This year the field is wider than ever but the caucusing is starting early. Are you wondering where to cast your vote? If so, what follows is a background statement on each democratic presidential candidate.
This is by no means a comprehensive rundown of the candidates but merely a starting point intended to stimulate further personal research and interest. Campaign websites can be accessed by clicking on candidates' names. Gather websites are linked at the end of the article.
Joe Biden (Scranton, PA, 1942) lives in Delaware with Jill, his wife of 30 years who is a schoolteacher and his 89-year-old mother; attended the University of Delaware and Syracuse Law University; proposes a three-region Iraq with a central government; U.S. troops would withdraw by summer 2008; favors diplomacy.
Hillary Clinton (Chicago, IL, 1947) lives in New York with her husband of 32 years, Bill, former US president; attended Wellesley and Yale; one child; proposed legislation that ends the war before January 2009, begins withdrawal within 90 days of passage (retaining residuals), and imposes benchmarks regarding funding.
Chris Dodd (Willimantic, CT, 1944) lives in Connecticut with his second wife Jackie and two children; attended Providence College and University of Louisiana Law School; co-sponsored legislation proposing troop withdrawal beginning in 120 days to be completed in one year except for residuals; supports diplomacy.
John Edwards (Seneca, SC, 1953) former NC Senator living in South Carolina with his attorney-wife of 30 years, Elizabeth and their three children; attended North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Law School; supports immediate drawdown of U.S. troops to 40-50,000, requirements attached to funding, withdrawal of combat troops in 9-10 months and clarification of the lack of legal basis for the war.
Mike Gravel (Springfield, MA, 1930) former Alaskan Senator living in Arlington County, Virginia with his second wife Whitney; attended American International College and Columbia University School of General Studies; proposed immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops to be completed by Christmas 2007.
Dennis Kucinich (Cleveland, OH, 1946) former House Rep; lives in Ohio with his wife of two years, Elizabeth; attended Case Western University; favors advising Congress the $160B spring war spending bill will not be approved, bringing all U.S. troops home and closing all military bases there; advocates diplomacy.
Barack Obama (Honoloulu, HI, 1961) lives in Chicago, IL with his attorney-wife of 15 years, Michelle and their two children; attended Columbia University and Harvard Law School; proposes immediately beginning withdrawal of U.S. combat troops to be completed by the end of 2008; advocates diplomacy and immediate confrontation with Iraq's humanitarian crisis.
Bill Richardson (Pasadena, CA, 1947) former NM Governor living in Santa Fe with his wife of 35 years, Barbara; attended Tufts University; favors withdrawing from Iraq as quickly as possible, bringing all U.S. troops home and advocates diplomacy.
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 16
Chick offers excellent advice: "Listen to the candidates."
I'd say don't just listen but do just a little digging to see what they've done and where they have been, too. Talk can be cheap - as some might argue can be evidenced by the current administration.
That's an excellent observation and you raise some rather important questions. I think that the candidates' personal information can reveal hypocrisy and dishonesty. For instance, and let me move over to the Republican side for this, a politician like Louisiana Senator David Vitter. He ran and voted as a real "Family Values" guy but ended up resigning when his name turned up on Washington, D.C. madam's list of customer.
Knowing some personal background allows us to verify whether our elected officials are "walking the walk".
Anyone else?