A Critical Look at the Candidates

The horse race that is the American presidential election is officially underway, even earlier than ever this year. Many states have moved their primaries or caucuses up into the early part of 2008, which essentially makes the nominating contests a five-week sprint. We will, in all likelihood, know who the two main party candidates will be by the middle of February.

So who are the candidates that are vying for those nominations? And what do they stand for? Most importantly, what chance do they have? Let's take a look at the leading candidates from each party.

On the Republican side, we have an unusual situation, in that the leading candidates are clear departures from the type of GOP leaders we have had in recent years.

Rudy Giuliani (www.JoinRudy2008.com), the former mayor of New York City, is currently leading his rivals in nationwide polls, despite being quite moderate on many issues. His main claim to fame, and the basis upon which he is running his campaign, is his leadership during the terrorist attacks of 9/11. He is known as "America's Mayor" because the entire nation felt comforted by his calm demeanor during that crisis.

On the issues, he is a far cry from past Republican nominees. He is pro-choice (though he does oppose partial-birth abortions) and supports affirmative action. He is an advocate for strong gun-control laws.

He does have some conservative credentials, however. He is a big proponent of increased penalties for even minor crimes, and he is a decided hawk when it comes to foreign affairs, even advocating military action against Pakistan and Iran.

Mike Huckabee (www.ExploreHuckabee.com), the former governor of Arkansas, has made a steady climb up the ranks of the Republican candidates. Many feel this is because he is (arguably) the most conservative of them, and has taken advantage of a very fluid primary season in the GOP race.

Huckabee supports a Constitutional Amendment banning abortion and is generally opposed to affirmative action programs. He believes in "covenant" marriages which do not allow divorce. He opposes universal health care and amnesty for illegal immigrants. The only weakness in his Conservative armor is that he tends to be non-interventionist in foreign affairs.

Mitt Romney (www.MittRomney.com), former governor of Massachusetts, has consistently been among the Republican front-runners. Though he was seen as a moderate in his time as governor of the Bay State, he has jumped to the right in recent months in an attempt to appeal to conservative GOP voters.

As governor, he supported a woman's right to choose abortion, but now says he wants to see Roe v. Wade overturned. He opposes almost all corporate regulation, adopting a near laissez-faire policy on the economy. He supports abstinence-only sex education and privatization of failing public schools. He wants to see a fence along the border with Mexico, with National Guard troops defending that fence. He opposes stem-cell research and is a proponent for lower taxes.

Fred Thompson (www.ImWithFred.com), former senator from Tennessee, jumped into the race late but with great fanfare. He has struggled to gain his footing, however, and is in danger of becoming an afterthought in the GOP race for the presidency.

Thompson is a big supporter of school voucher programs and the right of parents to send their children to the school of their choice. He strongly defends the second amendment and the right to carry a concealed weapon. He believes in a for-profit, privately run health care system. He supports the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has called for military action in Iran.

John McCain (www.JohnMcCain.com), the long-time senator from Arizona, is on the comeback trail after his campaign suffered some early setbacks. He ran as the anti-establishment maverick in 2000, but is now one a favorite son among neo-conservatives.

McCain opposes abortion with exceptions for cases of rape and incest. He supports affirmative action, but without quotas. He opposes corporate welfare and initially opposed the Bush tax cuts (though he not says they should be extended). He supports stem-cell research, saying that if the cells were not used in science, they would be discarded anyway. He believes in stricter sentencing and more prisons. He generally supports the Bush policy on foreign affairs.

Now on to the Democrats...

Hillary Clinton (www.HillaryClinton.com), former first lady and current senator from New York, has at times been seen as the invincible leader among the Dems. She has shown some vulnerability, however, and is running in a tight three-way race in Iowa and New Hampshire.

She is pro-choice and supports affirmative action. She has called for a policy of giving every child a $5000 savings bond to use for higher education. She believes in tough gun control laws and increased patrolling of our foreign borders. She wants to work towards universal health care. She voted for the use of force in Iraq, but now favors redeployment out of the area.

Barack Obama (www.BarackObama.com) is the junior senator from Illinois. He became a national celebrity with his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and is seen as a rising star in the Democratic future.

He is pro-choice but wants to see more unwanted pregnancy prevention. He supports higher pay for teachers and increased funding for "No Child Left Behind". He supports a ban on assault weapons and government provided, universal health care. He has called for an increase in the Social Security earnings cap to make it solvent. He advocates a slow withdrawal from Iraq and a focus on al-Qaeda.

John Edwards (www.JohnEdwards.com), a former senator from North Carolina, is running again after finishing second in the Democratic primaries in 2004. He has been running a distant third in most polls.

Edwards is pro-choice and is a firm believer in affirmative action. He supports higher pay for teachers and increased funding for public schools. He believes in the implementation of universal health care. He supports labor unions and a higher minimum wage. He wants to see public financing of elections. He has called for reduced restrictions on federal stem-cell research, and high-speed internet access for every American. He has said that al-Qaeda, not Iraq, should be the focus of the war on terror.