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What kind of information materials are available?
CD: Texts available on CD version.Texts available in multiple languages.

(AP images)

The Candidates' Websites
www.johnmccain.com
www.BarackObama.com

Candidate Profiles and Biographies
Meet the 2008 Presidential Candidates & Photo Gallery: The Candidates' History (America.gov) Candidates' Biographies (U.S. Department of State, IIP)
Who is Running? (New York Times)
The Presidential Field: Full Coverage of the 2008 Candidates and Presidential Candidates Campaign Tracker - Campaign Stops by Date (Washington Post)
Presidential Candidate Profiles (Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life – Religion & Politics '08)

Campaign 2008: Speeches
Barack Obama: A More Perfect Union, March 18, 2008, Philadelphia
Barack Obama: "Yes, we can change"
Remarks after South Carolina Democratic Pres. Primary victory.
Barack TV: Videos - speeches, TV ads
Barack Obama Announces his Candidacy for the Democratic Nomination for President in 2008
John McCain'sRemarks to the LA World Affairs Council, March 26, 2008
John McCain: Remarks on New Hampshire Primary Victory
John McCain: Speech on Iraq

Teacher Resource
Teachable Moment: Presidential Election 2008: Thinking Critically about a Choice for President; Making Decisions about Presidential Candidates

 

Presidential Candidates

Please note: This page has not been updated after the Elections on November 4, to better illustrate the election cycle that lead to the election of President Barack Obama.

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?

After Barack Obama's A More Perfect Union speech there was wide agreement on the importance of the speech for his campaign. His speech, covering the history of race relations in America, came as an attempt to resolve the controversy associated with sermons from his pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Obama's rhetorical talents have had a great impact on the success of his campaign so far.

The designated Republican Presidential candidate, John McCain, call himself "a realistic idealist" who in his own words has been shaped by "hard experience and the judgment it informs." McCain reinforces his impressive biography with a “Service to America” speech tour to places associated with his own, and his family’s, service to the United States.

Will the ability to inform, educate and inspire people be decisive in this year's presidential election?

See also:
About the USA > Government
About the USA > Government > Elections
About the USA > Regierung
About the USA > Regierung > Wahlen

 

Debates
First presidential debate 2008: Friday, Sept. 26, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
Vice presidential debate: Thursday, Oct. 2, Washington University in St. Louis, MO
Second presidential debate: Tuesday, Oct. 7, Belmont University, Nashville, TN
Third presidential debate: Wednesday, Oct. 15, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Links
Commission on Presidential Debates - The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) was established in 1987 to ensure that debates, as a permanent part of every general election, provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners.
Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Sites, Dates, Formats and Candidate Selection Criteria for 2008 General Election (Nov. 19, 2007)
 

Background
Museum of Broadcast Communications: The Great Debate & Beyond: The History of Televised Presidential Debates
Teacher Resources: The Great Debate - (September 26, 1960: JFK and Nixon)
Commission on Presidential Debates: Debate History
NYT: Presidential Debates
Poynter: Presidential Debate History and Resources

Article
America.gov: YouTube Redefines Terms of Presidential Debates

Texts are abridged from U.S. State Department IIP publications and other U.S. government materials.
 
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Updated: August 2008