Presidential Election: Presidential Candidates 2008 - Election Coverage

In another surprising turn of events in the presidential election 2008, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama won the Democrat vote at the Iowa Caucus. Obama received 38 percent of the democratic vote, compared to 30 percent for John Edwards and 29 percent for Hillary Clinton.

Meanwhile, the Republicans gave the victory to Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee with 34 of percent of votes, compared to 25 percent for Romney. McCain got 13 percent, Fred Thompson received 13 percent, Ron Paul had 10 percent, and Rudy Giuliani national polls front-runner got only 3 percent of the vote.

This is a historic moment in American history as well US Presidential politics, as Barack Obama is the first African American to have a successful run for the presidency. Sure, African Americans Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have run for president before, but none have reached the pinnacle that Obama has.

It is a positive reflection of the changing times in America when a minority (Obama) can carry a state with a 95 percent white population, and a mid-western state at that.

It is another sign of positive changing times in America when a woman can have a successful bid for the job of head of state. It is interesting commentary about our country being the most developed nation not only in terms of economics, technology, and military progress but democratic principles of equal opportunity for all; that it took the tail end of the first decade of the twenty first century for a woman to have a realistic opportunity at a successful bid to become the President of the United States.

In the twentieth century, the international arena saw many women leaders:

1. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Sri Lanka
Prime Minister, 1960-1965, 1970-1977, 1994-2000
2. Indira Gandhi, India
Prime Minister, 1966-77, 1980-1984
3. Golda Meir, Israel
Prime Minister, 1969-1974
4. Isabel Peron, Argentina
President, 1974-1976
5. Elisabeth Domitien, Central African Republic
Prime Minister, 1975-1976
6. Margaret Thatcher, Great Britain
Prime Minister, 1979-1990
7. Maria da Lourdes Pintasilgo, Portugal
Prime Minister, 1979-1980
8. Lidia Gueiler Tejada, Bolivia
Prime Minister, 1979-1980
9. Dame Eugenia Charles, Dominica
Prime Minister, 1980-1995
10. Vigdís Finnbogadóttír, Iceland
President, 1980-1996
11. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norway
Prime Minister, 1981, 1986-1989, 1990-1996.
12. Soong Ching-Ling, Peoples' Republic of China
Honorary President, 1981
13. Milka Planinc, Yugoslavia
Federal Prime Minister, 1982-1986
14. Agatha Barbara, Malta
President, 1982-1987
15. Maria Liberia-Peters, Netherlands Antilles
Prime Minister, 1984-1986, 1988-1993
16. Corazon Aquino, Philippines
President, 1986-1992
17. Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan
Prime Minister, 1988-1990, 1993-1996
18. Kazimiera Danuta Prunskiena, Lithuania
Prime Minister, 1990-1991
19. Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, Nicaragua
Prime Minister, 1990-1996
20. Mary Robinson, Ireland
President, 1990-1997
21. Ertha Pascal Trouillot, Haiti
Interim President, 1990-1991
22. Sabine Bergmann-Pohl, German Democratic Republic
President, 1990
23. Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar (Burma)
Her party won 80% of the seats in a democratic election in 1990, but the military government refused to recognize the results. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991
24. Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh
Prime Minister, 1991-1996
25. Edith Cresson, France
Prime Minister, 1991-1992
26. Hanna Suchocka, Poland
Prime Minister, 1992-1993
27. Kim Campbell, Canada
Prime Minister, 1993
28. Sylvie Kinigi, Burundi
Prime Minister, 1993-1994
29. Agathe Uwilingiyimana, Rwanda
Prime Minister, 1993-1994
30. Susanne Camelia-Romer, Netherlands Antilles
Prime Minister, 1993, 1998- 1999
31. Tansu Çiller, Turkey
Prime Minister, 1993-1995
32. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, Sri Lanka
Prime Minister, 1994, President, 1994- 2005
33. Reneta Indzhova, Bulgaria
Interim Prime Minister, 1994-1995
34. Claudette Werleigh, Haiti
Prime Minister, 1995-1996
35. Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Bangladesh
Prime Minister, 1996- 2001
36. Mary McAleese, Ireland
President, 1997- Present
37. Pamela Gordon, Bermuda
Premier, 1997-1998
38. Janet Jagan, Guyana
Prime Minister, 1997, President, 1997-1999
39. Jenny Shipley, New Zealand
Prime Minister, 1997-1999
40. Ruth Dreifuss, Switzerland
President, 1999-2000
41. Jennifer Smith, Bermuda
Prime Minister, 1998- 2003
42. Nyam-Osoriyn Tuyaa, Mongolia
Acting Prime Minister, July 1999
43. Helen Clark, New Zealand
Prime Minister, 1999- Present
44. Mireya Elisa Moscoso de Arias, Panama
President, 1999 - 2004
45. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Latvia
President, 1999- 2007
46. Tarja Kaarina Halonen, Finland
President, 2000- Present
Source:Women History

So America's tryst with history may have finally arrived with regards to presidential politics, where all men and women are created equal. Based on the current ground realities, barring any unforeseen dynamic changes, in 2008, America will either have its first African American President or its first Woman President.
Presidential Election: Presidential Candidates 2008 - Election Coverage

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