Berlin-Brandenburg School Project on the U.S. Presidential Elections 2008  For more information: Index l Presidential Candidates l Opinion Polls l Issues l States l About the USA: 2008 Elections

AP Images Candidates Websites • John McCain • Barack Obama • America.gov: Meet the 2008 Presidential Candidates • About the USA: 2008 Elections - Candidates   PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES When the next U.S. president takes the oath of office on January 20, 2009, he will be breaking new ground. Americans are poised to elect the first African-American president or the oldest U.S. president. Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, both of whom are sitting senators, have unique experiences that they say have helped them to prepare for taking the office at the White House. In their lives and political careers, they have distinguished themselves. But whose experience and character will make him or her the next president of the United States? And how important is the candidates ability to persuade potential voters? Candidate Profiles and Biographies • Meet the 2008 Presidential Candidates - America.gov • Who is Running? - New York Times • New York Times - Topics: Barack Obama • New York Times - Topics: John McCain • The Presidential Field: Full Coverage of the 2008 Candidates - Washington Post • Presidential Candidates Campaign Tracker - Campaign Stops by Date - Washington Post • Presidential Candidate Profiles - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life: Religion & Politics '08 Please see the NEW EJournal THE CANDIDATES !! (HTML & PDF versions) 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? Candidate Matching Sites Find out which candidate best aligns with your views and opinions. The "Choose Your Candidate" quizzes help you decide which candidates you agree with on the issues. • The Washington Post: Choose Your Candidate • ABC News: Match-o-Matic • USA Today Candidate Match Game • Glassboth: Quiz to help you choose the best 2008 presidential candidate • 2008 SelectSmart.com Presidential Candidate Selector • Vote Chooser SPEECHES Senator Barack Obama: Transcripts and Speeches • Acceptance Speech at the Democratic National Convention (Interactive video and transcript; Aug. 28) • Obama's Father's Day speech (June 15, 2008) • Obama claims Democratic victory (June 3, 2008) • Obama discusses the economy (May 9, 2008) • Obama speaks on race (March 18) • Obama speech: 'Yes, we can change' (January 27, 2008) • Speech on the 'American Dream' (November 7, 2008) • Speech about Iraq (October 12, 2007) • Barack TV: Videos of speeches and TV ads • Washington Post: Barack Obama Announces his Candidacy for the Democratic Nomination for President in 2008 (full transcript of his speech and video) • 2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address - "The Audacity of Hope" (Text version and audio file) Senator John McCain: Transcripts and Speeches • Acceptance Speech at the Republican National Convention (Interactive video and transcript; Sept. 4) • McCain on Energy Security (June 24, 2008) • McCain speaks in Canada (June 20, 2008) • McCain addresses pro-Israel AIPAC (June 2, 2008) • 'Right change' vs. 'wrong change' (June 3, 2008) • McCain on economy (June 10, 2008) • McCain on nuclear weapons (May 27, 2008) • McCain speaks on housing crisis (March 25, 2008) • Speech on health care (October 11, 2007) • McCain Speeches and TV Ads

Articles • The McCain Doctrines. Bai, Matt, New York Times Magazine, May 18, 2008, pp40-52 "Whatever their disagreements on policy, United States senators, even in today's hyperpolitical climate, are reluctant to impugn one another's motives or integrity. That's doubly true among those who experienced combat in the Vietnam War, [...]. These men share an obvious bond, and over the years they have more readily crossed partisan lines than other senators, constituting, in some ways, a party unto themselves." The article examines the evolution of Sen. John McCain's viewpoint on foreign policy and military matters, and says his time served in the Vietnam War has strongly influenced his outlook. Matt Bai is an American journalist who covers national politics for the New York Times Sunday Magazine. Fulltext C12/03-08 • The Evolution of John McCain. Whitford, David, Fortune, July 7, 2008, v158, #1, pp56-62 "This article examines Republican presidential candidate John McCain's plan to fix the economy. How does a tough, uncompromising former prisoner of war - a self-described maverick who built his political reputation on straight talk - handle competing demands for limited resources during hard times, meanwhile keeping the ideologues in his own party at bay?" David Whitford is an editor at large at FORTUNE magazine. Fulltext C13/03-08 • The Obama Doctrine. Ackerman, Spencer, The American Prospect, April 2008, v19, #4, pp12-16 "Barack Obama is offering the most sweeping liberal foreign-policy critique we've heard from a serious presidential contender in decades. But will voters buy it?" Spencer Ackerman is a senior correspondent for The American Prospect and a senior reporter for The Washington Independent. Fulltext C19/02-08 Find more articles at the InfoAlert.

Barack Obama's Visit to Berlin - Please ask your teachers for the front pages of German newspapers covering the visit.

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U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany /Public Affairs/ Information Resource Centers  October 2, 2008