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The Candidates

October 2008

October 2008

Every presidential campaign is dramatic and historic, but as the fervor surrounding the 2008 election continues to build, U.S. voters and the rest of the world will want to consider the candidates’ personal histories more closely. What sort of people rise to the top in the U.S. political system, what are their attributes, their sensibilities, and their strengths?

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Translations

Inside This Publication

Volume 13, Number 10

From the Editors

John McCain

  • John McCain: Service to His Country

    The Republican candidate for president has served his country for 50 years as a naval officer and member of Congress.

  • John McCain’s Vision for the Future

    Excerpts from "U.S. Foreign Policy: Where We Go from Here," remarks to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, March 26, 2008.

  • McCain in His Own Words

    John McCain describes the feelings he developed for the United States while held a prisoner of war for more than five years by the North Vietnamese.

Vice Presidential Candidates

First Families

  • The McCain Family

    John McCain and his wife Cindy have pursued different tracks to serve their country. McCain’s family includes seven children and four grandchildren.

  • The Obama Family

    Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have devoted much of their adult lives to public service. They have two young daughters.

Barack Obama

  • Barack Obama: Breaking New Ground

    The Democratic candidate for president is the first African American to be nominated by a major political party.

  • Barack Obama’s Vision for the Future

    Excerpts from "The American Moment," remarks to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, April 23, 2007.

  • Obama in His Own Words

    In this excerpt from a speech, Barack Obama talks about a time in his life when he "began to notice a world beyond myself" and about his desire to be an agent of change.

Did You Know

  • Facebook Information

    Do you know each candidate's favorite movies? Click on the links below for these and other interesting facts from John McCain's and Barak Obama's Facebook sites.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • The Powers of the Presidency

    The U.S. Constitution outlines the president’s authority but allows each incumbent to define the scope of presidential powers.

  • The Enhanced Role of the Vice President

    The vice presidency of the United States has grown in importance as the demands of the presidency have increased.

  • The Role of the First Lady

    Since Martha Washington in the 18th century, first ladies of the United States have fulfilled this unique role according to their own interests and the times they lived in.

Blogs at America.gov

Additonal Resources

  • Further Information

    Books, articles, Web sites, and films about John McCain, Barack Obama, and the U.S. political process.