The 2008 US Presidential Election will undoubtedly be a battle between Barack Obama and John McCain. Find out more about them and other candidates contesting the elections here.
| Barack Obama |
John McCain |
| Democrat |
Republican |
 |
Date of birth
4 Aug 1961
Birthplace
Honolulu, Hawaii
Married to
Michelle Robinson
Running mate
Joe Biden |
 |
Date of birth
29 Aug 1936
Birthplace
Panama Canal Zone
Married to
Carol Shepp
Running mate
Sarah Palin
|
| "It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today." |
"Glory is not a conceit. It is not a decoration for valor. Glory belongs to the act of being constant to something greater than yourself, to a cause, to your principles, to the people on whom you rely and who rely on you in return." |
About Barack Obama:
Illinois Senator Barack Obama would be the first black president of the US. He won the Democratic nomination after a fierce battle with New York Senator Hilary Clinton which lasted several months.
The 46-year-old is basing his campaign on bringing a change to Washington politics.
He rose to prominence after giving the keynote address to the Democratic convention in 2004 before being elected a senator.
He attended Columbia University and Harvard University. Obama was born on August 4, 1961 to a white American mother and a black Kenyan father. He spent part of his childhood in Indonesia. He married Michelle Robinson in 1992. They have two children, Malia Ann (1999) and Natasha (2001). |
About John McCain:
The Arizona senator unsuccessfully ran against US President George W Bush for the Republican nomination in 2000. At 71, he would be the oldest American president to be elected.
He attended the US Naval Academy and National War College and was shot down over Vietnam in 1967, spending over five years as a prisoner of war. He has styled himself as a pro-business conservative and against abortion, and has openly supported sending more troops to Iraq.
He was born on August 29, 1936 and has been married twice. His marriage to Carol Shepp ended in 1980 and he married Cindy Hensley the same year. He has four of his own children, two adopted sons from his first marriage, and a daughter adopted from Bangladesh in 1991. |
| Website: www.barackobama.com |
Website: www.johnmccain.com |
| News24 Articles: search.news24.com |
News24 Articles: search.news24.com |
| YouTube Channel: barackobamadotcom |
YouTube Channel: johnmccaindotcom |
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Other candidates:
Ralph Nader
Independent Candidate
Running mate: Matt Gonzalez
The anti-establishment consumer advocate announced in February that he would run as an independent. He ran in 2000 (and was accused by Democrats of taking away Democrat votes, thereby handing the presidency to George W Bush) and again in 2004. Nader won three million votes (or 2%) when he stood as the Green Party candidate in 2000. He was born in Connecticut in 1934 and educated at Princeton and Harvard.
Website: www.nader.org
News24 Articles: search.news24.com
YouTube Channel: votenader08
Bob Barr
Libertarian Candidate
Running mate: Wayne Allyn Root
Robert Laurence "Bob" Barr was born November 5 1948 and is the Libertarian Party nominee. He is a former federal prosecutor and a former member of the United States House of Representatives.
Barr is best known for his role as one of the leaders of the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
He joined the Libertarian Party in 2006 and is seen as a potential "vote stealer" to the McCain campaign.
Website: www.bobbarr2008.com
News24 Articles: search.news24.com
YouTube Channel: bobBarr2008
Click here for a complete list of other candidates running in the 2008 Presidential Elections