America: 2008-2024

[Yates]

Election 2008 Candidates:

Democrats

Senator Joe Biden
Former Senator Mike Gravel
Former Governor Mark Warner
Former Senator John Edwards
Senator Hillary Clinton
Senator Evan Bayh
Senator Russ Feingold
Governor Tom Vilsack
Former Vice President Al Gore
Governor Bill Richardson
Former Senator Tom Daschle

Republicans

Former Governor Mitt Romney
Senator John McCain
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Senator George Allen
Senator Sam Brownback
Former Governor Tommy Thompson
Congressman Tom Tancredo
Former Governor George Pataki
Senator Chuck Hagel
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich
Former Senator Bill Frist

[Yates]

Democrats

Governor Tom Vilsack has a massive lead in the polls in his home state of Iowa.  The focus there is who shall finish in second place.  Battling it out are the two frontrunners: Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.  Polls in Iowa show them in a dead heat.  Senator Joe Biden is behind them, attracting voters seraching for a moderate and experienced candidate.  Russ Feingold is having difficulty attracting liberal voters, most of whom are going to Al Gore.  Tom Daschle, after having been out of the limelight for four years, is having trouble gaining traction.  Evan Bayh and Mark Warner are splitting the moderate-conservative vote, and as a result, both are in the single digits.  Governor Bill Richardson entered the race late, and is unable to be competitive when all of his opponents had been campaigning for months.  John Edwards failed to receive the endorsement of any major Democrat, and he has humiliated himself with numerous gaffes and poor debate performances.  Mike Gravel is suffering from low name recognition, and is not a factor.

Republicans

Senator John McCain, with enormous name recognition and solid debate performances, is leading the pack, followed closely by Mitt Romney.  Rudy Giuliani failed to rebut charges that he was too liberal for the party, and floundered early.  The same is true of George Pataki.  George Allen is maintaining a solid third place, but is failing to distinguish himself from the rest of the candidates.  Sam Brownback is doing well in obtaining support from the Religious Right, and is garnering some support.  Tom Tancredo has proven himself to be a serious candidate, as his hawkish, anti-illegal immigration positions have earned him a fair showing in most polls.  Tommy Thompson and Newt Gingrich are hurt by low name recognition.  Chuck Hagel remains under the shadow of John McCain.  Bill Frist's lack of charisma hurt him, especially in the debates. 

[Yates]

NATIONWIDE POLLS

Democrats

23% Al Gore
21% Hillary Clinton
14% Joe Biden
10% Russ Feingold
8% Tom Vilsack
6% Mark Warner
5% Evan Bayh
4% Bill Richardson
4% Tom Daschle
3% John Edwards
1% Mike Gravel

Republicans

24% John McCain
20% Mitt Romney
13% George Allen
9% Sam Brownback
8% Tom Tancredo
6% Newt Gingrich
5% Tommy Thompson
4% Bill Frist
2% Chuck Hagel
2% Rudy Giuliani
1% George Pataki

[MasterJedi]

Go Tommy Thompson!

[Yates]

Democrats

John Edwards ended his Presidential bid, and endorsed frontrunner Al Gore.  Many speculate that Edwards is merely trying to get another Vice-Presidential nod.  Edwards was not performing well in the polls, and both his exit from the race and his endorsement of Gore should have little effect.  In the meantime, Russ Feingold has been gaining valuable media coverage by claiming that he was "Right From the Start" on issues such as the Patriot Act and the Iraq War.  Analysts expect Feingold's poll numbers to increase slightly.  Al Gore may also expect a boost due not only to the Edwards endorsement.  One of Gore's major themes has been the advancement of alternative energy, and he has spoken much about ethanol, something very popular in Iowa.  Gore clearly has the upper hand in this race.

Republicans

Like John Edwards, Former Governor George Pataki exited the race, and endorsed fellow New Yorker Rudy Giuliani.  According to the last poll, both men were in the low single digits, and few expect Pataki's endorsement to revive Giuliani's campaign.  Sam Brownback has been experiencing a grassroots movement similar to the one for Pat Robertson in 1988.  Throughout churches and town meetings across Iowa, religious conservatives have been preaching for Brownback.  Chuck Hagel irked many Republicans when he said that he would consider running an Independent campaign for the Presidency if neither he nor John McCain wins the Republican nomination.  As of now, John McCain is the frontrunner.