Last modification: 09/10/08
 -  Democrats (US) - elections - Republicans
 
The race to the White House
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After two consecutive Republican governments under George W. Bush, the White House could be headed for a changeover in November.

 

View our special reports on the Democratic Convention in Denver and the Republican Convention in St. Paul 

 

 

With the Republicans set to officially nominate John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, the long, often bitter 2008 US primary season is finally drawing to a close.

 

The August 25-28 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, ended with Barack Obama accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination, making him the first black presidential nominee for a major US party. Obama has picked Joe Biden, one of the longest-serving members of the US Senate, as his running mate.

 

Obama’s nomination followed Democratic rival Hillary Clinton’s official call to approve her fellow Democrat’s nomination by acclamation on the convention floor.

 

The stage is now set for three presidential debates Sept. 26, Oct. 7 and Oct. 15, where the candidates are expected to tackle major domestic and foreign policy issues.

 

Biden and Palin are set to face-off Oct. 2 for a much-awaited vice-presidential debate.

 

The election for the 44th White House resident is set for November 4, 2008.

 

 

Click here to see our special report on Feb. 5's 'Super Tuesday'

  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Republicans gather in St. Paul
    The four-day Republican convention opens in St. Paul, Minnesota, to nominate John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, for the November 4 presidential polls. But Hurricane Gustav threatens to dampen the festivities.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Democrats gather to endorse Obama
    Thousands of Democrats have gathered in Denver for a four-day convention to nominate Barack Obama as their White House nominee. Obama will be the first African-American candidate from a major US party.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama, McCain woo voters at religious forum
    Democrat Barack Obama and his Republican rival John McCain addressed a forum at a California evangelical megachurch on Saturday as the politics of faith take center stage in the White House campaign.
  • USA - AFGHANISTAN
    America's 'forgotten war' returns to the spotlight
    Once overshadowed by the war in Iraq, the US military operation in Afghanistan has dominated the 2008 presidential campaign circuit. With US casualties in Afghanistan in June surpassing those in Iraq, it’s about time.

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  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Virginia, the new swing state?
    The state of Virginia has not voted for a Democratic president in over 40 years. But Barack Obama supporters are confident that all could change on November 4th. They say population growth and the economic crisis could help turn Virginia blue.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    McCain campaign to harness Palin effect
    In a break with tradition, Republican presidential candidate John McCain could spend more time with Sarah Palin on the campaign trail. Polls show women voters have rallied to the Republican camp since the choice of Palin as VP candidate.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    McCain lays out his plans for the economy
    On the closing night of his Republican party's national convention, McCain addressed Americans' concerns about the economic slump as he spoke about ways to harness new sources of energy and lower taxes.
    (1) comment
  • FRANCE24.COM EXCLUSIVE
    Remembering ‘Barry’ Obama from fifth grade
    Dean Ando, a delegate for Washington State at the Democratic Convention in Denver, attended high school with Barack Obama. Aldo remembers his schoolmate as ‘Barry’, a 10 year-old who was “mean but fair” in basketball.
    (1) comment
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama's fiery speech launches campaign
    Barack Obama, accepting the presidential nomination in Denver, fired the first salvo of the official Democratic campaign with a combative speech focusing on welfare and the US economy.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama wins Democratic nomination
    Barack Obama became the first black presidential nominee of a major US party, with support from the Clintons, at the Democratic National Convention. Joe Biden accepts the vice presidential nomination.
  • USA - 2008 Election
    McCain gears up to name running mate
    As the Republican party prepares for its convention in Minnesota, media speculation about John McCain's potential running mates is running rife. A couple of names have cropped up over the last months.
  • USA - 2008 election
    Biden: bringing experience to the campaign
    Veteran Democrat Senator Joseph Biden adds experience and knowledge of foreign affairs to the Obama ticket in the run-up to the US presidential elections. But will Biden convince voters he can bring change to the White House?
    (1) comment
  • USA - 2008 election
    Biden joins Obama centre stage
    Presidential hopeful Barack Obama unveiled seasoned senator Joe Biden as his running mate during a rally in Springfield, Illinois. During his first speech as vice-presidential candidate, Biden slammed McCain for being out of touch with voters.
  • USA - AFGHANISTAN
    America's 'forgotten war' returns to the spotlight
    Once overshadowed by the war in Iraq, the US military operation in Afghanistan has dominated the 2008 presidential campaign circuit. With US casualties in Afghanistan in June surpassing those in Iraq, it’s about time.
  • OBAMA - WORLD TOUR
    Back home, Obama defends his world tour
    US Presidential candidate Barack Obama is now back in the US after his warmly greeted world tour, but during his absence seemed to lagg behind John McCain in US opinion polls. New polls suggest he's bouncing back.
  • OBAMA - WORLD TOUR
    Obama concludes European tour
    US Presidential candidate Barack Obama gave a press conference outside 10 Downing Street in London, the last leg of his week-long European tour, amidst concerns that his absence from the US would hurt his poll figures.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Arkansas: land of Clinton, but still a swing state
    Arkansas is known as the home state of the Clintons - Bill Clinton was the state's governor, and Hillary Clinton did well in the state's primary. But will Arkansans vote for Barack Obama in November?
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Expected VP announcements heat up White House race
    The 2008 US presidential election campaigns are entering a decisive phase, with candidates' selection for running mates expected soon, and the parties' national conventions only weeks ahead.
  • OBAMA - WORLD TOUR
    Sarkozy on Obama: 'We share many views'
    During a joint press conference, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and US presidential hopeful Barack Obama expressed mutual admiration and presented shared views on issues like Iran, the Middle East, the environment, and Darfur.
  • WEB NEWS
    Obamania in Europe
    After a successful visit to Germany, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is in France, where local bloggers are proud to show their support. Also on today's Web News: the double life of Radovan Karadzic continues to fascinate web users.
  • ISRAEL - OBAMA
    Obama tells Israelis Jerusalem will be their capital
    US presidential candidate Barack Obama reaffirmed his support for Israel at a joint press conference with Israeli Foreign Affairs minister Tzipi Livni in the terror-stricken town of Sderot.
  • UNITED STATES - EUROPE
    'Superstar' Obama in Berlin, Paris and London
    Barack Obama is on his first trip abroad as the presumptive Democratic nominee for the White House. After a tour of the Middle East, he is expected in Berlin, Paris and London, where his fans are waiting.
    (4) comments
  • IRAQ - USA
    Obama urges Iraq political solution
    U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama reiterated his commitment to a 16-month timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq but urged for a political solution. He arrived in Israel on the latest leg of his Mideast and European tour.
  • USA - Afghanistan
    Obama urges troop build-up in Afghanistan
    US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama expressed concern at "precarious and urgent conditions" in Afghanistan after meeting Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul. He is visiting the country as part of a world tour prior to elections.
  • REPORT - US ELECTION
    Obama, McCain suffer friendly fire
    The two main contenders for the White House have finally got down to the tough issues. Both, however, spent the best part of last week trying to limit the damage caused by ill-advised comments coming from their own camps.
  • USA - POLITICS
    Civil rights leader Jackson apologises to Obama
    Civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson apologised for his 'crude remarks' about Barack Obama caught by an open microphone on the set of Fox News. Obama's campaign said the candidate accepted Jackson’s apology.
    (1) comment
  • WEB NEWS
    Bill Clinton to support Barack Obama
    After former U.S. president Bill Clinton agrees to campaign for Barack Obama, web users react. Some of them don't accept this decision while others are annoyed by the media's obsession with the Clintons.
    (1) comment
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama, McCain court Latino voters
    Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain clashed over immigration policies to win over support from Latino voters. Obama accused McCain of backing away from the U.S. immigration reform under pressure from his party. (Report: L.Kammourieh)
    (1) comment
  • USA - ELECTIONS
    McCain campaigns in Mexico, Colombia
    In an unusual trip, Republican candidate John McCain visited Mexico and Colombia, where he spoke about free trade and foreign policy, and pushed Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on human rights issues.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama and Clinton stage show of unity
    Democrat presidential hopeful Barack Obama and his former rival Hillary Clinton heaped praise on each other in their first joint rally in the New Hampshire town of Unity, as Obama said Democrats needed the Clintons to win.(Report:L.Kammourieh)
    (1) comment
  • USA - 2008 election
    McCain and Obama outline diverging policies
    The two US presidential hopefuls detailed their energy policies after a wave of finger-pointing singled out the first contradictions in their campaign promises. (Washington correspondent: G. Meyer)
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama gives up public campaign money
    Democratic candidate Barack Obama announced that he will not use the 80 million dollars available in public financing to fund his bid for the White House, leaving him free to raise unlimited private cash for his campaign.
    (1) comment
  • USA - 2008 election
    Obama-McCain: week one
    One week after Hillary Clinton left the race, John McCain and Barack Obama, the presumptive nominees of the Republican and Democratic parties, traded arguments on the economy. Guillaume Meyer reports from Washington D.C..
  • USA - 2008 ELECTIONS
    Obama backs Israel in tough foreign policy speech
    Democratic candidate Barack Obama took a firm stance against Iran and pledged support to Israel in his first foreign policy speech since clinching the Democratic nomination for president.
    (1) comment
  • USA - 2008 election
    Obama claims victory, Clinton not stepping down
    According to media projections, Barack Obama has gained enough support to win the Democratic nomination race. Hillary Clinton said she would consult her supporters before making a decision.
    (1) comment
  • USA - 2008 election
    Obama: Clinton and I will be working together
    As Clinton and Obama near the end of the helter-skelter race to the Democratic nomination, the Illinois senator invited Clinton to work with him in November. Tuesday, the final two contests in Montana and South Dakota open.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama quits controversial church
    Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama has resigned from the Trinity United Church of Christ, his longtime church in Chicago, where controversial sermons had angered the senator and others.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Edwards backs Obama to unify Democrats
    Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards officially endorsed party front-runner Barack Obama in his bid for the White House, telling Democrats it was time to unite behind one candidate. (Report: A. Roy)
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Edwards stops short of endorsing Obama
    Former White House hopeful John Edwards stopped short of endorsing Barack Obama in the race to the Democratic nomination as he suggested Obama had a "better chance" of beating Republican nominee John McCain.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Back from the brink, Clinton wins Pennsylvania
    Hillary Clinton defeated Democratic rival Barack Obama in a tight Pennsylvania race, reviving her flagging White House hopes. (Report : M. MacCarthy)
    (9) comments
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Pennsylvania: not just guns and religion
    Pennsylvania holds its US presidential primary elections on April 22. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama face off in a state where local polls often match national results.
    (1) comment
  • WEB NEWS
    The web discusses the fate of Obama
    In the US, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the candidates vying for the Democratic nomination, are going head-to-head in the Pennsylvania primary. The web is enthralled by a class controversy caused by Obama.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama-Clinton debate tackles Iran
    In a televised debate before Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary, US presidential rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama vowed to defend Israel against Iranian attack, but disagreed on how Iran could be engaged on its nuclear ambitions. (Report: A. Roy)
    (3) comments
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Top Clinton aide quits over trade pact row
    In a fresh blow to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, her chief strategist, Mark Penn, quit their White House campaign Sunday after revelations his PR firm was also working for the Colombian government.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Survey: Obama's support softens
    Presidential candidate Barack Obama's support among US Democrats has softened over the last month, a New York Times/CBS News poll showed on Thursday. This as Obama raised $40 million in March, twice as much as rival Hillary Clinton.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Clinton says that, like 'Rocky', she won't quit
    As polls put Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton behind her rival Barack Obama, the New York senator vowed to continue her battle, comparing herself to the film character Rocky.
    (1) comment
  • US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
    Clinton backpedals on Bosnia issue
    Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday she made a mistake when she claimed she had come under sniper fire during a trip to Bosnia in 1996 while she was first lady.
    (1) comment
  • USA - FRANCE
    US Presidential candidate McCain visits Paris
    Republican presidential hopeful John McCain stopped off in Paris on Friday as part of a whirlwind foreign tour. (Report: C.Norris-Trent)
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    New Mexico's Richardson backs Obama
    Bad news for Hillary Clinton as America's only Hispanic State governor, Bill Richardson, unexpectedly endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic ticket. (Report: G. Cragg)
  • USA - ISRAEL
    McCain takes pro-Israel stance in Sderot
    US Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Wednesday visited Sderot, near Gaza, saying, "No nation in the world can be attacked incessantly and have its population killed and intimidated without responding."
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama speaks out on race relations
    U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday criticized his preacher's racially charged sermons but said he could not disown him in a speech urging Americans to move past their "racial stalemate."
  • IRAQ - USA
    US presidential hopeful McCain in Baghdad
    Republican presidential candidate John McCain arrived in Baghdad on Sunday to assess improved security in Iraq attributed to a build-up of 30,000 extra US troops of which he has been a strong supporter.
  • USA VOTE 2008
    Pastor could be big liability for Obama
    A history of controversial statements made by pastor Reverend Jeremiah Wright have forced presidential hopeful Barack Obama to speak out publicly against the man who has acted as his 'moral guide' for the last 20 years. (Story: O.Fairclough)
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama wins Democratic contest in Wyoming
    Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama won caucuses in Wyoming on Saturday over rival Hillary Clinton by a wide margin, US media reported.(Report:C.Moore)
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama aide quits after calling Clinton 'monster'
    A key foreign policy advisor to Democratic hopeful Barack Obama quit on Friday, after Hillary Clinton's campaign demanded her resignation for calling the former first lady a "monster."
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Bush endorses former rival McCain
    US President George W. Bush threw his support behind John McCain, the now official Republican candidate to his succession, by welcoming him to the White House on Wednesday. "He's going to win," Bush told reporters. (Report: P.Hall)
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Clinton back in the race with Ohio and Texas wins
    Hillary Clinton breathed new life into her flagging campaign for the White House by winning the Ohio and Texas primaries. Senator John McCain has secured the Republican nomination. (Report: K.Spencer)
    (3) comments
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama, Clinton trade barbs over healthcare
    Democratic rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off over healthcare, the war in Iraq and foreign policy during a heated debate ahead of crucial US primaries in Ohio and Texas on March 4. (Story: B. Coll)
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Robed Obama photo sparks row
    As the Democratic front-runners get set for tonight's debate, Barack Obama's campaign has accused Hillary Clinton's staff of leaking a photo of Obama in traditional Somali garb and called it 'offensive fear-mongering'. G. Meyer reports from Ohio.
    (2) comments
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Clinton vs Obama: the issues
    As Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton face off Tuesday in what could be their last debate, we look beyond the personality contest to identify the key policy differences setting the two candidates apart.
  • US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
    Nader launches presidential campaign
    Consumer advocate Ralph Nader joined the presidential race with a new independent campaign. Nader said that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans were addressing the problems facing America.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama, McCain sweep Potomac primaries
    Democrat Barack Obama defeated Hillary Clinton in the 'Potomac Primaries' after winning in Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC. Republican John McCain also won all three primaries, US media said.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Obama prevails, Huckabee resists
    Barack Obama cruised to victory in Democratic contests in Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington state, while Mike Huckabee snatched Kansas and Louisiana from Republican favourite John McCain, who held on to Washington state. (Report: K.Williams)
  • USA – VOTE 2008
    Clinton, McCain take California, New York
    Democratic and Republican frontrunners Hillary Clinton and John McCain have won Super Tuesday primaries in the key states of New York and California, according to US media projections. (Report: C.Norris-Trent).
  • SUPER TUESDAY
    Obama, Clinton battle coast to coast
    Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton entered the 'Super Tuesday' battle, the toughest test yet in the most expensive, intense, prolonged and unpredictable White House race. Catherine Galloway reports.
  • USA - VOTE 2008
    Chicago, Land of Obama
    Barack Obama continues to live in Hyde Park, on the south side of Chicago. Guillaume Meyer reports on the neighbourhood's support for its adopted son.
  • US PRIMARY
    John Edwards drops out of race
    Democratic hopeful John Edwards has dropped out of the US presidential race, leaving Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as the only contenders for the Democratic Party nomination. G. Meyer reports.

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