President Tries to Rally GOP Ranks on the Budget and Iraq
May 21, 2004
Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks discuss President Bush's visit to Capitol Hill, the budget battle, and the effect U.S. policy in Iraq may have in the upcoming presidential election.

Uncertainty in Iraq Weighs on Presidential Election
May 20, 2004
What are the key differences between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., in their approach to Iraq? Margaret Warner gets perspectives from Kenneth Adelman, a former Reagan administration arms-control official who serves on the Defense Policy Board, and Richard Holbrooke, a former foreign-policy adviser to Presidents Carter and Clinton.

Prisoner Abuse, Iraq, and Presidential Politics
May 14, 2004
Ray Suarez discusses the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal, the murder of Nick Berg and presidential election politics with syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks.

The Public's Changing View of the Presidential Candidates
May 12, 2004
President Bush and his Democratic rival Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts delivered speeches on health care and education this week. Pollster Andrew Kohut assesses the public's changing views of the two candidates.

The Role of Faith in Politics and War
May 6, 2004
President Bush often explains the war on terror in religious terms of good and evil. Jeffrey Brown speaks with University of Chicago theological scholars Jean Bethke Elshtain and Martin Marty about the role of religion in public discourse.

Commission Expresses Doubts About Electronic Voting
May 5, 2004
The commission Congress created to investigate the security of electronic voting machines said the software on some machines is not reliable enough for use in the 2004 presidential election. Spencer Michels looks at the controversy in California over electronic voting methods.

Campaign Financing
Controversial 527 Groups Are Key to Campaign Strategy
Millions of dollars are spent to elect a federal candidate to office, particularly during a presidential election cycle. The system of funding political campaigns -- both to help elect a candidate or work toward the defeat of another -- is complex and often perceived by the public to be riddled with irregularities and loopholes.

Electoral Map
What Will It Take to Win in November?
Use the interactive electoral college map to chart a winning strategy for President George W. Bush or Sen. John Kerry. Click on each state to see how a win or loss there will affect the overall outcome of the election. Formulate combinations of state wins that add up to an electoral college victory and view voting history and trends for each state.