ELECTION 2008 CANDIDATE PROS AND CONS: CANDIDATE WEBSITES

This is the second in a series on the General Election scheduled for November 4, 2008. DOES DISASTER LOOM BEFORE US? began the series and listed the topics to be covered. However, DOES DISASTER LOOM BEFORE US? did not list the series in the order I will cover these topics.

The problem an election presents for the voter is not straight forward. To choose the candidate we think will best represent us, we need to know about the candidates. Unfortunately, every piece of information available about the candidates is either biased or incomplete. So we must take our time and sift through the information available calmly and methodically. Today we look at some of the information the candidates have made available about themselves.

Who Are The Candidates?

One thing that can be confusing is that America does have a multiparty system. Although only Democrats and Republicans generally ever get elected, that does not others from trying. Here is a list of abbreviations.

• (D) – Democratic Party
• (R) – Republican Party
• (L) – Libertarian Party
• (IG) – Independent Green Party
• (C) – Constitution Party
• (I) – Independent (no party affiliation)

The Virginia State Board of Elections determines who will be on the ballot. Since this is July and the election is not until November, the Virginia State Board of Elections still has work to do. Currently the Virginia State Board of Elections lists only candidates for the Senate and the House of Representatives (here).

Senate

We have four candidates on the ballot for the U.S. Senate.

• (D) Mark R. Warner
• (R) James S. ”Jim” Gilmore III
• (IG) Glenda Gail Parker
• (L) William B. Redpath

House of Representatives (11th Congressional District)

• (D) Gerald E. ”Gerry” Connolly
• (R) Keith S. Fimian
• (IG) Joseph P. Oddo

President

Because the presidential candidates have not necessarily been formally nominated yet, the Virginia State Board of Elections does not list these candidates. So let’s use an unofficial source, Project Vote Smart. Project Vote Smart lists five major candidates (here).

• (C) Charles O. ‘Chuck’ Baldwin
• (D) Barack H. Obama Jr.
• (R) John Sidney McCain III
• (L) Bob Barr
• (I) Ralph Nader

Where Do We Start?

Okay! Now we have a mob of candidates, twelve, for three different offices. Is it worth investigating all twelve of them? Realistically, only the candidates from the two major political parties have a chance of winning — or do they? Well that is up to you? How unhappy are you with the two major political parties? For what it is worth, I have provided links to the websites of the third party candidates. Even if they do not vote Republican, I want people to participate in politics and find out what is going on. Even when we start off on the wrong track, the best education is experience.

Before the election, I will try to do a post in the Libertarian Party. However, because I am a Republican, I will post only on the Republican candidates and their primary competition, the Democrats.

Website Review

Just listing all the candidates and the parties they represent required a post.

So I plan doing four more posts reviewing the candidate websites, one for each of the presidential candidates and one apiece for the Senate (Virginia) and the House races (just the 11th Congressional District, of course).