Two years before the 2008 U.S. presidential election, candidates from both major parties are already maneuvering for position. Because President George W. Bush is constitutionally ineligible for a third term and Vice President Dick Cheney has ruled out a run, 2008 will mark the first election since 1952 in which neither a sitting president nor vice president appears on a major-party ticket.
Democrats, energized by their sweeping gains in the November congressional elections, see an opening to reclaim the White House. Senator Hillary Clinton of New York is considered the party's leading contender, with Senator John Edwards and Senator John Kerry also weighing campaigns. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, 45, has attracted intense attention and is seen as a potential wild card given his national appeal.
On the Republican side, Senator John McCain, 70, quickly launched an exploratory campaign. Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is also viewed as a major contender. Other potential candidates include Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Health Secretary Tommy Thompson.
The nominating process formally begins in January 2008, when Iowa holds the first balloting, followed by a series of state primary elections leading to party conventions the following summer. Analysts note that no woman or African American has ever been elected to the presidency.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.