Hillary Clinton
For Hillary Clinton 2008 was always meant to be her year. In January 2007, she
ended years of speculation, announcing what everyone had long
expected: “I’m in, and I’m in to win.”
It was not just a presidency at stake; it was the chance to break a precedent.
The former First Lady was born in Chicago in 1946 to the owner of a textile
business. Oddly, for someone who would be the champion of the Democratic
Party, she was a Republican while growing up, even volunteering for Barry
Goldwater’s failed presidential campaign in 1964. However, her conservative
views gave way to more liberal ones during college.
In 1969 she attended Yale law school where she met Bill Clinton. The two fell
in love and after she graduated she followed him to his home state of
Arkansas. They married in 1975 and had a daughter, Chelsea, five years later.
Mrs Clinton helped her husband to fulfil his political ambitions, all the way
to the presidency in 1991, while holding down a successful law career.
It was obvious that she was going to be a different kind of First Lady
compared to her predecessors. She became involved in policy decisions and
headed up her husband’s attempts to reform America’s healthcare system. She
failed and became a hate figure for the Right and divisive figure for
voters. It was not until her husband’s affair with a White House intern,
Monica Lewinsky, was exposed that she began to attract sympathy.
By the end of the Clinton presidency she set her sights on a political career
of her own. Against expectations she was elected senator for New York state
in 2000. She proved an effective politician and over the years she steadily
built up the support she would need for a presidential campaign. Her worst
mistake was to support, like many in her party, the Bush invasion of Iraq.
It gave Barack Obama the opportunity to attack her judgment.
John Edwards
On May 14 political junkies across America speculated wildly about whether or
not the “big endorsement” that Barack Obama was about to announce was John
Edwards.
As it happened the former Democrat vice-presidential nominee and primary
opponent did endorse Mr Obama that night. Rumours even circulated that Mr
Edwards could easily find a spot as Attorney-General in an Obama
Administration.
By August 8 all of that talk would vanish. Mr Edwards, after allegations by a
supermarket tabloid, admitted having an extramarital affair with a former
campaign staffer who had given birth to a child within a year of the
relationship ending. He denies being the father.
Mr Edwards’ wife, Elizabeth, was (and still is) in the midst of a fight with
cancer. The public outcry against Mr Edwards for cheating on his sick wife
forced him to cancel all appearances for the remainder of the campaign.
Mrs Edwards is an adviser to Mr Obama on healthcare.
Fred Thompson
The senator turned Law & Order actor turned presidential candidate
was the subject of a “Draft Fred” movement in 2007 by Republicans unhappy
with any candidate.
Billed as a true conservative saviour of the Right, Mr Thompson entered the
Republican field in September 2007 and proceeded to run one of the laziest,
most half-hearted campaigns in history. Mr Thompson finished sixth in New
Hampshire, behind even the Libertarian-leaning fringe candidate Ron Paul.
After adopting a more aggressive tone before the South Carolina primary in
January, but still finishing a distant third to John McCain and Mike
Huckabee, Mr Thompson withdrew from the race on January 22.
At the Republican National Convention in September he gave a stirring account
of Mr McCain’s time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He has since signed a
contract to return to acting.
Mitt Romney
It may be hard to believe now but Mitt Romney was the top contender for the
Republican nomination. He was a successful businessman and the Governor of
the very liberal state of Massachusetts, and it looked like he had the
crossover appeal that many Republicans were looking for.
But there were doubts about his religion – he was a Mormon – and, after
finishing second in the early rounds, he bowed out. For the rest of the
campaign he was one of John McCain’s top spokesmen and economic advisers.
In the weeks to come, it is likely that many will look to Mr Romney’s economic
credentials and question Mr McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin. During the
economic crisis, his presence on the ticket could have narrowed Mr Obama’s
advantage.
Mike Huckabee
The former Governor of Arkansas was the darling of the religious Right during
the Republican primaries. In other years that might have been enough to
propel the former Baptist minister to the party’s nomination.
Mr Huckabee, below, won the Iowa caucuses but New Hampshire had been the focus
of John McCain and Mitt Romney, and Mr Huckabee’s evangelical appeal had
little effect.
He finished a distant third in the first primary state, and gave Mr McCain a
lead that he would not relinquish.
Mr Huckabee won six more primaries before withdrawing in March. He remained an
advocate for Mr McCain.
In June Mr Huckabee announced his own news talk show on the Fox News Channel
in New York. He is set to attend an event this month in Iowa, a sign that he
is interested in running in 2012.
Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani was once considered the front-runner for the Republican
Presidential nomination.
The former Mayor of New York, whose stock rose in the aftermath of the attacks
on September 11, 2001, led in the polls for much of 2007. Unimpressive
fundraising, field organisation and strategy, however, led to his undoing.
After a poor performance in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, Mr
Giuliani’s campaign assumed that they would be lifted by big wins in Florida
and on Super Tuesday. Much of his staff worked without salaries at the end,
assuming fundraising would pick up with electoral success.
The strategy did not pan out and Mr Giuliani dropped out of the race and
endorsed John McCain. At the time, his campaign was more than $3 million in
debt.
At the Republican Convention Mr Giuliani gave a speech during which he mocked
Mr Obama’s former job as a community organiser and questioned his executive
experience.
