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2008 Republican
Presidential Candidates
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Senator John McCain, born August 29, 1936, in the US-controlled Panama Canal Zone, Senator from Arizona. Often characterized as a Republican maverick in the Senate, he is well-known. In 2000, he failed in his attempt to deny George W. Bush the Republican nomination: McCain continued his ultimately unsuccessful campaign long after the other Republican candidates had united behind Bush. McCain's bipartisan compromise on judicial nominations and his strong support of campaign finance reform have drawn the ire of many groups, many of which have vowed to work against any McCain campaigns for the Republican nomination in 2008. However, he has a strong stance on many issues and economically falls more along the lines of traditional "fiscal conservatism." These factors, along with his commitment to the War on Terror (including Iraq) have boosted his popularity amongst conservatives since 2004, when he emphasized these traits while stumping for Republican candidates. If elected, he would become the oldest person in history elected president, surpassing Ronald Reagan, and if elected to two terms, McCain would be the oldest sitting president in U.S. history. On November 15, 2006, McCain announced that he would form an exploratory committee. On "The Late Show with David Letterman" on Feb 28, 2007, Sen. John McCain announced he will seek the GOP presidential nomination, and made a formal announcement on April 25, 2007. Web Site |
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Congressman Ron Paul, born August 20, 1935, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, long-time U.S. Representative from Texas with a strong constitutionalist and libertarian voting record. Paul has been nicknamed "Dr. No" for his opposition to tax increases and spending bills. He has chastened his fellow Republicans for abandoning the party's ideals, and for helping to create an unsustainable national debt now in the trillions of dollars. Dr. Paul seeks to "reinstate the Constitution and restore the Republic." On 11 January 2007, Representative Ron Paul filed papers to form an exploratory committee for the 2008 presidential race. He formally declared his candidacy 12 March 2007 as a guest on Washington Journal on C-SPAN. He is not running as a Libertarian as he did nearly two decades ago. Paul has the distinction of being opposed to the Iraq War and interventionist US foreign policy. He is one of 7 Republican congressman who voted against Iraq War authorization in October 2002. He has also opposed George W. Bush and the majority of Republican congressmen on many other issues, including the PATRIOT Act. His record on these issues means he may draw support from some surprising circles, including anti-war activists and paleoconservatives. On 20 February 2007, Paul's exploratory committee posted a formal video of him explaining his reason for running on YouTube. Web Site |
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