The 2008 presidential candidates for the Democratic party are Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel. The Candidates for the Republican party are Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Ron Paul, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter and Alan Keyes. Hillary Clinton is trying to become the first women president. She is concerned with child welfare and the issues in Iraq. John Edwards' initiatives are to fix poverty and lack of avaliable work in the U.S. He also wants to limit global warming and is pro-choice. Barack Obama wants to end the Iraq war, increase energy independence and provide universal health care. Barack Obama would be the first African-American president if he is elected. On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani has strong ideas about abortion and has plans to move American forces out of Iraq. John McCain has strong ideas about illegal immigration and tax breaks. Mitt Romney is strongly against abortion and he supports gun control. These are the main candidates and their initiatives.





Caucuses are small meetings amoung voters in towns where the democrats or republicans will get together in places such as schools, firehouses, and town buildings and vote for who the want to become the next president.





The nominating convention for the Democratic party will be held from Monday, August 25 through Thursday, August 28 2008 in Denver Colorado. The Republican nominating convention is being held from September 1 to September 4 2008 in St. Paul Minnesota. These conventions are held to select a nominee for president as well as adopt the party's goals and rules for the party's activities. The party's goals are determined at this meeting as well as the presidential nominees.





The election process is when a person wants to run for president they must first be nominated by the state. Then the people of the country must vote on the president and vice president team of their choice. Finally, the electors will meet and vote and decide who becomes president. We elect or re-elect a president every four years.





The public is exposed to the candidates in many ways. Most of the candidates campain to get the voters attention. They are also exposed to the candedates by the internet, the television and other way's such as advertising on billboards.



I think that the presidential electoin is not broken because people still vote for who they think will be the best president. It is not a popularity competition like many of todays shows on television. Sometimes the system will not work that well because not all of the candidates are know as well as the others and some may raise more money on campains than others. For the most part the election is not broken but it may have some flaws.

I believe that we are electing both the most skilled skilled candidate and the biggest celebrity. This year there are huge celebrities like Hillary Clinton who could become the first female president and Barrack Obama who would become the first African American president. Even though these people are celebrities some people may think they are also the most skilled candidates. It costs millions of dollars to run a successful campain. The candidates get the money from wealthy individuals and programs and sponsorers. I think that the candidates could do better things with the money like give it to a cancer foundation than spend it on their campain. I think that the presidents are pressured to push issues desired by their contributers because they need the money and the votes.

If I could vote I would probally vote for Giuliani because he has political experience and he made good decisions for New York. I think he would still be a good president even though he had the scandals. Giuliani handled the many serious problems that New York had with poise and that would make him a good president.