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Candidates
Pick Up Steam in Run-up to Presidential Primaries |
Posted:
11.05.07
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Presidential candidates are turning up the rhetoric as several
states battle for early presidential primary dates, hoping to
exert more influence in an election that boasts the second largest
number of candidates in U.S. history.
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Traditionally, Iowa holds the first presidential caucus and
New Hampshire holds the first primary a week later. New Hampshire
actually has a law requiring it to have the first primary in the
nation.
 In
a caucus, voters meet to choose local delegates who will then
support a primary candidate. During a primary, citizens vote directly
for a primary candidate from their party, making New Hampshire
the first real voter test in the presidential election.
"The last 13 presidents elected, 11 of them won the New
Hampshire primary before winning the White House," political
analyst and columnist Mark Shields told the NewsHour in October.
"That's how influential it has been."
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The primary
shuffle |
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This year, a number of states decided to move up the dates of
their primaries, posing potential challenges to Iowa and New Hampshire
for the title of the nation's first caucus and primary spots.
A record 20 states scheduled primaries for Feb. 5, 2008 -- so
many that the date is being called "Super Duper Tuesday."
Heated tensions have also stemmed from states that dared to move
their primaries to January without permission from the national
party leadership.
Florida moved its primary to Jan. 29 in violation of Democratic
National Committee (DNC) rules and the DNC has threatened to take
away the state's nominating votes in the national convention.
 Michigan
ignored national party rules by scheduling its primary even earlier,
on Jan. 15.
New Hampshire has refused to announce a primary date until Michigan's
date is settled. Some have even speculated the New Hampshire primary
could be moved to December of 2007.
"I'm going to set a date as early as I can, so long as I
know when I set it, that our tradition is going to be preserved,"
New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner told reporters
on Nov. 2.
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Clinton rises
to the top |
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With just two months to go before the primaries begin, the top
candidates are working to solidify their leads and the underdog
hopefuls are putting in a final push to advance to the front of
the pack.
New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has established herself as the
leading Democrat to beat, winning 44 percent of the support in
a national Newsweek poll released Nov. 3. Illinois Sen. Barack
Obama was second with 24 percent support from those surveyed,
and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards earned 12 percent.
 The
poll was taken after an especially heated Democratic debate in
which Obama and Edwards aggressively criticized Clinton on the
war in Iraq and other issues.
Edwards said Clinton "defends a broken system that's corrupt
in Washington, D.C."
Clinton's campaign later posted video of the forum, pointing
out how the rest of the candidates in the debate were ganging
up on her. Obama was later asked on the Today Show and if Clinton
is playing the gender card.
"I am assuming and I hope that Senator Clinton wants to
be treated like everybody else," Obama said. "It doesn't
make sense… that suddenly she backs off and says, 'Don't
pick on me.'"
At an appearance at her alma mater, Wellesley, on Nov. 1, Clinton
said, "In so many ways, this all-women's college prepared
me to compete in the all-boys club of presidential politics,"
according to Reuters.
While Clinton's lead nationally is daunting, Mark Halprin of
Time magazine told the NewsHour, "The Democratic race is
largely about Iowa, and in Iowa both Obama and Edwards are much
stronger against Clinton than they are nationally."
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Republican
confusion |
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The candidates vying for the Republican nomination are still
battling for the top spot in their field of hopefuls.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts
Gov. Mitt Romney, Ariz. Sen. John McCain and former Tenn. Sen.
Fred Thompson are all big names in the race.
Giuliani is leading national polls with 30 percent of the support
in the Newsweek poll. Thompson is next with 15 percent, followed
closely by McCain with 14 percent and Romney with 12 percent.
Jim VandeHei, executive editor of Politico.com, told the NewsHour
the Republican race is still wide open.
"Unlike the Democratic race, which really has come down
to Obama versus Clinton, you could sketch out a plausible scenario
where any of five candidates … could win the nomination,"
he said.
Each of the candidates faces challenges. Giuliani's popularity
has stemmed largely from his response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks
as mayor of New York City, while his liberal pro-choice and gun
control stances are viewed as negatives by some Republicans.
McCain's campaign has struggled to raise money and several top
campaign officials resigned earlier this year.
Romney is Mormon, spurring questions from voters and the media
on his religion. He has also been accused of changing his stance
on critical issues to win elections.
"Law and Order" television star Thompson entered the
race later than the other candidates and has yet to pick up the
steam on the campaign trail that may be needed to win the nomination.
--Compiled
by Talea Miller for NewsHour Extra
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Joplin was able to rise from the ashes because of help from everyone. And I am eternally grateful to anyone who made that possible.
