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McCain chooses Gov. Sarah Palin (R, AK) for vice president: Aug. 29, 2008
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See full coverage of Palin's issue stances
and her 2006 campaign booklet
I am honored to announce that I have chosen Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as my choice for the Republican nominee for Vice President. As a father with three daughters, I can't express how proud I am to choose the first female Republican Vice-Presidential nominee.
Sarah Palin is a trailblazer and a reformer. As the first female governor of Alaska, she challenged a corrupt system and has been a tireless advocate for reform - passing a landmark bill on ethics reform. She has taken on the old politics in Alaska and reformed the state's energy industry. She rejects wasteful pork barrel spending. She's fearless - exactly the type of leader I want at my side and the type of leadership we will bring to Washington.
My friends, together Sarah Palin and I make the strongest presidential ticket and I know that she joins me in asking for your support as we head into our Convention week in Minnesota. We're shaking things up in this campaign - and Governor Palin and I are ready to bring real reform to Washington.
Source: McCain campaign press release
Click for complete records of
Sarah_Palin's issue stances or
John McCain's issue stances.
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Speeches at Democratic Convention: Aug. 26-28, 2008
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See full coverage of Democratic Convention
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Speeches at Denver convention:
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Civil Rights
Barack Obama: Keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work.
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Education
Barack Obama: Invest in early childhood education and higher education.
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Energy & Oil
Barack Obama: Drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution.
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Families & Children
Barack Obama: Help families with paid sick days and better family leave.
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Foreign Policy
Joe Biden: The US is less secure and more isolated in recent history.
Joe Biden: Even Bush recognizes we should talk to Iran.
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Government Reform
Barack Obama: Eliminate government programs that no longer work.
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Health Care
Barack Obama: Ban insurance companies from discriminating against the sick.
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Principles & Values
Barack Obama: The Ownership Society really means "you're on your own".
Barack Obama: Measure progress by observing how ordinary people are doing.
Barack Obama: The destiny of all Americans is inextricably linked.
Hillary Clinton: Confidence and optimism enable us to meet our challenges.
Hillary Clinton: McCain and Bush are awfully hard to tell apart these days.
Hillary Clinton: Have faith in God, in our country, and in each other.
Joe Biden: Failure is at times inevitable but giving up is unforgivable.
Joe Biden: Everyone is your equal, and everyone is equal to you.
Joe Biden: We should embrace change just like the previous generations.
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Tax Reform
Barack Obama: Tax cut for 95% of all working families, not corporations.
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War & Peace
Barack Obama: You don't defeat a terrorist network by occupying Iraq.
Barack Obama: I will only send our troops into harm's way when necessary.
Joe Biden: Al-Qaeda & the Taliban have regrouped due to Bush's neglect.
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Source: Speeches in Denver Colorado at 2008 Convention
Click for complete records of
Joe Biden's
and Barack Obama's issue stances & voting record.
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Obama chooses Sen. Joe Biden (D, DE) for vice president: Aug. 23, 2008
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See full coverage of Biden's issue stances
and his book Promises To Keep
Barack Obama announced his vice presidential pick by text message (automated phone calls) at 3 AM --
harkening back to the "3 AM phone call" ads run by Obama and Hillary Clinton back in the February primaries.
Clinton's ad implied Obama was not ready for the inevitable 3 AM phone call on some international emergency.
Obama's new reply implies, "We are ready for anything, and we work at full-tilt, even at 3 AM."
Joe Biden ran for president in 1988, and also in 2008, dropping out on January 4th, after the Iowa caucuses.
He has been in the Senate since 1972. He chairs the Foreign Policy Committee and serves on the Judiciary Committee.
As usual, OnTheIssues.org recommends that voters ignore the mainstream media's coverage of Biden.
After a week of the mainstream media breathlessly speculating about Obama's vice presidential pick,
the mainstream media this week will breathlessly speculate about how Biden affects Obama's and McCain's campaign.
We remind voters that breathless speculation does not vote -- only you do.
Our coverage of Joe Biden includes a full Senate voting record; a set of excerpts from his biography; and excerpts from all his major debate appearances.
If you want to get to know Joe Biden, read our book excerpts and our issue coverage -- then you'll know more relevant information than anything you'd learn from the breathless pundits.
Following is our book review of Biden's book:
Biden focuses on what he considers his key achievements (which will likely be news to most voters!). Biden considers his lead accomplishment in his Senate career to be passage of the Violence Against Women Act in the 1990s. His other signal accomplishments include: successfully pushing Pres. Bill Clinton to bomb Serbia to free Kosovo; successfully urging Pres. Bush to return to Washington on 9/11; and successfully opposing the nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court.
Biden spends substantial ink in this book on the Iraq War, which he now describes as a "neocon fantasy." While Biden sounds legitimately against the war in Iraq now, his current analysis has some level of self-justification to it -- because he voted for the war in 2002. He justifies that vote now as a means for avoiding the war in Iraq, and blames the neoconservatives and Bush for going to war and for turning the war to negative results.
More than Biden informing the voters about his issue stances, this book informs voters about Biden's personal history. That personal history is likely even less known to voters than his issue stances -- and certainly makes Sen. Biden seem a more intriguing character to this analyst. Many people know Biden's history with plagiarism, from his 1988 presidential race -- he explains that as media over-hyping here. And those people more familiar with Senate history know that Biden's wife and daughter were killed in a car crash days after his election to the Senate in 1972. Clearly those two events were formative in Biden's current presidential race. But this book explores several other less-known formative events: from overcoming childhood stuttering; to his 1988 brain surgery.
Biden's book explores his lesser-known issue stances in some detail too, including their connection to his personal history. If every candidate wrote a book like this, the voters would be well-served.
Source: OnTheIssues.org book review, Oct. 2007
Click for complete records of
Joe Biden's issue stances & voting record,
and excerpts from his book Promises To Keep.
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Joint appearance by McCain & Obama:Aug. 16th, 2008
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Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency
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Back-to-back speeches by John McCain and Barack Obama at the Saddleback Civil Forum, hosted by Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif.
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Abortion
Barack Obama: FactCheck: Abortions HAVE gone down under Pres. Bush.
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Government Reform
Barack Obama: FactCheck: Worked with McCain on ethics, but bill fell apart.
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Health Care
John McCain: FactCheck: McCain's $5,000 health tax credit would be taxed.
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Tax Reform
John McCain: FactCheck: $7,000-per-child tax EXEMPTION, not tax CREDIT.
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Click for
Speech excerpts from 99th NAACP conference.
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John Edwards admits extramarital affair: Aug. 8, 2008
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Now considered disqualified for V.P. or Cabinet spot
The former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards admitted Friday to an extramarital affair while his wife was battling cancer. He denied having fathered the woman's daughter.
Edwards told ABC News that he had lied repeatedly about the affair with 42-year-old Rielle Hunter. He said he had not taken a paternity test but knew he was not the father because of the timing of the affair and the birth.
A former Edwards campaign staff member said he was the father, not Edwards.
Hunter's daughter, Frances Quinn Hunter, was born Feb. 27, 2008, and no father's name is given on the birth certificate filed in California.
The National Enquirer first reported on the affair in October 2007, and Edwards denied it.
"The story is false," he told reporters. "It's completely untrue, ridiculous." He professed his love for his wife, Elizabeth, who had an incurable form of cancer, saying, "I've been in love with the same woman for 30-plus years and as anybody who's been around us knows, she's an extraordinary human being, warm, loving, beautiful, sexy and as good a person as I have ever known.
So the story's just false."
Last month, the Enquirer carried another article stating that its reporters had accosted Edwards in a Los Angeles hotel where he had met with Hunter after her child's birth. Edwards called the account "tabloid trash," but he generally avoided reporters' inquiries, as did his former top aides.
In the interview, scheduled to air on ABC News' "Nightline," Edwards said the tabloid had been correct when it reported on his meeting with Hunter at the Beverly Hills Hotel last month.
Most mainstream news organizations refrained from reporting the story
David Bonior, Edwards's campaign manager for his 2008 presidential bid, said Friday he was disappointed and angry after hearing about Edwards' confession.
"Thousands of friends of the senators and his supporters have put their faith and confidence in him and he's let them down," said Bonior, a former congressman from Michigan. "They've been betrayed by his action."
Asked whether the affair would damage Edwards's future aspirations in public service, Bonior replied: "You can't lie in politics and expect to have people's confidence."
In 2006, Edwards' political action committee paid $100,000 in a four-month span to a newly formed firm run by Hunter, who directed the production of just four Web videos, one a mere 2½ minutes long.
The payments from Edwards's One America Committee to Midline Groove Productions started July 5, 2006, five days after Hunter incorporated the firm in Delaware.
At the time Hunter was compiling the videos in 2006, Edwards was preparing a run for president.
Source: Associated Press in International Herald Tribune
Click for complete records of
John Edwards's issue stances.
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OnTheIssues third party coverage: Aug. 1st, 2008
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More third-party coverage than all of the mainstream media
Today we finalize our selection of third-party candidates for our presidential and senatorial coverage.
To add additional candidates to his list, please advise us of the candidate's website, and get the candidate to answer our 20-question VoteMatch quiz.
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Source: OnTheIssues.org Senate race page
Click for
all Senate races.
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OnTheIssues Senate voting records posted: July 25th, 2008
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Adding to our collection of House voting records
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Source: United States Library of Congress, Congressional Record
Click for
all previous House voting records.
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OnTheIssues Senate voting records posted: July 18th, 2008
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Adding to our collection of Senate voting records
Today we add our spring/summer batch of Senate voting records.
These comprise recorded votes by Senators, on contested topics relevant to the upcoming election.
- Rollcall 151 on Jun 18, 2008 overriding presidential veto of Farm Bill
- Rollcall 150 on Jun 17, 2008 tax incentives for energy production and conservation
- Rollcall 132 on May 15, 2008 addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China
- Rollcall 111 on Apr 24, 2008 cutting $221M in benefits to Filipinos who served in WWII US Army
- Rollcall S081 on Mar 14, 2008 defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP
- Rollcall S078 on Mar 13, 2008 allowing AMT reduction without budget offset
- Rollcall S071 on Mar 13, 2008 prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion
- Rollcall S069 on Mar 13, 2008 continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities"
- Rollcall S064 on Mar 13, 2008 increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million
- Rollcall S063 on Mar 13, 2008 means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium
- Rollcall S058 on Mar 13, 2008 terminating legal challenges to English-only job rules
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Source: United States Library of Congress, Congressional Record
Click for
all previous Senate voting records.
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Joint appearance by McCain & Obama: July 12th, 2008
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99th NAACP conference
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Back-to-back speeches by John McCain and Barack Obama at the 99th annual convention of the NAACP.
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Budget & Economy
John McCain: Can't pass trillions of dollars of debt to our children.
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Corporations
Barack Obama: We still need corporate ethics & vigilant government.
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Crime
Barack Obama: Job training for ex-offenders, to avoid return to crime.
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Education
Barack Obama: Fight for social & economic justice begins in the classroom.
John McCain: Vouchers and school choice for all.
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Families & Children
Barack Obama: Parents provide guidance by turning off TV & video games.
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Health Care
Barack Obama: Give more help to those denied a life of dignity & respect.
John McCain: Large tax credit for families to buy their health care.
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Jobs
John McCain: Raising taxes eliminates jobs.
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Principles & Values
Barack Obama: We have to demand more from ourselves.
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Tax Reform
Barack Obama: Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit.
John McCain: Double the personal tax exemption for every dependent.
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War & Peace
Barack Obama: $10 billion a month spent in Iraq should be spent in the US.
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Welfare & Poverty
Barack Obama: Still denying decent wages, good benefits, & fair treatment.
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Click for
Speech excerpts from 99th NAACP conference.
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OnTheIssues bill sponsorships posted: July 11th, 2008
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Adding to our collection of Congressional bill sponsorships
Today we add our spring/summer batch of House & Senate resolutions and sponsorships.
These comprise bills co-sponsored by members of Congress, on topics relevant to the upcoming election.
We collected as many as were relevant with Hillary, Obama and McCain as co-sponsors.
- S2956 on May 1, 2008 on corporate financial disclosure
- SR533 on Apr 24, 2008 on the political situation in Zimbabwe
- S2819 on Apr 7, 2008 on preserving access to Medicaid S-CHIP progam
- SR504 on Apr 7, 2008 condemning the violence in Tibet
- SJR28 on Mar 5, 2008 on broadcast media ownership
- S2634 on Feb 13, 2008 on setting forth the global strategy to fight Al Qaeda
- S2636 on Feb 13, 2008, the Foreclosure Prevention Act
- S2619 on Feb 8, 2008 on guns in National Parks
- SR439 on Jan 31, 2008 on Georgia and Ukraine entering NATO
- S2554 on Jan 24, 2008 on reaffirming the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- S2555 on Jan 24, 2008 on states controlling greenhouse gas emissions
- S2544 on Jan 22, 2008 on temporary extended unemployment compensation
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Source: United States Library of Congress, Congressional Record
Click for
all previous Congressional bill sponsorships.
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Barack Obama books excerpted by OnTheIssues: July 4, 2008
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Obama's book collection is part of the OnTheIssues Archive
Source: OnTheIssues Archive page
Click for complete records of
Barack Obama's issue stances.
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John McCain books excerpted by OnTheIssues: July 4, 2008
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McCain's book collection is part of the OnTheIssues Archive
Source: OnTheIssues Archive page
Click for complete records of
John McCain's issue stances.
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Hillary Clinton books excerpted by OnTheIssues: July 2, 2008
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Hillary's book collection is part of the OnTheIssues Archive
Hillary has dropped out -- but we all still want to KNOW about her, right?
Below is our collection of excerpts from books by and about Hillary Clinton.
Some include our book reviews; all include insights into Hillary's issues stances and character.
- A Woman in Charge, by Carl Bernstein
- Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, by Amanda Carpenter
- A Portrait in Her Own Words, by Claire Osborne
- Talking It Over, columns while First Lady
- It Takes a Village, 2006 edition, by Hillary Clinton
- Partners in Power: The Clintons and Their America, by Roger Morris
- For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton: The White House Years, by Sally Bedell Smith
- Living History, by Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Hillary's Choice, by Gail Sheehy
- Her Way, by Jeff Gerth & Don Van Natta Jr.
- God and Hillary Clinton: A Spiritual Life, by Paul Kengor
- The Extreme Makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton, by Bay Buchanan
- The Contenders, by Laura Flanders, et al.
- Condi vs. Hillary: The Next Great Presidential Race, by Dick Morris
Source: OnTheIssues Archive page
Click for complete records of
Hillary Clinton's issue stances.
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Joint appearance by McCain & Obama: June 28th, 2008
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25th NALEO conference
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Back-to-back speeches by John McCain and Barack Obama at the 25th annual conference of the National Association of Latino Elected & Appointed Officials.
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Budget & Economy
Barack Obama: Latinos & blacks are hardest hit by housing & gas crises.
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Civil Rights
Barack Obama: Has stood together with Latino leaders for last 20 years.
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Corporations
John McCain: Government should be on businesses' side, not in their way.
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Education
John McCain: Shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition.
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Energy & Oil
John McCain: Address both the supply and demand sides of imported oil.
John McCain: Lexington Project: invest to achieve energy security.
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Free Trade
John McCain: When have Americans ever been afraid of foreign competition?.
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Immigration
Barack Obama: America has nothing to fear from today's immigrants.
Barack Obama: We need comprehensive reform, like McCain used to support.
Barack Obama: Recognize the humanity of immigrants: Todos somos Americanos.
John McCain: Restart comprehensive reform only after securing borders.
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Principles & Values
Barack Obama: ¡Sí se puede! Yes, we can!.
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Tax Reform
John McCain: Terrible mistake to raise taxes during an economic downturn.
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Click for
Speech excerpts from 25th NALEO conference.
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SenateMatch quizzes posted: June 20th, 2008
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Match your issue stances in 33 Senate races
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Our coverage of 35 Senate races in 33 states begins officially today.
Click here to match your issue stances against the Senate candidates,
or click below to see how each one answers the VoteMatch quiz individually.
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AK:Stevens
v.Begich
v.Cuddy
v.Sikma
AL:Sessions
v.Figures
AR:Pryor
v.Kennedy
CO:Schaffer
v.Udall
DE:Biden
v.O`Donnell
GA:Chambliss
v.Cardwell
v.Jones
v.Buckley
IA:Harkin
v.Reed
ID:Risch
v.LaRocco
IL:Durbin
v.Sauerberg
v.Stafford
KS:Roberts
v.Jones
v.Slattery
KY:McConnell
v.Lunsford
LA:Landrieu
v.Kennedy
MA:Kerry
v.O`Reilly
v.Beatty
ME:Collins
v.Allen
MI:Levin
v.Hoogendyk
MN:Coleman
v.Franken
v.Ventura
v.Cavlan
v.Pallmeyer
MS4:Wicker
v.Musgrove
MS6:Cochran
v.Fleming
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MT:Baucus
v.Kelleher
NC:Dole
v.Hagan
NE:Johanns
v.Kleeb
v.Raimondo
NH:Sununu
v.Shaheen
NJ:Lautenberg
v.Zimmer
NM:Wilson
v.Pearce
v.Udall
OR:Smith
v.Merkley
v.Frohnmayer
OK:Inhofe
v.Rice
RI:Reed
SC:Graham
v.Cone
SD:Johnson
v.Dykstra
TN:Alexander
v.Padgett
v.Tuke
v.Lugo
TX:Cornyn
v.Noriega
v.Jameson
VA:Gilmore
v.Warner
v.Marshall
WV:Rockefeller
v.Wolfe
WY4:Barrasso
v.Carter
WY6:Enzi
v.Rothfuss
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Source: OnTheIssues.org VoteMatch quizzes
Click for
all 33 SenateMatch quizzes.
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Hillary Clinton withdraws: June 7, 2008
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Let the Veepstakes begin: Dem. V.P. VoteMatch quiz and GOP V.P. VoteMatch quiz
18 million of you from all walks of life – women and men, young and old, Latino and Asian, African-American and Caucasian, rich, poor and middle class, gay and straight – you have stood strong with me. And I will continue to stand strong with you, every time, every place, and every way that I can. The dreams we share are worth fighting for.
I entered this race because I have an old-fashioned conviction: that public service is about helping people solve their problems and live their dreams. I’ve had every opportunity and blessing in my own life – and I want the same for all Americans. Until that day comes, you will always find me on the front lines of democracy – fighting for the future.
The way to continue our fight now – to accomplish the goals for which we stand – is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States.
Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him, and throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me.
Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in America.
Source: Speech to supporters in Washington DC, on campaign website, www.hillaryclinton.com
Click for complete records of
Hillary Clinton's
or Barack Obama's issue stances.
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Oregon & Kentucky Primary results: May 20th, 2008
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Hillary wins landslide in Kentucky, but Obama forms V.P. search committee
Below are the delegate counts for states voting on May 20.
- Sen. Obama lost the Kentucky primary even more badly than he lost West Virginia. But Sen. Obama quietly formed a Vice Presidential selection committee the next day. The speculation:
- Obama has asked Jim Johnson to head up a quiet search for a running mate. Johnson played similar roles for Walter Mondale and John Kerry.
The delicate issue for Obama, of course, is Hillary Clinton. There's a lot of pressure from Democrats that, if the math holds and Obama becomes the nominee, he pick the former first lady.
- The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder, who first ferreted out news of Obama's quiet efforts, offers a list of potential contenders, beyond Clinton.
| State | Obama delegates | Clinton delegates |
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| Kentucky (May 20) | 14 | 37 |
| Oregon (May 20) | 31 | 21 |
| Total delegates as of May 20 | 1,918 | 1,776 |
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Source: Numerous sources including L.A. Times blog for Obama speculation
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John Edwards endorses Barack Obama: May 14th, 2008
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Breaks silence since withdrawal from presidential race in January
Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Edwards ended his second bid for the White House in January after failing to win any of the early state nominating contests.
Following are five facts about the former North Carolina senator, who fashioned himself as a champion of workers and the poor and a critic of Republican policies he said favoured the rich and corporate America.
- The boyish-looking 54-year-old was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004, running with presidential nominee John Kerry. He was credited with bringing energy and charisma to his party's bid to unseat President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
- The son of a textile worker and the first person in his family to attend college, Edwards became a millionaire personal injury lawyer known for winning big damage awards from corporations and hospitals.
- His wife, Elizabeth, is being treated for a recurrence of cancer. They have three children. A teenage son died in a car crash in 1996.
- This year, he edged out rival Hillary Clinton to come in second in the Iowa caucuses, but placed third in subsequent races in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
- Edwards, who would later be criticized by political opponents for paying $400 for a haircut, was named the sexiest U.S. politician by People magazine in 2000.
Source: Reuters (U.K.)
Click for complete record of
John Edwards's issue stances or
Barack Obama's issue stances.
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West Virginia Primary results: May 13th, 2008
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Hillary wins West Virginia, but we're still calling Obama the nominee-in-waiting!
Below are the delegate counts for states voting as of May 13.
- Sen. Obama lost the West Virginia primary badly, but in the weeks since the Pennsylvania primary, many superdelegates have declared their support, even including some who previously supported Sen. Clinton.
- Immediately prior to the West Virginia primary, Sen. Obama pulled ahead in the superdelegate count for the first time, eroding Sen. Clinton's last chance at winning the nomination.
- But Sen. Clinton will undoubtedly stay in the race through the last primary in June in Puerto Rico, for several good reasons:
- Her delegate total will increase more if she stays in the race (fewer people will vote for her if she drops out)
- Her delegate total at the convention gives her power -- she needs as much cushion as possible because some delegates will defect.
- With sufficient delegate strength to force a "brokered convention" (i.e. if Sen. Obama cannot exceed 50% on the first ballot, which requries 2,026 delegates), Sen. Clinton can negotiate for a position such as Vice President or a cabinet post, or anything she wants.
- Her delegate total PRIOR to the convention gives her power, too -- in determining the content of the Party Platform, for example, which is written by delegates!
- In summary, there is no good reason to drop out, and plenty of good reason to stay in, so obviously Sen. Clinton will stay in.
We predict she will stop attacking Sen. Obama and be much more positive, to "heal wounds" and further strengthen her negotiating position.
| State | Obama delegates | Clinton delegates |
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| West Virginia (May 13) | 8 | 20 |
| Delegates elected prior to May 13 | 1,592 | 1,425 |
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| Superdelegates as of May 13 | 284 | 273 |
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| Total delegates as of May 13 | 1,884 | 1,718 |
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Source: Numerous sources, and we know it's not all perfect!
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Bob Barr announces for Libertarian nomination: May 12th, 2008
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Former Congressman quit Republican Party in 2006
Former Republican Rep. Bob Barr launched a Libertarian Party presidential bid Monday, saying voters are hungry for an alternative to the status quo who would dramatically cut the federal government.
His candidacy throws a wild card into the White House race that many believe could peel away votes from Republican Sen. John McCain given the candidates' similar positions on fiscal policy.
Barr, who has hired Ross Perot's former campaign manager, acknowledged that some Republicans have tried to discourage him from running. But he said he's getting in the race to win, not to play spoiler or to make a point.
Barr first must win the Libertarian nomination at the party's national convention that begins May 22. Party officials consider him a front-runner thanks to the national profile he developed as a Georgia congressman from 1995 to 2003.
Barr, 59, quit the Republican Party two years ago, saying he had grown disillusioned with its failure to shrink government and its willingness to scale back civil liberties in fighting terrorism. He has been particularly critical of President Bush over the war in Iraq and says the administration is ignoring constitutional protections on due process and privacy.
While in Congress, he was a persistent critic of President Clinton and was among the first to press for impeaching the former president. He helped manage House Republicans' impeachment case before the Senate.
He lost his seat to fellow Republican Rep. John Linder in 2002 after a redistricting. He then opened a lobbying and public affairs firm with offices in Atlanta and outside Washington.
The 2004 Libertarian presidential candidate, Michael Badnarik, took less than 1 percent of the vote, placing fourth behind President Bush, Democrat John Kerry and Independent Ralph Nader.
Source: Ben Evans, Associated Press
Click for complete record of
Bob Barr's issue stances.
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Democratic vice presidential speculation: May 9th, 2008
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Links to Obama's potential running-mates
Following is a Huffington Post columnist's opinion on Obama's V.P. choices.
OnTheIssues.org predicts Bill Bradley
as the best choice demographically and to complement Obama's strengths and weaknesses.
But please look over their issue positions and decide for yourself!
With the Democratic nomination now in its endgame, it's time to speculate on that question that makes politicos weak at the knees: who will be tapped to be vice president?
We've identified 10 possible VP choices for Obama, as well as the general criteria that might guide his decision.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A VEEP:
- Location, location, location
- Strong anti-war record
- Post-partisan record
- Complementing record
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Source:
Will Thomas, The Huffington Post
Click for complete records of
Barack Obama's issue stances.
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Pennsylvania Primary results: April 22nd, 2008
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Hillary wins Pennsylvania, but we're declaring Obama the nominee-in-waiting
Below are the delegate counts for states voting in March & April.
- After months of OnTheIssues focusing on the delegate count, the mainstream media has come to agree that delegates are important.
Hence our coverage is no longer needed -- you can see the delegate counts now, hour-by-hour, on TV and in the newspapers.
- It has also become apparent that Sen. Obama will win the nomination, despite Sen. Clinton's big victory in Pennsylvania. We base this judgment on -- what else? -- the delegate count.
Prior to the Pennsylvania primary, Sen. Clinton had a substantial lead in superdelegates, and if one extrapolated the same ratio to the undeclared superdelegates, Sen. Clinton still had a chance at winning the nomination.
After the Pennsylvania primary, superdelegates started endorsing Sen. Obama in a much higher ratio, and Sen. Clinton's chances for prevailing thus faded.
- It is still possible that Sen. Clinton will keep enough delegates to force a brokered convention
(i.e., Sen. Obama does not have enough delegates to exceed 50% on the first-ballot, which requries 2,026 delegates).
That's especially true if the Democratic Party Credentials Committee seats Michigan and Florida delegates in a manner favorable for Sen. Clinton, as seems very likely.
But without a substantial superdelegate lead, Sen. Clinton no longer has a chance for a 50% first-ballot victory herself.
- Hence we terminate our primary coverage -- we'll report here later Democratic Party events, but we're going to focus now on building up our website on the upcoming Senate races!
| State | Obama delegates | Clinton delegates |
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| North Carolina (May 6) | 65 | 50 |
| Indiana (May 6) | 35 | 38 |
| Pennsylvania (Apr.22) | 73 | 85 |
| Mississippi (Mar.11) | 20 | 13 |
| Wyoming caucus(Mar.8) | 7 | 5 |
| Delegates elected March 8-May 6 | 200 | 191 |
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| Delegates prior to March 8 | 1469 | 1443 |
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| Total Delegates | 1669 | 1634 |
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Source: Numerous sources, and we know it's not all perfect!
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Mike Gravel announces for Libertarian nomination: March 26th, 2008
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Former Senator quits Democratic Party
Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel has abandoned his bid to be the Democratic presidential candidate and now hopes to be the nominee of the Libertarian Party.
Gravel said he is joining the Libertarian ranks because it “is a party that combines a commitment to freedom and peace that can’t be found in the two major parties that control the government and politics of America.
“My libertarian views, as well as my strong stance against war, the military industrial complex and American imperialism, seem not to be tolerated by Democratic Party elites who are out of touch with the average American; elites that reject the empowerment of American citizens I offered to the Democratic Party at the beginning of this presidential campaign with the National Initiative for Democracy,” he said in a statement.
In an e-mail to supporters, Gravel, 77, wrote, “I look forward to advancing my presidential candidacy within the Libertarian Party, which is considerably closer to my values, my foreign policy views and my domestic views.”
Texas Rep. Ron Paul is a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party but is running as a Republican presidential candidate. Paul was the Libertarian Party presidential candidate in 1988.
15 candidates are on the slate for the Libertarian Party nomination, which will be determined at the May 22-26 national convention in Denver, Colo.
A Libertarian Party spokesperson said Gravel isn’t “a perfect libertarian” but he supports essentials of the party — opposing a military draft, empowering the American voter and standing against “the war of American imperialism.”
Source: FoxNews.com
Click for complete record of
Mike Gravel's issue stances.
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Bill Richardson endorses Barack Obama: March 21, 2008
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Snubs Bill & Hillary Clinton
Declaring that Sen. Barack Obama is an "extraordinary American," Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico endorsed Obama for the Democratic nominee for president.
Richardson sought this year's Democratic nomination for president himself.
Richardson praised Obama for his speech this week on race in America, saying "he appealed to the best in us."
"As a Hispanic-American, I was particularly touched by his words," Richardson said, putting his arm around Obama and declaring in Spanish that he is "a man who understands us."
Richardson is the nation's only Hispanic governor. Hispanics have tended to support Sen. Hillary Clinton in her quest for the Democratic nomination.
Obama and Clinton both lobbied Richardson for his endorsement after he dropped out of the race January 10. Richardson called Clinton Thursday to tell her of his decision, Clinton's campaign said.
The campaign shrugged off Richardson's endorsement of her rival.
Richardson was secretary of energy and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President Bill Clinton. He said he remains friends with the Clintons, and watched the Super Bowl with Bill Clinton this year.
Richardson's endorsement may be more important for its influence on superdelegates, the nearly 800 Democratic party officials whose backing will be essential for either candidate to win the party's nomination.
As a governor, Richardson is a superdelegate.
Richardson is the second former Democratic presidential contender to endorse Obama, after Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut. Two other former candidates, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, have remained neutral.
None of the dropouts has endorsed Clinton.
Source: CNN.com
Click for complete records of
Bill Richardson's
or Barack Obama's issue stances.
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Republican vice presidential speculation: March 13, 2008
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Links to McCain's potential running-mates
Following is a Boston Globe columnist's opinion on McCain's V.P. choices.
OnTheIssues.org predicts Mark Sanford
as the best choice demographically and to complement McCain's strengths and weaknesses.
CNN favors Haley Barbour and
the Conventional Wisdom seems to favor Charlie Crist.
The most "maverick" choice would be Joe Lieberman,
the 2000 Democratic nominee for Vice President who is now an Independent actively supporting McCain.
But please look over their issue positions and decide for yourself!
HERE'S MY RANKING of the 20 candidates - from weakest to strongest. (with scores, where 100 is the best)
McCain's VP search committee has yet to set its own criteria for screening candidates, so don't order your McCain-Pawlenty bumper sticker yet.
Meanwhile, Pawlenty might find comfort and hope in what McCain said about him during the 2006 campaign: "This is the kind of leadership that I'd like to pass the torch to."
Todd Domke is a Boston area Republican political analyst, public relations strategist, and author.
Source:
Todd Domke Op-Ed, Boston Globe
Click for complete records of
John McCain's issue stances.
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Pres. Bush endorses John McCain: March 5, 2008
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McCain becomes presumptive nominee
President Bush endorsed Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain on Wednesday, two bitter rivals from the 2000 presidential race joining together now in hopes of preventing Democrats from winning the White House this fall.
Bush's embrace of the Arizona senator as the party's next standard-bearer comes a day after McCain clinched the GOP nomination by getting the requisite 1,191 convention delegates. Republicans won't officially nominate McCain until early September at the GOP's national convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
With his low poll ratings and an unpopular war on his shoulders, Bush could hurt McCain with some groups, while helping with others.
"They're not going to be voting for me," the president said. "I've had my time in the Oval Office."
"It's not about me," Bush said. "I've done my bit."
McCain's Washington visit amounted to a victory lap of sorts after a bruising 16-month Republican presidential primary. He was visiting not only the White House he hopes to occupy but also the Republican National Committee headquarters that he essentially assumes control of now that he's the expected GOP nominee.
He was essentially laying claim to the entire force of the Republican Party apparatus as he plots his general election strategy and sets in motion his campaign — and that of the party — to keep a Republican at the White House helm.
For McCain, the general election campaign starts now even though Democrats still haven't chosen a candidate. Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton continue a protracted battle for their party's nod, leaving McCain an opportunity to unify his party.
To that end, Bush's support sends a strong signal to GOP critics of McCain to fall in line.
The GOP's conservative base has resisted rallying around McCain, long viewing him skeptically for working across the aisle with Democrats on issues that the right flank detest.
Bush is the head of the Republican Party and he remains a well-liked figure with GOP rank-and-file. Thus, he could be an asset in raising money and rallying the GOP base for McCain.
However, his job performance rating is at a low point and he is unpopular with the general public.
Source: Associated Press on MSNBC
Click for complete records of
George W. Bush's or
John McCain's issue stances.
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Mike Huckabee withdraws: March 5, 2008
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Endorses John McCain
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is calling it a day -- he's dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Huckabee made the announcement to his supporters in Texas after John McCain clinched the needed number of delegates.
Huckabee says he telephoned McCain and offered not only his congratulations, but his commitment to both him and the Republican Party.
Huckabee praised McCain, saying he has run "an honorable campaign because he is an honorable man."
Source: Associated Press
Click for complete records of
Mike Huckabee's issue stances.
(click above for candidates whose most recent quotes are not so current)
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