So far in the 2008 campaign, the political scene in New Mexico has been quiet, but all that is about to change. Not only is the southwestern border state up for grabs in the presidential race (with Governor Bill Richardson’s withdrawal from the race), but congressional races are heating up as well.
Democrats and Republicans are closer to selecting a presidential nominee after late January primaries help narrow the field. In the wake of victories by Barack Obama in the South Carolina Democratic primary and John McCain in the Florida Republican primary, Democrat John Edwards and Republican Rudy Giuliani end their presidential bids.
To an audience outside the United States, the concept of a dynasty might seem at odds with U.S. democratic ideals, but American voters seem unconcerned by the prospect of “political dynasties” maintaining their hold on the White House, several political analysts and pollsters tell America.gov.
Political priorities of evangelical Christian voters are shifting, according to polls and evangelical leaders. Poverty, climate change, peace and HIV/AIDS will be major issues for many evangelical voters in the next election, in contrast to a narrower agenda in 2004. Evangelical leaders discuss the nexus of religion and politics in 2008.
As Americans vote for party nominees in primaries and caucuses, so will many of the more than 6 million Americans who live overseas. And for the first time, some Democrats will cast ballots on the Internet. The groups Republicans Abroad and Democrats Abroad are helping Americans living outside the United States stay politically active.
Environmental degradation can be countered effectively if politicians and the public are sufficiently educated about the seriousness of global warming, say experts at a discussion on how to engage communities that takes place at a conference organized by the National Council for Science and the Environment.
After a week with three nominating contests spread across the country, Republicans Mitt Romney and John McCain win their party's latest races. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton achieves another narrow victory. Democratic candidates now focus on upcoming votes in South Carolina, while Republicans turn their attention to Florida.
When the Republican Party gathers in Minnesota's "Twin Cities" metropolitan area September 1-4 for its 39th presidential nominating convention, delegates will have the opportunity to experience both of the state's two largest cities, Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
With his stirring oratory sparking “Obamamania,” Illinois Democratic Senator Barack Obama connects to people of all different racial and ethnic backgrounds, according to one political analyst. Obama’s candidacy for U.S. president is galvanizing the American people, several students of the U.S. political scene tell America.gov.
Immigration is one of the most common topics on the 2008 presidential campaign trail. While presidential candidates debate how to make U.S. borders more secure and how to improve federal immigration guidelines, a debate in Virginia Beach, Virginia, illustrates how state and local governments are reviewing their own immigration policies.
New Hampshire voters show up in record numbers and surprise many by casting their ballots for Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary. With different winners emerging from the completed state nominating events, the race to the Republican and Democratic nominations is far from over.
A supporter of Republican Mike Huckabee celebrates the former Arkansas governor's Iowa caucus victory. (© AP Images)
Washington -- Nearly a year after the 2008 U.S. presidential race began, Republican Mike Huckabee and Democrat Barack Obama are the first campaign victors after winning the Iowa caucuses January 3.
In their celebratory speeches, Huckabee and Obama thanked Iowa caucusgoers, who participated in record numbers. Both candidates emphasized their campaign themes of change, and their victories suggest that Americans are looking for a nominee who will bring fresh ideas to the presidency.
"In lines that stretched around schools and churches, in small towns and in big cities, you came together as Democrats, Republicans and independents to stand up and say that we are one nation," said Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois. "We are one people. And our time for change has come."
"Tonight, the people of Iowa made a choice and their choice was clear. Their choice was for a change," said Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas.
With comparatively little money and few staff members, Huckabee, who until a few months ago was relatively unknown and polling in the single digits, pulled off a surprisingly large victory, defeating former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney by a 9 percent margin.
"Tonight, we've proved that American politics still is in the hands of ordinary folks like you … who believe that it wasn't about who raised the most money, but who raised the greatest hopes, dreams and aspirations for our children and their future," Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, said. "And tonight, I hope we will forever change the way Americans look at their political system and how we elect presidents and elected officials."
AS PREDICTED, THREE-WAY RACE FOR DEMOCRATS
As polls had suggested for weeks, it was a three-way race on the Democratic side. Obama finished with 38 percent of the vote, followed by former North Carolina Senator John Edwards with 30 percent and New York Senator Hillary Clinton with 29 percent.
"Hope is what led me here today, with a father from Kenya, a mother from Kansas, and a story that could only happen in the United States of America," said Obama, an African American who won in a state whose population is 90 percent white.
"Hope is the bedrock of this nation, the belief that our destiny will not be written for us but by us, by all those men and women who are not content to settle for the world as it is, who have the courage to remake the world as it should be. That is what we started here in Iowa, and that is the message we can now carry to New Hampshire and beyond … that together, ordinary people can do extraordinary things."
Throughout his campaign, Obama has received strong support from young voters, but many political experts had wondered whether these young people would show up to caucus. It seems many youth turned out to vote -- and 57 percent of the 18- to 29-year-olds who participated in the Democratic caucus selected Obama.
MORE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES JUDGED VIABLE BY IOWANS
Republicans spread their votes a little more broadly. Following Huckabee and Romney, former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson came in third, with 13 percent of the vote. Arizona Senator John McCain also took in about 13 percent, only a few hundred votes behind Thompson. Texas Congressman Ron Paul received 10 percent of the vote. Even though former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been a front-runner in many national polls, he finished sixth, with 3 percent of the vote. This was not surprising, however, because Giuliani has been focusing his efforts on winning later state races.
Iowa traditionally holds the first nominating event in the U.S. presidential campaign. Unlike most states’ voters, Iowans select their presidential candidates in caucuses, neighborhood meetings where people gather in schools, libraries and other public places and voice their preferences in front of their peers. (See related article.)
Many of these sites exceeded capacity when turnout for both parties was much higher than expected, setting records for participation. More than 239,000 Democrats voted, compared to 124,000 in 2004. About 114,000 Republicans caucused, an increase of about 26,000 from 2004.
With the Iowa caucuses behind them, most candidates are now heading to New Hampshire, which holds the first presidential primary on January 8. With only five days until the next votes are cast, Huckabee and Obama will try to capitalize on their momentum, while other candidates will try to show they remain electable.
As is often the case, Iowa was the end of the campaign trail for some presidential candidates. Democrats Joe Biden and Christopher Dodd both ended their bids for the presidency after failing to gain Iowans' support.