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?
The Republican candidate for president has served his country for 50 years as a naval officer and member of Congress.
Excerpts from "U.S. Foreign Policy: Where We Go from Here," remarks to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, March 26, 2008.
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.
The governor of Alaska has executive experience and a reputation for being a reformer.
A U.S. senator from Delaware has legislative and foreign policy experience.
John McCain and his wife Cindy have pursued different tracks to serve their country. McCain’s family includes seven children and four grandchildren.
Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have devoted much of their adult lives to public service. They have two young daughters.
The Democratic candidate for president is the first African American to be nominated by a major political party.
Excerpts from "The American Moment," remarks to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, April 23, 2007.
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.
The U.S. Constitution outlines the president’s authority but allows each incumbent to define the scope of presidential powers.
The vice presidency of the United States has grown in importance as the demands of the presidency have increased.
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.
Campaign Trail Talk is your best source on the 2008 presidential election.
Third Party candidates draw attention to ignored campaign issues.
Books, articles, Web sites, and films about John McCain, Barack Obama, and the U.S. political process.
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