America is in the midst of a presidential race. Perhaps you've heard. Despite the election still being nearly a year away — Nov. 4, 2008, to be precise — every national news outlet imaginable is already devoting significant time and resources to analyzing every storyline and every possible angle. Polls are being conducted. The candidates' religious affiliations are being discussed. Their Iraq war stances are heatedly debated. Even their attire and hairstyles are being put under the microscope. So far, here is what we know for sure: A bunch of people are running, and Al Gore isn't one of them.  Here is the lowdown on front-runners from each of the two major parties.




 

THE DEMOCRATS

HILLARY CLINTON

EXPERIENCE: Currently serving as a junior U.S. senator from New York ..... was President Bill Clinton's first lady from 1993-2001.

CAMPAIGN STANCES: Supports abortion rights ..... originally voted in favor of the Iraq war, but now supports ending the war ..... voted to authorize a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border ..... opposes same-sex marriage but is in favor of civil unions.

WHY SHE MIGHT WIN: Clinton has raised more money than any other Democratic nominee and leads every major poll. Plus, with eight years already spent in the White House, she knows the ins and outs of a presidency.

WHY SHE MIGHT NOT: As far as many Republicans are concerned, Hillary — a proponent of abortion rights and universal health care — is the devil incarnate. If she gets the Democratic nomination, expect many unmotivated Republican voters to suddenly get motivated, no matter who gets their party's nomination.

EXPERT ANALYSIS: David Crockett, Trinity University associate professor of political science: “She's the person to beat, and she has the singular advantage of running after eight years of a Republican president ..... That works in her favor because we have a very unpopular Republican president in an unpopular war ..... But there's only so much she can do to get around the question of identity. She's Hillary Clinton, and it has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with what she symbolizes as the former first lady of Bill Clinton.”

JOHN EDWARDS

EXPERIENCE: A former one-term U.S. senator from North Carolina ..... Democratic candidate for vice president in 2004.

CAMPAIGN STANCES: Supports abortion rights ..... supports American citizenship for some undocumented immigrants ..... anti-gay marriage ..... initially supported the war in Iraq but now calls that position a “mistake.”

WHY HE MIGHT WIN: If he's able to snag the Democratic nomination, some pundits argue that Edwards is the most likely Democrat to topple a Republican foe in a general nationwide election.

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: That's a really big “if,” as Edwards has generated about one-third the money that Clinton and Barack Obama have raised for their respective campaigns. He not only trails those two in a CNN Democratic poll, but also Al Gore, who's not even running for office.

EXPERT ANALYSIS: Steven Neiheisel, St. Mary's University professor of American politics and leadership: “His weakness, and why he's never going to unseat Hillary or maybe even Obama on the national level, is his position on poverty. However honorable, poverty doesn't play in America right now. People are very comfortable with their own lives, but they're not really comfortable or pleased with how government institutions are operating. They just want government to be better at being government, and poverty is not a major issue.”

BARACK OBAMA

EXPERIENCE: Currently serving his first term as a junior U.S. senator from Illinois ..... previously served in the Illinois state Senate.

CAMPAIGN STANCES: Supports abortion rights ..... voted to authorize a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border ..... opposes same-sex marriage but supports civil unions ..... opposed President Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq.

WHY HE MIGHT WIN: Obama is a church-going Christian, which plays well with conservatives, but he also supports abortion rights and civil unions, which plays well with liberals. Plus, he's got Oprah's endorsement, and in this day and age, that's the political equivalent of Midas' touch.

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: Obama hasn't even served one full term as a U.S. senator, so his lack of experience has been called into question. And despite being the only African American front-runner, a recent Associated Press poll revealed that Obama maintains only a slight lead over Clinton among black voters.

EXPERT ANALYSIS: Neiheisel — “I wouldn't put money on Obama right now, and even some of his former money people have moved on to Hillary. What happened is he's a great rhetorician with great flash, great buzz and incredible charisma, but I just don't think it will happen because he's not been able to make traction on substantive issues. Nothing he's talked about has trumped what Hillary's talked about.”

THE REPUBLICANS

RUDY GIULIANI

EXPERIENCE: Served two terms as elected mayor of New York.

CAMPAIGN STANCES: Supports abortion rights ..... against same-sex marriage but supports domestic partnerships ..... supports American citizenship for some undocumented immigrants ..... supported Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq and opposes setting a timetable for withdrawal.

WHY HE MIGHT WIN: Giuliani is ahead of all other Republican candidates in national polls. He won accolades for his response to 9-11. Because of his liberal views, many believe he stands the best chance against a Democratic opponent.

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: His support of abortion rights, embryonic stem cell research and gun control is at odds with traditional conservative Republican values. He doesn't have experience serving in Washington. Certain issues from his personal life — including two divorces — bother some Republican voters. He's known for his hot temper.

EXPERT ANALYSIS: Neiheisel — “The question is in the primaries: Are the Republican values voters going to be pragmatic and want to win and vote for him begrudgingly, or will they go against him and burn the house down to rebuild it in four years?"

FRED THOMPSON

EXPERIENCE: Served the remainder of Al Gore's Senate term representing Tennessee after Gore became vice president ..... was re-elected for a full term.

CAMPAIGN STANCES: Opposes abortion rights ..... voted in favor of Iraq war and supports Bush's Iraq policy ..... opposes same-sex marriage ..... wants to strengthen measures to keep out undocumented immigrants.

WHY HE MIGHT WIN: He played a district attorney on “Law and Order” for five years, making him a familiar face in many households. He appeals to traditional grassroots Republicans with his conservative voting record.

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: He chose to pursue his acting career rather than continue in public office and had to be coaxed into the presidential race. He has raised less money than Mitt Romney, John McCain and Giuliani. He's not a very good public speaker without a script in hand.

EXPERT ANALYSIS: John Trayhan, associate professor of political science at Our Lady of the Lake University — “He's certainly done well as far as fundraising, and he came into the race last ..... In the past, when he announced he was going to run for the Senate, he said he was going to go and take care of some business, and he did. He has the trust of some voters in that sense ..... He is an actor, and he has that name recognition and that will help him more than anything he has done in the Senate because most voters don't follow that.”

MITT ROMNEY

EXPERIENCE: One term as governor of Massachusetts.

CAMPAIGN STANCES: Opposes abortion rights ..... supports increasing troops in Iraq ..... opposes same-sex marriage ..... wants to strengthen border security and opposes any amnesty for undocumented immigrants.

WHY HE MIGHT WIN: He has raised the most money of any of his party's candidates. He was a popular governor in Massachusetts, a blue state. His conservative views strike a chord with many “values voters.”

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: Currently, he trails Giuliani, Thompson and McCain in the polls. He's known for flip-flopping on some issues. Some voters have issues with his Mormon faith.

EXPERT ANALYSIS: Trayhan — “I think he'll do well. He certainly has the attention of, and more importantly, I would argue, the pocketbook of those that can make or break them ..... He was the governor of Massachusetts, which means a lot to people in Massachusetts but may not mean as much to people in, say, Virginia. He hasn't been in the national spotlight enough. As governor, you're not out there leading national polls typically because of what you're doing within your state.”

JOHN MCCAIN

EXPERIENCE: Serving his fourth term as a U.S. senator from Arizona ..... served one term as U.S. representative from Arizona .....

CAMPAIGN STANCES: Wants to send additional troops into Iraq ..... opposes abortion rights ..... believes same-sex marriage should be a states' rights issue ..... championed compromise immigration reform bill.

WHY HE MIGHT WIN: McCain is a decorated war hero who spent more than five years as a POW in Vietnam. His supporters believe his military experience, foreign-policy expertise and strong stance on Iraq will make him a qualified wartime president. He has shown to be strong in debates.

WHY HE MIGHT NOT: Though McCain was once considered a front-runner, his campaign fell on hard times during the summer before stabilizing. Many conservatives opposed his bipartisan immigration reform bill. At 71, McCain has been called too old to be president.

EXPERT ANALYSIS: Trayhan — “He's still in the game, obviously, but he's quite a ways back. He's been here before, and he hasn't been able to produce results, so I'm not sure what will be different. He certainly has experience, so if that becomes the issue of the day, he would fare better ..... But that (experience) has sometimes hurt candidates because of this idea that we don't want insiders. It depends on how voters perceive him as an insider.”
 

Clint Hale and Jessica Belasco | 210SA