 4, 2008

Electoral college votes for 2008

Wikinews has 2008 United States presidential election news:

March 7: Wikinews interviews U.S. Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney

March 6: George W. Bush endorses John McCain for US Presidency

March 5: Wikinews interviews Anthony Maki

March 5: McCain clinches Republican nomination as Huckabee concedes

March 3: Wikinews interviews Frank Moore, independent candidate for US President

The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for November 4, 2008, will be the 56th consecutive quadrennial election for president and vice president of the United States. It will coincide with the 2008 Senate elections, House of Representatives elections, and gubernatorial elections, as well as many state and local elections.

As in the 2004 presidential election, the allocation of electoral votes to each state will be based partially on the 2000 Census. The president-elect and vice president-elect are scheduled to be inaugurated on January 20, 2009.

1 2008 presidential election characteristics
- 1.1 First election without incumbents in the primaries since 1928

2 The long campaign

3 Candidates

4 Possible electoral college changes

5 Potential battleground states

6 Campaign details

7 Opinion polling

8 Election results

9 See also

10 References

11 External links

2008 presidential election characteristics

First election without incumbents in the primaries since 1928

When a United States President leaves office, his vice president is usually considered a leading candidate and likely nominee to succeed him. In 2001, Vice President Dick Cheney announced that he would never run for president, a statement he reiterated in 2004. While appearing on Fox News Sunday, Cheney stated: "I will say just as hard as I possibly know how to say... If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve."^[1] The 2008 election therefore marks the first time since the 1928 election in which there is neither an incumbent president nor an incumbent vice president running for their party's nomination in the presidential election.^[2] The 1952 election was the last time neither the incumbent president nor incumbent vice president ran in the general election, after President Harry S. Truman bowed out following his loss in the New Hampshire primary and Vice President Alben Barkley then sought but failed to win the Democratic nomination.^[3] (Truman's name was on the New Hampshire primary ballot but he did not campaign. He lost to Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver and formally withdrew his name from consideration.)

In the three most recent presidential administrations featuring an outgoing two-term president — those of Eisenhower, Reagan, and Clinton — the incumbent vice president has immediately thereafter run for president. (Richard Nixon lost the 1960 election, George H. W. Bush won the 1988 election, and Al Gore lost the 2000 election.)^[4]^[5]

In the 1968 election, Lyndon B. Johnson initially decided to seek re-election. He entered the New Hampshire primary and won. However, he had a national poll conducted, which yielded results not in his favor. In a nationally televised speech, Johnson announced to the public that he would not seek re-election. Incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey ran instead and was the eventual Democratic Party nominee.

During this period, several former vice presidents have sought the office of president as non-incumbents. Henry A. Wallace was the Progressive Party nominee in 1948. Nixon was elected in 1968. Walter Mondale received his party's nomination in 1984. Dan Quayle was unsuccessful in bids for nomination in 1996 and 2000.^[5]

The long campaign

The 2008 nomination campaign can be divided into four phases: the pre-primary campaign, January, Super Tuesday, and the Spring.

The pre-primary campaign

"Front runner" status is dependent on the news agency reporting, but by October 2007, the consensus listed about six candidates as leading the pack. For example, CNN listed Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Rudolph Giuliani, Barack Obama, Fred Thompson, and Mitt Romney as the front runners. The Washington Post listed Clinton, Edwards and Obama as the Democratic frontrunners, "leading in polls and fundraising and well ahead of the other major candidates".^[6] MSNBC's Chuck Todd christened Giuliani and John McCain the Republican front runners after the second Republican presidential debate.^[7]

Three candidates, Clinton, Obama, and Romney, raised over $20 million in the first three months of 2007, and three others, Edwards, Giuliani, and McCain, raised over $12 million, the next closest candidate was Bill Richardson, who raised over $6 million.^[8] In the third quarter of 2007, the top four GOP fund raisers were Romney, Giuliani, Thompson, and Paul.^[9] Paul set the GOP record for the largest online single day fund raising on November 5, 2007.^[10]^[11] Hillary Clinton set the Democratic record for largest single day fund raising on June 30, 2007.^[12]

The primaries

Main articles: Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008 and Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008

Delegates to national party conventions are selected through direct primary elections, state caucuses, and state conventions. The process continues through June, but in previous cycles, the Democratic and Republican candidates were effectively chosen by the March primaries. This is due to winning candidates collecting a majority of committed delegates to win their party's nomination. Most third parties select delegates to their national conventions through state conventions.

Both parties have adopted rules to prevent early primaries and have acted to strip some or all delegates from states that have disobeyed. Several, including larger states such as Florida and Michigan, did so, setting up possible credentials fights at the conventions late in the summer.

January 2008

Around the first of the year, the longstanding consensus that the so-called "chattering classes" had agreed to began to fall apart. Support for Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama began rising in the polls, passing longtime front runners Romney and Clinton for first place in Iowa, and suddenly John McCain displaced Rudy Guiliani and Romney as the front-runner in New Hampshire. When Iowa held its caucuses at last, the two upstart campaigns were triumphant.

While Huckabee had little money and was hoping for a third place finish, Obama was suddenly the new front runner in New Hampshire and the Clinton Campaign was struggling. However, in a turning point for her campaign, Mrs. Clinton shed tears in a public interview broadcast live on TV.^[13]^[14] By the end of the day, Clinton won the primary by a couple of points, contrary to the predictions of pollsters who had her as much as twelve points behind on the day of the primary itself. McCain also staged a turnaround victory, having been written off by the pundits and in single digits less than a month before. ^[15]^[16]

With the Republicans stripping Michigan and Florida of half their delegates, the Republican race was based there, while the Democrats focused on Nevada and South Carolina, which were given special permission to have early contests. In South Carolina Obama got 55% of the vote. Meanwhile, McCain managed a small victory in South Carolina, setting him up for a larger and more important victory in Florida soon after.

February 2008

On February 3 on the UCLA campus, celebrities Oprah Winfrey, Caroline Kennedy and Stevie Wonder, among others, made appearances to show support for Barack Obama in a rally led by Michelle Obama.^[17] Though Obama's poll numbers increased after this event, putting him only 2% behind Clinton, he ended up losing California by 10%. Analysts cited surprisingly large Latino turnout as the deciding factor.^[18]

By February 4, it was apparent that McCain might be able to wrap up the nomination quickly while the 22 primaries and caucuses on the Democratic side might lead to a virtual tie in the delegate count, which to some extent is what happened.

Super Tuesday: On February 5, 2008, the largest-ever simultaneous number of state U.S. presidential primary elections was held.^[19] Twenty-four states and American Samoa held either caucuses or primary elections for one or both parties on this date, leaving the Democrats in a virtual tie, and John McCain just short of clinching the Republican nod.^[20]

Louisiana and Washington voted for both parties on February 9, while Nebraska and the Virgin Islands vote for the Democrats and Kansas for the Republicans. Obama swept all four Democratic contests, as well as the Maine caucuses the next day,^[21] and Huckabee also came out on top in Kansas, winning by an even greater percentage. The District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia voted for both parties on February 12 in the so-called Potomac primary. Obama won all three for the Democrats (giving him eight consecutive victories after Super Tuesday) and McCain took all three for the Republicans.

Obama carried both Hawaii and Wisconsin, the last two states that voted for the Democrats in February, on the 19th.^[22] Wisconsin and Washington (primary) voted for the Republicans on February 19th; John McCain won these states.^[23] The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico will close out February for the Republicans, on the 23rd and 24th.

March 2008

For the Republicans, American Samoa voted March 1. March 4 was dubbed by some as this year's Mini Tuesday,^[24]^[25] when the delegate-rich states of Texas and Ohio, along with Rhode Island and Vermont, voted for both parties. Wyoming then votes for the Democrats and Guam votes for the Republicans on March 8, with Mississippi then voting on March 11.

In what some considered a surprise upset of Barack Obama on March 4th^[26], Hillary Clinton carried Ohio, Texas, and Rhode Island in the Democratic primaries.^[27] John McCain clinched the Republican nomination after sweeping all four primaries, Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, putting him over the top of the 1,191 delegates required to win the GOP nomination.^[27] Mike Huckabee finally conceded the race to McCain. ^[28]

Final primaries and caucuses, April through June 2008

Only one state votes in April: Pennsylvania, which will hold a primary for both parties on April 22. Indiana and North Carolina have primaries on May 6. Nebraska's Republican primary will be on May 13, as will the West Virginia primary for Democrats. Kentucky and Oregon hold primaries for both parties on May 20. Idaho votes for Republicans only on May 27. The primary season ends in June, with contests on June 3 in New Mexico (Republican), Montana (Democratic), and South Dakota (both parties). The final primary will be on June 7th in Puerto Rico for the Democrats.

Later events

April 2008: 2008 Constitution Party National Convention, to be held in Kansas City, Missouri.

May 23-26, 2008: 2008 Libertarian National Convention, to be held in Denver, Colorado.

July 10-13, 2008: Green Party National Convention, to be held in Chicago, Illinois.

August 25-28, 2008: 2008 Democratic National Convention, to be held in Denver, Colorado.

September 1-4, 2008: 2008 Republican National Convention, to be held in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

November 4, 2008: All 50 states and the District of Columbia will hold elections to select members of the Electoral College.

December 15, 2008: Members of the U.S. Electoral College meet in each state to cast their votes for President and Vice President.

January 6, 2009: Electoral votes officially tallied before both Houses of Congress. If a member of Congress wishes to object to the certification of a state's electoral votes as was originally reported on Election Night, he or she must do so at this point, even if recounts or lawsuits to require a recount are already in progress.

January 20, 2009: Inauguration Day.

Candidates

Main article: United States presidential candidates, 2008

This article contains information about one or more candidates in an upcoming or ongoing election.

Content may change as the election approaches.

The neutrality of this section is disputed.

Please see the discussion on the talk page.

This section has been tagged since February 2008.

Politicians with ambition have begun to express formally their desire for the presidency in the form of "exploratory committees," which allow 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.

Candidates marked with a † have not registered with the Federal Election Commission for a presidential campaign.

Major parties

Democratic Party

Main article: United States Democratic presidential candidates, 2008

Candidates for the Democratic Party

Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator from New York and former First Lady (Campaign Article)

Mike Gravel, former U.S. Senator from Alaska (Campaign Article)

Barack Obama, U.S. Senator from Illinois, and former Illinois State Senator (Campaign Article)

Withdrawn candidates

Senator Joe Biden of Delaware	Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut	Former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina	Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio
Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico	Former Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa

2008 Democratic presidential primaries delegate count

As of March 07, 2008

Candidate

Actual

pledged delegates¹

(2,215.5 of 3,253 total)

Predicted

pledged delegates²

(2,533 of 3,253 total)

Estimated

superdelegates²

(437 of 796 total)

Estimated total delegates²

(2,970 of 4,047 total;

2,024 needed to win)

Hillary Rodham Clinton

1,079.5

1,186

238

1,424

Mike Gravel

Barack Obama

1,124

1,321

199

1,520

Color key:

1st place

2nd place

3rd place

Candidate has

withdrawn

Sources:

¹ "Primary Season Election Results", The New York Times, (regularly updated).

² "Election Center 2008 Primaries and Caucuses: Results: Democratic Scorecard", CNN, (regularly updated).

This box: view • talk • edit

Republican Party

Main article: United States Republican presidential candidates, 2008

Presumptive Nominee for the Republican Party

John McCain

President George W. Bush and Senator McCain at the White House March 5, 2008 following McCain's March 4 primary sweep.

John McCain, born August 29, 1936, in the U.S.-controlled Panama Canal Zone, U.S. Senator from Arizona. Often characterized as a Republican maverick in the Senate, he is well-known. In 2000, he failed in his attempt against George W. Bush for 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, many of which have vowed to work against any McCain campaigns for the Republican nomination in 2008. 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.

Mathematically Eliminated Candidates

Former Ambassador Alan Keyes of Maryland

Congressman Ron Paul of Texas

Withdrawn Candidates

Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas	Businessman John H. Cox of Illinois	Former Governor Jim Gilmore of Virginia	Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York
Former Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas	Congressman Duncan Hunter of California	Former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts	Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin
Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado	Former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee

2008 Republican presidential primaries delegate count

As of March 7, 2008

Candidates

Actual

pledged delegates¹

(1,482 of 1,917)

Estimated total delegates²

(1,816 of 2,380;

1,191 needed to win)

Mike Huckabee

225

270

John McCain

1,110

1,260

Ron Paul

Mitt Romney

272

This box: view • talk • edit

Color key:

Presumptive

nominee³

Candidate has

withdrawn

Sources:

¹ "Primary Season Election Results", The New York Times, (regularly updated).

² "2008 Elections - Republican Delegate Count", Real Clear Politics, (regularly updated).

³ "McCain wins Republican nomination", BBC News, 2008-03-05.

Other parties

Main article: United States third party presidential candidates, 2008

Constitution Party

Candidates for the Constitution Party:

Don J. Grundmann^† of California. Chiropractor and anti-tax protester.

Bryan Malatesta^† of Texas^[29] Constitution Party of Texas chairman.

Max Riekse of Michigan.^† Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel

Diane Beall Templin^† of California.^[30] Attorney and political activist.

Green Party

Candidates for the Green Party (Official Press Release):

Cynthia McKinney, former Georgia Congresswoman^[31]^[32]

Kat Swift of Texas, co-chair of Texas Green Party

Jesse Johnson^† of West Virginia, former Mountain Party candidate for US Senate and Governor of West Virginia

Kent Mesplay of California, California Delegate to the Green National Committee

Libertarian Party

Candidates for the Libertarian Party:

Daniel Imperato, an entrepreneur from Florida

Steve Kubby, an author, political activist, cannabis consultant from California

Wayne Allyn Root, an author, CEO, TV celebrity and producer from Las Vegas

James Burns, former chairman of the Nevada Libertarian Party

Bob Jackson of Michigan. Engineer and entreprenuer.

Mike Jingozian of Oregon. Software company founder.

George Phillies of Massachusetts. College professor, writer, political activist.

Christine Smith of Colorado. Writer, humanitarian activist.

Prohibition Party

Nominee of the Prohibition Party:

Gene Amondson^† of Washington. Minisiter and temperance movement activist. He received the party's presidential nomination at its national convention on September 13, 2007.^[33]

Leroy Pletten of Michigan is the vice presidential candidate.

Socialist Party USA

Nominee of the Socialist Party USA:

Brian Moore of Florida received the party's presidential nomination at its national convention, October 19-21, 2007.^[34]

Stewart Alexander is the vice presidential candidate.

Socialist Workers Party

Nominee for the Socialist Workers Party:

Róger Calero of New York. Journalist. ^[35]

Alyson Kennedy is the vice presidential candidate.

Independents

See Independent U.S. presidential candidates, 2008

Ralph Nader of Connecticut. Consumer advocate and activist, ^[36] Matt Gonzalez, political acvitist, of California is his running mate.^[37]

Possible electoral college changes

National Popular Vote Interstate Compact

Further information: National Popular Vote Interstate Compact

The Compact, if passed by states representing a controlling majority of the electoral college, would require states cast their electoral votes for the national popular winner, essentially shifting the election to a popular vote. As of January 13, 2008, Maryland and New Jersey have enacted the law.^[38]

District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act

In 2007, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-District of Columbia) introduced the "DC House Voting Rights Act"^[39] in the United States House of Representatives. If enacted, the act would have the effect of increasing the size of the electoral college by one. The bill's primary purpose is to give House representation to the District of Columbia, alongside an additional electoral college vote award to Utah in order to balance the addition. The effect is valid only until the next census, when the extra seat will be reapportioned like all other seats. The likely outcome 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. The bill as not been brought back up vote discussion since it was nearly clotured in September 2007.

Presidential Election Reform Act (California)

Further information: Presidential Election Reform Act

There was a proposed initiative in the state of California to alter the way the state's electoral votes for president are distributed among presidential candidates, but the initiative failed to get onto the 2008 ballot.^[40]

Potential battleground states

This section needs additional citations for verification.

Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008)

Pundits and political experts have identified certain battleground states where close votes might prove crucial to the outcome of the election. These states could include, but may not be limited to:

Electoral College votes in parentheses

Potential battleground states (purple). Numbers reflect the amount of electoral votes each state holds. Likely Republican states are red, likely Democratic states are blue

Arkansas: (6) Arkansas has given it's electoral votes to the winning candidate in every presidential election since 1972. Although Arkansans tend to be more socially conservative than Americans generally, the Democratic Party is a powerful force in Arkansas and Democrats tend to have a comfortable advantage in statewide races. Presently, the Governor, both U.S. Senators, and three out of four of the Arkansas' House members are Democrats, and Democrats enjoy supermajority status in the state legislature. The Arkansas Democratic Party tends to be more conservative than the national party, however, and as a result voters there tend to be open to Republican Presidential candidates. Though favorite son Bill Clinton won Arkansas easily both times he ran, Arkansas gave their electoral votes to Bush in 2000 and 2004 by a fairly large margin. Arkansas has a large African American population, which could favor the Democratic candidate.

Colorado: (9) The Centennial State is holding its second Democratic National Convention in Denver after 100 years. The election of Ken Salazar, a Hispanic-American to the U.S. Senate; Bill Ritter to the Governorship in 2006 and a U.S. House seat pick-up in 2006 made it a prized apple for the Democrats, prompting DNC Chairman Howard Dean to claim that the West holds the key to victory in 2008, which effectively made Denver the location of the Convention. A strong Hispanic-American concentration and the attention brought to bear on such issues as immigration reform, labor union support and minimum wage have made this a possible Democratic state. Republicans, however, still claim this state because of their support of gun rights and their stance on social conservative issues, and pundits have marked Colorado as the initial favorite for the Republicans.^{[attribution needed]}

Florida: (27) The deciding state in 2000, whose votes went – narrowly and controversially – to George W. Bush. Florida is situated in the South, which has become a Republican stronghold. Experts agree that the winner of Florida will have a significant advantage towards advancing to the White House. Florida has trended toward the Republican Party since 2000. For Democrats, the vote of the elderly is seen as a potential boon, due to the party's traditional stance on Medicare and Social Security (two key components of winning the elderly vote), while Republicans have an advantage with their stance on tax cuts and values issues. The Hispanic and African American populations in Florida could also give the Democrats an edge in a close race. As for Republicans, the business attention of tax cuts and Cuban-American attention has made it a strong contender. Also, Florida's recently-elected governor, Republican Charlie Crist, has enjoyed high approval ratings and has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential nominee on the 2008 GOP ticket.

Indiana: (11) Traditionally a Republican stronghold but in 2006, Democrats won three house seats here. Another factor that may drag down the Republican ticket might be Governor Mitch Daniels, who has become very unpopular in the state. Also in 2006, Democrats gained control of State House. The state has not voted for a Democratic Presidential Nominee since Lyndon Johnson in 1964, but a poll out by the Indianapolis Star features a generic Democrat leading a generic Republican in the Presidential election 37%-32%.^[41] The poll shows the War in Iraq and the sluggish economy to be the biggest issues among Hoosiers. Also, the poll found that a Democratic ticket featuring Indiana Senator Evan Bayh would boost the possibility of Indiana switching alliances.

Iowa: (7) Iowa is a true toss up state; it went for Gore in 2000 and Bush in 2004. In 2006, Democrats retained control of the Governor's Mansion with the election of Chet Culver and the addition of two U.S. House seats. Also, for the first time in four decades, Democrats gained complete control of the state legislature, further enhancing the progress of the Democrats. Still, agriculture policies and conservative values make it a magnet for the Republicans.

Kentucky: (8) With a Democratic pick-up of the Governor's Mansion in November 2007, and a troubled state Republican Party, Kentucky will be in play. Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher was defeated for re-election on November 6, 2007, and Senators Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning's approval have dropped recently. McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, is up for re-election in 2008. Although it went to the Republicans in 2000 and 2004 by strong margins, it was previously won by Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996. Pundits have put Kentucky in the Republican column.

Michigan: (17) The Great Lakes State has been a fairly safe bet for the Democrats in recent decades, giving its substantial electoral votes to Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and John Kerry. However, with each election, the margin of victory has narrowed, opening a window for the Republicans. Populism and a historically strong labor movement have dominated the state and given Democrats an advantage, but Republicans have gained ground in advancing tax cuts and other social issues appealing to "Reagan Democrats". A population exodus from Democratic Detroit has made the conservative Republican west more influential. Still, Democratic governor Jennifer Granholm was soundly re-elected in 2006, while presiding over a one-state recession.

Minnesota: (10) Minnesota has been a traditionally Democratic state in recent decades, but in the past two presidential elections, the elections have been competitive between the GOP and Democratic candidates. The 2008 Minnesota U.S. Senate election is also stated to be competitive, with Republican Norm Coleman running for re-election and commentator Al Franken actively seeking the Democratic nomination. The Republicans are holding their National Convention in Saint Paul hoping to sway the election toward Republicans this time. The last Republican presidential candidate to win in Minnesota was President Richard Nixon in 1972; since then, it has generally been solid ground for the Democrats. But in 2000 and 2004, the margin of victory was small, encouraging multiple visits by candidates in both parties. In 2006, however, the Democratic Farmer Labor Party picked up a house seat and gained 19 legislative seats and six state senate seats.

Missouri: (11) The Show Me State has been long been dubbed the bellwether for the nation because historically it has correlated very closely with the national Zeitgeist – with the single exception of 1956, Missouri has supported the winner of every Presidential election since 1904. The home state of President Harry Truman leans slightly Republican, and granted its 11 electoral votes to Bush in both 2000 and 2004. Despite the relative strength of Republicans in this Midwestern state, it has a strong penchant for advancing populist causes such as stem cell research and universal health care. In 2006, Missouri elected its first female U.S. Senator in Democrat Claire McCaskill. Moreover, the national mood souring over the war in Iraq makes this state a strong possibility for the Democrats.

Nevada: (5) Although Nevada has historically leaned Republican, the high concentration of labor unions and Hispanic-American vote make it a potential battleground state. (Its 2006 Gubernatorial election was particularly competitive, and Republican Jim Gibbons won only by a slim margin.) The Las Vegas metropolitan area with its dramatic increase in population has become an attractive destination for Democratic campaign resources, and Republicans are buoyed by the strong disapproval ratings of Gibbons (29% approval rating as of March 2007) and Bush (34% approval rating as of March 2007).^[42] Furthermore, Nevada has, with the single exception of 1976, been won by the victor of every US Presidential election since 1912, a record which makes it a secondary bellwether state.

New Hampshire: (4) Once very reliably Republican, New Hampshire became a swing state in the 1990s. Republicans still have somewhat of an edge in statewide elections, however the Democrats took control of the state legislature and both Congressional seats in 2006. The New Hampshire Republican Party tends to be more socially liberal than the national party, and as a result their behavior in national elections is harder to determine. New Hampshire was the only state in the nation that went for Bush in 2000 and then for Kerry in 2004, although by narrow margins both times.

New Mexico: (5) New Mexico has been long eschewed as a nominal state, but that thinking has changed dramatically. With elections being heavily contested and victories being decided by two or three states, New Mexico has become one of the centers of political fighting. In 2000, Gore won by a razor-thin margin and in 2004, Bush won by a small, yet safe margin. These results have made experts conclude that New Mexico's five electoral votes, even though small in calculation, could tip the balance. New Mexico's large Hispanic and Native American populations tend to vote Democrat, and could be the key for a Democratic candidate in a close race. Its penchant for populist streaks have made it an attraction for the Democrats, with Gov. Bill Richardson joining the crowd for the Democratic nomination, based on the calculation that Democrats need to win such Western states to advance their path towards succeeding Bush.

Ohio: (20) "I think 2008 is very likely to be a hotly contested race in Ohio," stated Eric Rademacher, director of the University of Cincinnati's Ohio Poll, for the Cincinnati Enquirer.^[43] Its 20 electoral votes were critical to President Bush's reelection in 2004, and their tally was close enough to be contested. In 2006, Ohio voters elected Democrats Ted Strickland and Sherrod Brown for Governor and U.S. Senator, respectively.

Oregon: (7) A Democratic-leaning state, with generally strong beliefs in civil liberties and liberal ideology on social issues. However, the eastern two-thirds of the state often votes Republican, and in 2000 and 2004 George W. Bush carried every county east of the Cascades. The state has gone to the Democrats from the 1988 election onward.

Pennsylvania: (21) Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortés stated on March 17, 2007, that "The commonwealth’s large number of electoral college votes and diverse population make Pennsylvania a key battleground state."^[44] Pennsylvania has leaned Democratic since 1992, giving its electoral votes to Bill Clinton (1992 and 1996), Gore (2000) and Kerry (2004). President Bush visited the state more than 40 times during his 2004 campaign.^[45]

Tennessee: (11) Tennessee was not expected to be competitive in 2008, but recent polls have shown that Democrats could be very competitive in the state. And while Tennessee did go to Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, it has not been kind to Democrats in recent cycles. It went against native son Al Gore in 2000; if Gore had won the state, he would have emerged the victor. Tennessee joins other Southern states like Kentucky that have not been competitive in recent memory, but in which Democrats find themselves surprisingly competitive.

Virginia: (13) No Democratic presidential candidate has won Virginia since Lyndon Johnson's landslide victory in 1964, and it was the only Southern state that went Republican in 1976. Virginia is no longer as reliably Republican as it once was, as evidenced by Democrat Tim Kaine's victory in 2005 for the Governor's Mansion and Jim Webb's narrow victory in the 2006 Senate race against incumbent Republican George Allen. Additionally, Northern Virginia, the fastest-growing region in the state, tends to lean Democratic. Virginia also has a large African American population, which could benefit a Democratic candidate in a close race. On September 13, 2007, former Virginia governor and Democrat Mark Warner informally announced he will run for the Senate in 2008 for the seat of retiring Senator John Warner. This notion is supported by a September 2007 Rasmussen Reports poll in which Mark Warner leads former Republican governor Jim Gilmore 54% to 34% and Republican Congressman Thomas M. Davis 57% to 30%.

West Virginia: (5) Although registered Democrats in the state outnumber registered Republicans, Bush narrowly won the state in both the 2000 and 2004 elections with 52% and 56% of the vote respectively. President Clinton won the state in both 1992 and 1996.

Wisconsin: (10) Among the closest states in the nation, Wisconsin very narrowly went to Gore in 2000 and Kerry in 2004. These two results were much closer than the results in prior elections, so it could be possible Wisconsin is trending Republican in presidential elections, though John Kerry won by a slightly larger margin than Gore in 2000.

The potential battleground states listed above control a total of 207 electoral votes. Of the states that are not expected to be competitive, 148 electoral votes (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming) have been expected to go to the Republican party, while 183 (California, Connecticut, D.C., Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington) are expected to go to the Democrats. Any of these may become competitive as the election progresses.

Campaign details

Debates

Main article: United States presidential election debates, 2008

In previous elections Candidates have regularly participated in debates, in some of these candidates have accepted questions from the audience in a Town Hall forum format. Unique to 2008 is the CNN-YouTube presidential debates in which the Republicans and Democrats each held debates in which questions came primarily from YouTube viewer submitted videos, with 39 questions asked of the Democrats and 31 of the Republican candidates about divisive issues respective to each party. Some have argued that it gave better access to candidates from voters in states with late primaries or in states where candidates are unlikely to visit. Others cited that some questions were frivolous and even others were planted.^[46]

Campaign costs

Main article: Fundraising for the 2008 United States presidential election

The reported cost of campaigning for President has increased significantly in recent years. One source reported that if the costs for both Democratic and Republican campaigns are added together (for the Presidential primary election, general election, and the political conventions) the costs have more than doubled in only eight years ($448.9 million in 1996, $649.5 million in 2000, and $1.01 billion in 2004). In January 2007, Federal Election Commission Chairman Michael Toner estimated that the 2008 race will be a $1 billion election, and that to be taken seriously, a candidate needed to raise at least $100 million by the end of 2007.^[47]

Although he has said that he will not be running for president, published reports indicate that billionaire and New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has been considering a presidential bid with $1 billion of his own fortune to finance it.^[48] Should Bloomberg decide to run as an independent, he would not need to campaign in the primary elections or participate in the conventions, greatly reducing both the necessary length and cost of his campaign.

With the increase in money, the public financing system funded by the presidential election campaign fund checkoff has not been used by many candidates. So far, John McCain,^[49] Tom Tancredo,^[50] John Edwards,^[51] Chris Dodd,^[52] and Joe Biden^[53] have qualified for and elected to take public funds in the primary. Other major candidates have eschewed the low amount of spending permitted and have chosen not to participate.

Internet campaigns

Howard Dean collected large contributions via the internet in his 2004 primary run. In 2008 candidates have gone even further in reaching out to Internet users through their own sites and through sites such as YouTube^[54] MySpace,^[55] and Facebook.^[55] Republican Ron Paul^[56]^[57] and Democratic Party candidate Barack Obama have been the most active in courting voters through the Internet.^[58] On December 16, 2007, Ron Paul collected more money on a single day through Internet donations than any presidential candidate in US history with over $6 million.^[59]^[60]^[61]

Anonymous and semi-anonymous smear campaigns traditionally done with fliers and push calling have also spread to the Internet.^[62]

Yahoo! Answers has become a platform for an ongoing Q & A process for voters to ask and answer questions posed by presidential candidates and US voters.^[63]

New Hampshire primary controversy

Voter fraud was alleged after the New Hampshire primary revealed that precincts counting ballots by hand produced different results than precincts which counted ballots electronically.^[64] The story initially was reported only online, but was later acknowledged by mainstream news outlets. Most observers have concluded that demographic trends influence both a community's means of counting ballots, and which candidates the community is likely to support.^[65] A recount was requested and paid for by Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich and Republican candidate Albert Howard.^[66] The Deputy Secretary of State, David Scanlan, estimated that the Republican recount cost $57,600 and the Democratic recount, with more votes cast, cost $67,600.^[67]

In some of the towns and wards, the vote counts have been identical. Vote count changes have been made in places where voters did not follow directions and marked ballots that were impossible for the machines to read. The largest example of vote miscounting was Ward 5 in Manchester, where votes for the top candidates dropped significantly after the recount. Clinton's total went from 683 to 619, Obama's went from 404 to 365, and other candidates saw similar drops.^[68] Excluding the results of Ward 5 the error rate was less than 1%.^[69] The official explanation for the discrepancies in Ward 5, which resulted in gains of nearly 10% by each of the top candidates, was that a poll worker added the vice presidential and presidential totals before reporting.^[70] These differences did not occur in the GOP recount where the votes for all candidates were exactly the same except for Mitt Romney who received 1 extra vote.^[71] As Howard received only 44 votes, the hefty price tag was paid for in part by Ron Paul supporters, although Ron Paul did not specifically request the recount.^[72]

According to Howard's campaign Web site, some of his primary objectives include banning electronic voting.^[73] Quin Monson, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at BYU, commented: "There are people that do not trust the technology. His (Dennis Kucinich's) request for the recount is likely a response to that crowd."^[74]

Opinion polling

Opinion polling for the United States presidential election, 2008

Opinion polling by state for the United States presidential election, 2008

Nationwide opinion polling for the Democratic Party 2008 presidential candidates

Nationwide opinion polling for the Republican Party 2008 presidential candidates

Statewide opinion polling for the Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2008

Statewide opinion polling for the Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008

Election results

Results of the 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries

Results of the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries

References

^ "Transcript: Vice President Cheney on 'FOX News Sunday'", FOXNews.com, 2005-02-07. Retrieved on 2006-11-14.

^ Harnden, Toby. "The top US conservatives and liberals", Telegraph.co.uk, 2007-11-13. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.

^ O. Hatfield, Mark. Vice Presidents of the United States: Alben W. Barkley (PDF) 423-429. Senate.

^ "Historical Election Results: Electoral College Box Scores 1789-1996", U.S. Electoral College / Office of the Federal Register, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

^ ^a ^b "Historical Election Results: Electoral College Box Scores 2000-2004", U.S. Electoral College / Office of the Federal Register, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

^ Balz, Dan. "Candidates Unite in Criticizing Bush", The Washington Post, 2007-04-27. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.

^ "Winners & Losers", Chuck Todd, MSNBC, May 15, 2007.

^ "Campaign Finance: First Quarter 2007 FEC Filings", The Washington Post 2007.

^ Paul Raises More Than $3.5M in One Day.

^ Ron Paul says he's broken one-day online fundraising record - On Politics - USATODAY.com.

^ Z. Byron Wolf. "Who are Ron Paul's Donors?", 2007-11-06. Retrieved on 2008-01-30.

^ Ron Paul, Validated and Vindicated? - Public Eye.

^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3160177.ece

^ www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqGl-pDnYMQ.

^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22641730/

^ http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4288771

^ www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZiNtTq10i0.

^ http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/02/clinton_win_in.html

^ Greene, Richard Allen (2007-05-30). States jostle for primary power. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-06-03.

^ Presidential primary and caucus dates (PDF). Stateline.org 1. Pew Research Center (2007-08-30). Retrieved on 2007-08-31.

^ http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#ME

^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21660914

^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21660914

^ [1]

^ [2]

^ "Clinton comeback: Fight goes on", Seattle Times, March 5, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-05.

^ ^a ^b "Clinton wins key primaries, CNN projects; McCain clinches nod", CNN, March 5, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-05.

^ "Huckabee bows to 'inevitable,' ends GOP run", March 5, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-05.

^ Candidate Profile: Bryan Malatesta. TheAmericanVoters.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-05.

^ Escondido Attorney Makes Another Attempt at White House, Metropolitan News-Enterprise 2007-08-07

^ www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7202195.

^ FEC Disclosure Reports - Filer ID P80004930.

^ Prohibition Party National Convention - 2007:Third and Fourth Sessions

^ "Socialist Party Ticket is Moore-Alexander", Ballot Access News.

^ The Militant - Vol. 72/No. 2 - January 14, 2008 - front page.

^ AFP: Nader mixes up 2008 race with new White House run

^ Alexovich, Ariel. "Nader Announces Pick for Vice President", The New York Times, 2008-02-28.

^ Trenton: State Backs Electoral College Change - New York Times.

^ H.R. 1905

^ Shane Goldmacher, "Electoral college measure falls short," February 5, 2008.

^ War, economy have red state thinking blue.

^ "Poll: Gibbons Lagging Bush", Molly Ball, Las Vegas Review-Journal, March 14, 2007.

^ Intense 2008 election forecast for Ohio.

^ "Rendell Administration Supports Giving Pennsylvanians a Voice in Presidential Primary", Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of State, March 13, 2007.

^ Bush, Kerry in Reach of Electoral Win, Washington Post, 10/30/2004.

^

Main article: CNN-YouTube presidential debates

^ Kirkpatrick, David. "Death Knell May Be Near for Public Election Funds", New York Times, 2007-01-23. Retrieved on 2008-01-04.

^ Smith, Ben. "Billion-Dollar elephant inches toward run", 'The Politico', The Politico, June 19, 2007. Retrieved on July 19, 2007.

^ McCain certification.

^ tancredo certification.

^ edwards certification.

^ dodd eligible.

^ Biden cert.

^ "Questions, not answers, highlight YouTube debate", CNN, July 24, 2007.

^ ^a ^b "Candidates court young voters online", Stephanie Garry, St. Petersburg Times, June 8, 2007.

^ Ron Paul's Web of support: He's an 'online natural' USA Today

^ Ron Paul's Online Rise US News

^ http://www.hitwise.com/political-data-center/key-candidates.php Hitwise political data center

^ 'Money bomb': Ron Paul raises $6 million in 24-hour period - USATODAY.com.

^ Sign Up.

^ Ron Paul makes fund raising history.

^ Reid, Tim. "Palmetto Bugs: Slingers of Slime Step it up in SC", The New York Post, 2007-11-23.

^ ""Obama follows Clinton, McCain to Yahoo Answers", CNET News.com, 2007-03-27. "

^ VOTE FRAUD Archives whatreallyhappened.com

^ [3] Experts skeptical of N.H. ballot-count conspiracy theory, The Boston Globe

^ Kucinich claim spurs N.H. recount Boston Herald

^ Union Leader - Manchester, New Hampshire.

^ Human Error, Not Machine, Found During Recount - Politics News Story - WMUR Manchester.

^ Diebold Vote Error in New Hampshire < 00.948%.

^ Human Error, Not Machine, Found During Recount - Politics News Story - WMUR Manchester.

^ NHPrimary.com: Recounting and recalling the N.H. presidential primary.

^ NHPrimary.com: Recounting and recalling the N.H. presidential primary.

^ BYU NewsNet - New Hampshire Recount Garners Little Attention.

^ BYU NewsNet - New Hampshire Recount Garners Little Attention.

External links

2008 Presidential Candidates and Campaigns at the Open Directory Project

Wikia:campaigns:United States presidential election, 2008 and Wikia:campaigns:Category:2008 US Presidential candidates

Project Vote Smart - 2008 Presidential Candidates

Council on Foreign Relations - Campaign 2008

The Pew Forum - Religion & Politics 2008

Select2008 - to compare and choose candidates to the 2008 presidential election

Who Is Who in the 2008 Elections

Candidate Videos at Election.tv

Glance on the USA : comments, biography of all the candidates, polls...

List of all presidential candidates for the 2008 Election

Lindsay politics 101-Blog coverage of all elections

US Election 2008 Web Monitor - News, blog, NGO and corporate coverage

2008 Election at ProCon.org

Campaign contributions

FEC - Presidential Campaign Finance

OpenSecrets.org - Race for the White House

Campaign Contributions to Presidential Candidates in the 2008 Election

News media

US Elections 2008 from Guardian Unlimited

Campaign '08 from The Los Angeles Times

Presidential Election of 2008 from The New York Times

Vote 2008 from The Online NewsHour

Presidential Candidates from The Wall Street Journal

The Presidential Field from The Washington Post

BBC News US Elections 2008 from BBC News

v • d • e United States presidential election, 2008
Results Template · Straw polls · General polls · Statewide General Polls · Candidates · Debates · Congressional support · Fundraising · Ballot access · Timeline
Democratic Party	Straw polls · Primary polls · General polls · Debates · Primaries · Results · Convention · Superdelegate
Candidates	Hillary Clinton (campaign) · Mike Gravel* (campaign) · Barack Obama (campaign) · Evan Bayh · Joe Biden (campaign) · Chris Dodd (campaign) · John Edwards (campaign) · Dennis Kucinich (campaign) · Dal LaMagna · Bill Richardson (campaign) · Tom Vilsack
Republican Party	Straw polls · Primary polls · General polls · Debates · Primaries · Results · Convention
Candidates	Alan Keyes* (campaign) · John McCain^PN (campaign) · Ron Paul* (campaign) · Sam Brownback · John Cox · Dan Gilbert · Jim Gilmore · Rudy Giuliani (campaign) · Mike Huckabee (campaign) · Duncan Hunter (campaign) · Mitt Romney (campaign) · Tom Tancredo (campaign) · Fred Thompson (campaign) · Tommy Thompson
Constitution Party	Convention
Green Party	Cynthia McKinney · Kent Mesplay · Kat Swift
Libertarian Party	Convention · Daniel Imperato · Steve Kubby · George Phillies · Wayne Root · Doug Stanhope
Socialist Party USA	Brian Moore
Independent	Ralph Nader (campaign) · Jon Sharkey
Draft movements	Draft Condi movement · Draft Mark Warner
Candidates shown in italics have withdrawn or suspended their candidacies. PN = Presumptive nominee of that party. * Candidate is mathematically eliminated in terms of delegates. Other 2008 elections: House · Senate · Gubernatorial