John Edwards of North Carolina



John Edwards served as a Senator for the state of North Carolina from 1998 to 2004. He captured this seat from Republican incumbent Lauch Faircloth. Edwards is a lawyer by profession and a very successful one at that. His estimated fortune is between $12 and $60 million.

In 2004 John Edwards won the Democratic nomination for Vice-President. He was running alongside Presidential nomination John Kerry. Although they were both ultimately unsuccessful in their quest, Edwards hinted that he might make a run for President in the future when he said, 'You can be disappointed, but you cannot walk away. This fight has just begun'.

In most polls Edwards is currently third behind Clinton and Obama for the Democratic nomination.

Senator Hilary Clinton of New York.



Hilary Clinton was first elected to the Senate in 2000 as a Senator for New York. Her husband is Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States. She served as first lady throughout his eight years in office. Her time as a first lady was eventful to say the least. When Bill Clinton was elected President he boasted that the voters were getting "two for the price of one".
Hilary played an active role throughtout her husbands Presidency and even served on several public policy committees.
As a Senator she was and remains a firm supporter of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Hilary Clinton is the early favourite to capture the Democratic Partys nomination.

The Democratic Party has three so called "front runners" who hope to capture their parties nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate. These are three interesting characters that will appeal to different areas of the American electorate.

Senator Barack Obama of Illnois.



Obama is currently the only African American serving in the United States Senate. He shot to prominence in 2004 when he gave a rousing keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention. He announced his candidacy for the Presidency in February in 2007, when he said-

"It was here, in Springfield, where North, South, East and West come together that I was reminded of the essential decency of the American people–where I came to believe that through this decency, we can build a more hopeful America. And that is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a house divided to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America."

Early opinion polls have Obama as the second or third most popular Democrat. If elected he would become the first black President of the United States.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5h95s0OuEg

Arguably the most intriguing aspect of the 2008 election is that it signals the end of George W. Bush's eight controversial years in the White House. Bush is a born again Christian who has introduced extremely conservative legislation throughout his tenure. This has alienated him from large sections of the American electorate.
The events of September 11th changed America's relationship with the rest of the world forever. Many Americans saw this as the perfect oppurtunity for Bush to unite all Americans behind a common goal. He failed to do this. His approval ratings were at an all high following September 11th but have been in decline ever since.
The war in Iraq has proved to be a disaster. Thousands of Iraqi civilians and coalition troops have been slaughtered since Bush invaded Iraq in 2003. His foreign policy has been diastrous in general. Britain appear to be America's only steadfast ally and there is evidence to suggest that this relationship is untangling.
Perhaps the greatest challenge facing the new President will be to clear up the mess that George W. Bush has left in his wake.

In theory, the US operates a multi-party political system. However in reality this is not the case. The Republican Party and the Democratic Party are the dominant political parties in the US, and this will remain the case in the 2008 election.
The Republican Party was founded in 1854 and grew to prominence with their first president Abraham Lincoln. The Republican Party is currently in power in the White House with George W. Bush as president.
The Democratic Party was founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in 1796. The most recent Democratic Party president was Bill Clinton who ruled from 1992-2000.
Many American voters retain a loyalty for a particular political party regardless of the candidate. Therefore, the candidate who can appeal to traditional supporters of the opposing party will untimately be successful. The republicans are the imcumbent party and history tells us this may be a disadvantage. The incumbent parties votes usually drop as the electorate are looking for fresh faces and fresh ideas. Time will tell.

Democratic Party- www.democrats.org/
Republican Party- www.republicans.org/