United States presidential election, 2008 timeline

The following is a timeline of events leading up to the upcoming 2008 U.S. presidential election:

2002

* October 7 - Maureen Dowd writes article in "The New York Times" entitled "Can Hillary Upgrade?" which claims that Hillary Clinton, serving as the junior Senator from New York, has mollified her criticism of the then-pending invasion of Iraq because "Clinton knows that any woman who hopes to be elected president cannot afford to be seen as too much of a dove," and that she might seek the Democratic Party's nomination in 2008. [cite news
title = Can Hillary Upgrade?
page = A27
publisher = The New York Times
url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0813FF3B5C0C718CDDA90994DA404482
date = 2002-10-02
author = Dowd, Maureen
accessdate = 2006-08-22 (preview only) ]

2003

* November 27 - In an interview with Germany's "Bunte" magazine, Hillary Clinton states that she will not be a candidate for the presidency in 2004, and when told that some were disappointed with that decision, she replied: "I know. Well, perhaps I'll do it next time around," widely interpreted that she will consider a run in the 2008 race, if the 2004 Democratic nominee is unsuccessful. [cite news
url = http://www.gmax.co.za/look/11/27-hilaryclinton.html
title = 'Maybe', says Hillary Clinton to 2008 presidential race
publisher = GMax
date=2003-11-27
accessdate = 2007-03-08]

2004

* July 27 - Much of America and the world is first introduced to Illinois State Senator Barack Obama when he makes a well-received speech at the Democratic National Convention, as a candidate for United States Senator in the state of Illinois. Afterwards, political experts and Democratic insiders begin to speculate Obama as a future candidate for higher political office.
* November 2 - President George W. Bush wins re-election over Senator John F. Kerry.
* November 9 - Following Senator John Kerry's loss in the 2004 election, Cameron Kerry, John Kerry's brother and political confidante stated in regards to another presidential run: "That's conceivable... I don't know why that [last week's loss] should necessarily be it. I think it's too early to assess. But I think that he is going to continue to fight on for the values, ideals, and issues this campaign is about." [cite news
url = http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/11/09/kerry_run_in_08_called_conceivable/?page=2
title = Kerry run in '08 called conceivable
publisher = boston.com
date=2004-11-09
accessdate = 2007-03-08]

2005

* February 7 - After the reelection inauguration of George W. Bush, in an interview with "Fox News Sunday", Vice President Dick Cheney was asked whether he would seek the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2008. He replied: "I've got my plans laid out, I'm going to serve this president for the next four years and then I'm out of here." When pressed further, Cheney also responded to a potential presidential run by stating "Not only no, but hell no" and quoted General William Tecumseh Sherman's famous statement "If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve." [cite news
url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,146546,00.html
title=Transcript: Vice President Cheney on 'FOX News Sunday'
accessdate=2006-11-14
date=2005-02-07
format=Reprint
work=FOX News Sunday
publisher=FOXNews.com ]

2006

* March 11 - Southern Republican Leadership Conference Hotline Straw Poll: Bill Frist 526 (36.9%), Mitt Romney 205 (14.4%), George Allen 147 (10.3%), John McCain 66 (4.6%), Mike Huckabee 54 (3.8%), George Pataki 38 (2.7%), Condoleezza Rice 32 (2.2%), Sam Brownback 22 (1.5%), Rudy Giuliani 15 (1.1%), Newt Gingrich 13 (0.9%), Chuck Hagel 3 (0.2%), scattered 43 (3.0%) and President Bush (as a show of support for the war) got 147 (10.3%). This is the first cattle call poll of the cycle. [cite news
url = http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/03/srlc_straw_poll_1.html
title = SRLC Straw Poll: Frist Wins; Romney Second
publisher = Hotline on Call
date=2006-03-11
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* March 21 - Delaware Senator and 1988 Democratic primary candidate, Joseph Biden announces that he will seek the Democratic nomination in 2008 . [cite news
url = http://www.goupstate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060321/NEWS/603210354/1051/NEWS01
title = Biden plans Oval Office bid in '08
work = Spartanburg Herald-Journal
date=2006-03-21
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* April 17 - Former Democratic Alaska Senator and an active, but unsuccessful 1972 candidate for Vice President on the Democratic ticket, Mike Gravel, stated his intention to run in a speech before the National Press Club. [cite news
url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/17/AR2006041701297.html
title = A Democratic Dark Horse Who Isn't Afraid to Take the Lead
work = The Washington Post
date=2006-04-18
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* May 20 - Wisconsin State Republican Convention Straw Poll: George Allen 61 (17%), Rudy Giuliani 60 (17%), Newt Gingrich 53 (15%), Condoleezza Rice 50 (14%), Mitt Romney 40 (11%), John McCain 37 (10%), no response 15 (4%), Sam Brownback 11 (3%), Bill Frist and Tom Tancredo 8 (2%) each, George Pataki 4 (1%) Mike Huckabee 2 (1%), and Chuck Hagel 1 (0%). [cite news
url = http://www.politics1.com/blog-0506a.htm#0522
title = P2008: Allen, Giuliani lead Wisconsin GOP straw poll
publisher = politics1.com
date=2006-05-22
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* May 22 - It is announced that Democratic Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd has "decided to do all the things that are necessary to prepare to seek the presidency in 2008." [cite news
url = http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/23/dodd.president/index.html
title = Dodd considering 2008 presidential bid
publisher = CNN
date=2006-05-23
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* June 2 - Minnesota Republicans hold a straw poll at their annual convention. Results: Newt Gingrich 210 votes. George Allen 79 votes, followed by Condoleezza Rice with 58 and John McCain at 55 votes; Jeb Bush 32 votes, Mitt Romney 29, and Rudy Giuliani 19. [cite news
url = http://blog.4president.org/2008/2006/06/mn_gop_presiden.html
title = MN GOP Presidential Straw Poll
publisher = 4president.org
date=2006-06-02
accessdate = 2007-03-08]

October 2006

* October 12 - Former Democratic Virginia Governor and widely-speculated 2008 contender Mark Warner states that he will not seek the presidency in 2008. [cite news
title = Statement of Governor Mark Warner
publisher = Forward Together Pac
date = 2006-10-12
url = http://www.forwardtogetherpac.com/contents/show/394
accessdate = 2006-10-12 ]
* October 22 - After his decisive victory in November 2004, freshman Illinois Senator Barack Obama had stated that "I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years." [cite news
last = Fornek
first = Scott
title = Obama for president? That's 'silly'
work = Chicago Sun-Times
date = November 4, 2004
url = http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20041104/ai_n12566462
format = Reprint
accessdate = 2007-01-08] He changed his mind about a presidential run in October 2006, stating: "I don't want to be coy about this: given the responses that I've been getting over the last several months, I have thought about the possibility, but I have not thought about it with the seriousness and depth that I think is required." "After November 7, I'll sit down and consider, and if at some point I change my mind, I will make a public announcement and everybody will be able to go at me." [cite news
url = http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2006/10/22/index.html
title = Obama opens door to White House bid
work = Chicago Tribune
date=2006-10-22
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* October 30 - Massachusetts Senator John Kerry makes a "botched joke" about education and Iraq, which dominates the news for several days.
* October 30 - Republican Representative Duncan Hunter from California announces the formation of an exploratory committee for a presidential run. [cite news
url = http://www.sdbj.com/industry_article.asp?aID=13317378.3629221.1386021.93177402.9377847.926&aID2=106608
title = Duncan Hunter Mulls Run for President
work = San Diego Business Journal
date=2006-10-31
accessdate = 2007-03-08]

November 2006

* November 7 - Midterm election: the Democratic Party captures the House and Senate.
* November 9 - Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack files papers with the FEC announcing that he's a candidate for the Democratic nomination. [cite news
url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/10/AR2006111000352.html
title = Iowa Gov. Vilsack Running for President
work = The Washington Post
date=2006-11-10
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* November 10 - Senator John McCain announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee. [cite news
url = http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/McCain_shows_interest_in_2008_run_to_become_American_President
title = McCain shows interest in 2008 run to become American President
work = Wikinews
date=2006-11-10
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* November 10 - Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, forms a presidential exploratory committee to begin raising money for a possible campaign for the Republican nomination. [cite news
url = http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/11/giulianis_exploratory_committe.html
title = Giuliani Takes First Step in Run for President
work = The Washington Post
date=2006-11-13
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* November 12 - Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, considered the darling of the Democratic Party's left wing, withdraws his name from the race. [cite news
url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/11/12/sen-feingold-i-wont-ru_n_33910.html
title = Sen Feingold: I won't run for President in '08 ...
work = The Huffington Post
date=2006-11-12
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* November 15 - Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson (R) announces that he intends to form a presidential exploratory committee in early 2007. [cite news
url = http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=5687343
title = Thompson intends to form presidential exploratory committee
publisher = WBAY-TV
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* November 17 - Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum withdraws his name from the race. [cite news|url=http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/16032443.htm|title=Santorum: No oval office run|author=Carrie Budoff|work=inquirer.com|publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=November 17, 2006]
* November 29 - Tennessee Senator Bill Frist withdraws his name from the race. [cite news
url = http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2006/11/29/frist-decides-against-%e2%80%9908-presidential-bid/
title = Frist Decides Against '08 Presidential Bid
work = The Wall Street Journal
date=2006-11-29
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* November 30 - Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack publicly and formally announces he is running for president. [cite news
url = http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/11/30/after_08_announcement_vilsack_makes_beeline_to_nh/
title = After '08 announcement, Vilsack makes beeline to N.H.
work = The Boston Globe
date=2006-11-30
accessdate = 2007-03-08]

December 2006

* December 1 - Indiana Senator Evan Bayh announces the formation of an exploratory committee. [cite news
url = http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=politics&id=4815828
title = Bayh Signals White House Run
publisher = ABC
author = Associated Press
date=2006-12-01
accessdate = 2007-03-09]
* December 1 - On the "Tonight Show", Illinois Senator Barack Obama lets it be known that he's considering a presidential bid. [cite news
url = http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=entertainment&id=4751928
title = Obama Jokes About Possibly Running For President On 'Jay Leno'
publisher = ABC
author = Associated Press
date=2006-12-02
accessdate = 2007-03-09]
* December 3 - Former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle withdraws his name from the race. [cite news
url = http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,52869
title = Daschle Will Not Seek Presidency
work = Keloland
date=2006-02-12
accessdate = 2007-03-08]
* December 3 - "The New York Times" prints an article on how Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is in discussions with New York Democratic leaders as to setting up a Presidential race. [cite news
url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/03/nyregion/03clinton.html?ex=1322802000&en=04af6368f2d1d471&ei=5088&
title = Clinton's Talks With Democrats May Signal Bid for President
news = The New York Times
first = Patrick
last = Healy
date=2006-12-03
accessdate = 2007-03-09]
* December 4 - Republican Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas announces formation of an exploratory committee. [cite news
url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/04/AR2006120400403.html
title = Sen. Brownback Forms Group to Explore White House Bid
work = The Washington Post
date=2006-12-05
accessdate = 2007-03-09]
* December 9 - Senator George Allen of Virginia, who had lost a close race for reelection, announces that he won't run for president. He was at one time considered a front-runner. [cite news
url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/08/AR2006120801617.html
title = Issues Overshadowed by 'Distractions,' Allen Says
work = The Washington Post
first = Michael
last = Shear
date=2006-12-09
accessdate = 2007-03-09]
* December 9 - New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson denies he actually announced that he was running in a Fox News interview earlier in the week. [cite news
last = Fears
first = Darryl
date=2006-12-08
url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/07/AR2006120701556.html
title = Richardson Plans January Decision on Bid
work = The Washington Post
page = A13
accessdate = 2007-03-01]
* December 11 - Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich announces his plans to run for president in a report by the Associated Press. [cite news
url = http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Kucinich_to_run_for_U.S._president
title = Kucinich to run for U.S. president
publisher = Wikinews
date=2006-12-11
accessdate = 2007-03-09]
* December 15 - After two weeks of "exploration" Senator Evan Bayh withdraws from the race. [cite news
url = http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/16/bayh.out/index.html
title = Bayh bows out of '08 presidential race
publisher = CNN
date=2006-12-16
accessdate = 2007-03-09]
* December 16 - Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards announces he will formally start his candidacy later in the month. [cite news
url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-12-16-edwards-president-2008_x.htm
title = Democratic officials: John Edwards to run for president in '08
work = USA Today
date=2006-12-17
accessdate = 2007-03-09]
* December 19 - Former Virginia Governor James S. Gilmore III, announces he is setting up an exploratory committee, saying that he is a "Reagan Republican." [cite news
url = http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/12/gilmore_forms_e.html
title = Gilmore Forms Exploratory Committee
publisher = New York Times (via Hotline on Call)
date=2006-12-19
accessdate = 2007-03-09]
* December 28 - Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards officially kicks off his campaign in New Orleans. [cite news
url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/27/AR2006122701452.html
title=John Edwards Joins Presidential Race
publisher=The Washington Post
first=Nedra
last=Pickler
date=2006-12-28
accessdate=2006-12-28]

2007

tate of nomination races at beginning of 2007

; Other Republican candidate polling results
* South Carolina: Thompson 21%; Romney 16%; Giuliani 16%; McCain 16%; Huckabee 11%; Paul 3%; Brownback 2%; Hunter 2%
* Michigan: Giuliani 19%; Romney 16%; McCain 15%; Thompson 14%; Huckabee 6% Paul 5%; Brownback 2%; Hunter 2%
* Florida: Giuliani 29%; Thompson 19%; Romney 16%; McCain 10%; Huckabee 6%; Paul 3%; Brownback 1%

October 2007

*October 9 - Republican presidential debates, 2008: Fred Thompson makes his debate debut in Dearborn, Michigan.
*October 9 - Deadline for Michigan Primary. Obama, Edwards, Biden, Richardson and Kucinich file papers to get their names off the ballot. All 'major' Republicans but Alan Keyes, who begins a petition drive, are on the ballot. [ [http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071010/POLITICS01/710100401 Five Dems pull out of state primary ] ]
*October 12 - Al Gore wins the Nobel Peace Prize
*October 12 - Former candidate Tommy Thompson endorses Rudy Giuliani for president. [ [http://www.channel3000.com/politics/14328800/detail.html Giuliani Picks Up Endorsement From Tommy Thompson - Politics News Story - WISC Madison ] ]
*October 14 - Republican presidential debates, 2008: ABC News/WMUR-TV/Union Leader Republican debate in Manchester, NH.
*October 16 - Stephen Colbert announces he is running for president as a favorite son in South Carolina. [cite news
url = http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hFzxF7XLwi7Il2DVEE6la0NVo--gD8SAOEEG1
title = Stephen Colbert to Run for President
author = Coyle, Jake
publisher = Associated Press (via google.com)
date=2007-10-16
accessdate = 2007-10-16]
*October 19 - Sam Brownback announces that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1922351520071019 Sen. Brownback drops out of 2008 campaign | Politics | Reuters ] ]
*October 19 - 21: Socialist Party USA National Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. Brian Moore of Florida is nominated for president and Stewart Alexander of California for vice-president. The final round vote was: 25 for Moore and 20 for Eric Chester of Massachusetts. [ [http://www.vote-socialist.org/ Socialist National Committee ] ] [ [http://www.VoteBrianMoore.com Brian Moore ] ]
*October 20 - Orlando, Florida hosts the Values Voter Summit, sponsored by the Family Research council, attended by all the major Republican candidates and featuring a straw poll: Mike Huckabee 488 (51.26%); Mitt Romney 99 (10.40%); Fred Thompson 77 (8.09%); Tom Tancredo 65 (6.83%); Rudy Giuliani 60 (6.30%); Duncan Hunter 54 (5.67%); John McCain 30 (3.15%); Sam Brownback 26 (2.73%); Ron Paul 25 (2.63%); Undecided 11 (1.16%); Not Voting 7 (0.74%); Barack Obama 5 (0.53%); Christopher Dodd 2 (0.21%); Dennis Kucinich 2 (0.11%); Joe Biden 1 (0.11%). If online votes are included, Mitt Romney beat Huckabee 1595 (27.62%) to 1565 27.15%, with Ron Paul in third with 865 14.98%. [ [http://www.frcaction.org/ FRC Action: Saturday, February 9, 2008 ] ]
*October 21 - Republican presidential debates, 2008: Florida Republican Party/FOX News debate in Orlando, FL. [cite news
url = http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/nation/16736000.htm
title = GOP straw poll scrapped for prime-time debate
author = Klas, Mary Ellen and Phil Long
publisher = Miami Herald
date=2007-02-20
accessdate = 2007-03-09]
*October 21 - Democratic presidential debates, 2008: ABC News, WMUR-TV, and the New Hampshire Union Leader host a Democratic presidential debate in NH
*October 30 - Democratic presidential debates, 2008: Democratic debate hosted by NBC News/MSNBC** in Philadelphia, PA

November 2007

*November 2 - Deadline for submitting applications to get on New Hampshire Primary ballot. [ [http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071019/NEWS08/310190075/-1/news08 NHPrimary.com: N.H. won't announce date before Nov. 2 ] ]
*November 5 - Ron Paul raises the most money on a single day of any GOP candidate to date with $4.3 million. [ [http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8SO0SCG0&show_article=1 Paul Raises More Than $3.5M in One Day ] ] He also raises the most money through online donations of any candidate in US history. [ [http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/11/ron-paul-says-h.html Ron Paul says he's broken one-day online fundraising record - On Politics - USATODAY.com ] ] [ [http://www.usadaily.com/article.cfm?articleID=151377 Ron Paul makes fund raising history ] ] Paul would later beat his own records on December 16.
*November 8 - Republican National committee strips all states selecting delegates prior to February 5 of half their delegates.
*November 9 - Announcement of Michigan primary candidate lists.Fact|date=January 2008
*November 15 - CNN/Nevada Democratic Party Nevada Democratic Presidential Debate at UNLV in Las Vegas, NV
*November 28 - Republican debate hosted by YouTube/Google and CNN.
*November 30 - Man takes hostages in Hillary Clinton's campaign offices.Fact|date=August 2008

December 2007

* December 1 - "The Heartland Presidential Candidate Forum – A Conversation with Real People on Real Issues," cosponsored by coalition of over two dozen community organizations including the Center for Community Change, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, and Grass Roots Organizing at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines, IA
** Delegate totals at beginning of the Month: Democrats ("superdelegate" endorsements): Uncommitted 365; Clinton 169, Obama, 63; Edwards 34; Richardson, 25; Dodd, 17; Biden, 8, and Dennis Kucinich, 2. [http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-elect/2007/dec/02/120209114.html] GOP: None as yet selected.
** The Democratic National Committee strips Michigan of all its delegates.
* December 4 - Republican debate sponsored by the Fox News Channel and the Republican Party of Iowa. Only candidates polling nationally at 5% or higher are allowed to participate. [http://www.iowagop.net/shownews.asp?artid=33]
* December 6 - Seeking to assuage fears by Christian conservatives of a Mormon president, Mitt Romney delivers a major address on his faith and religion in the United States at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library. [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22129738/ Romney: No religious test for president - Mitt Romney News - MSNBC.com ] ]
* December 7 - "Special" Absentee ballots become available in California, and the voting officially begins. [ [http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:MFHgj-4oDwQJ:www.votescount.com/feb08/admincal.pdf+2008+presidential+primary+filing+deadlines&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us ATTACHMENT “A”, Administrative Calendar Jurisdictions Consolidating Elections with the February 5, 2008 Presidential Primary Election] through Google Cash accessed at January 4 2008] [ [http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:fBn5on4GNZAJ:www.sos.ca.gov/elections/keydates_2008.pdf+2008+presidential+primary+filing+deadlines&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us Key Presidential Primary and Statewide Direct Election Dates and Deadlines for 2008] through Google cash accessed at January 4 2008]
* December 9 - Univision Republican debate at BankUnited Center at the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, FL.
* December 10 - Scheduled Democratic debate on CBS in Los Angeles, CA. Canceled due to Writers' Strike.
* December 16 - Ron Paul (R-TX) raises more than $6 million online in 24 hours. This is the largest single day collection of any candidate in US history and the largest collection of the fourth quarter. [ [http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/12/17/ron-pauls-fundraising-continues-to-stun/?mod=sphere_ts Washington Wire - WSJ.com : Ron Paul's Fund-Raising Continues to Stun ] ]
* December 17- 2000 Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee Joe Lieberman endorses Republican candidate John McCain.
* December 20 - Tom Tancredo announces that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination. [ [http://cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002648348 CQ Politics | Tancredo Out, And Now There Are Seven ] ]
* December 28 - former Black Panther chairperson Elaine Brown ends her candidacy for the Green Party nomination [http://www.elainebrown.org/index.htm] .
* December 31 - Federal Election Commission Chairman Michael Toner estimated in January 2007 that a serious prospective candidate for President "needs to raise $100 million" by the end of 2007 "just to be 'taken seriously.'" [cite news| first=Helen|last=Kennedy
title=Wanna be Prez? First get $100M
date=2007-01-14
publisher = New York Daily News
url=http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/488673p-411469c.html
accessdate = 2007-02-01 ]

2008

tate of the race at the beginning of 2008

;Democrats:Delegate totals"' (superdelegate endorsements):Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 36; Sen. Barack Obama 38; Former Sen. John Edwards 18; New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson 7 [ [http://thehill.com/endorsements-2008.html TheHill.com - Endorsements 2008 ] ]

;National polling:
Hillary Clinton 40%; Barack Obama 32%; John Edwards 13%; Will not vote/not sure 4%; Bill Richardson 3%;Dennis Kucinich 2%;Joe Biden 3%; Christopher Dodd 1%; Other.8%; Mike Gravel .8 [ [http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/2008candidates 2008 Presidential Candidates - US Elections | Reuters ] ]

;Iowa:
Barack Obama 28%; Hillary Clinton 24%; John Edwards 22%; Bill Richardson 10%; Joe Biden 5%;Dennis Kucinich 1%; Chris Dodd 1 [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21036143/site/newsweek/%20=%20POLL%20NUMBERS NEWSWEEK Poll: Sept. 29, 2007 - Newsweek Politics - MSNBC.com ] ]

;New Hampshire:
Hillary Clinton 39%; Barack Obama 37%; Edwards 22%; Undecided 3%; Richardson 4%; Gravel 2%; Kucinich 2%

;Nevada:
Barack Obama 32%, Hillary Clinton 30%, Edwards 27%, Richardson 2%, [http://www.rgj.com/blogs/inside-nevada-politics/2008/01/new-poll-democratic-race-in-nevada-dead.html/]

;Republicans:;Delegate totals:None as yet chosen.

;Fundraising totals October-December: ;National polling:

;Iowa:

;New Hampshire:McCain 35%; Romney 27%;Huckabee 12%; Giuliani 10%; Paul 7%; Undecided 4%; Hunter 2%; Thompson 2%; Keyes 1%

"The Early Primaries:" January 1 to February 4, 2008

The dates for caucuses and primaries are still subject to change. [cite web
url = http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/primaries/
title = Primaries and caucuses
publisher = The Boston Globe
accessdate = 2007-03-09]
* January 1-14 West Virginia Republican precinct caucuses. [ [http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/WV-R.phtml#0101 West Virginia Republican Delegation 2008 ] ] (WV state Republican convention set for February 5)
* January 3 - Iowa caucuses: Democratic caucus won by Barack Obama, Republican caucus won by Mike Huckabee. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/us/politics/03cnd-campaign.html?hp NYTimes Results Article] ] , Chris Dodd and Joe Biden drop out of the Democratic race
* January 5 - Wyoming Republican caucus won by Mitt Romney [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/05/us/politics/05cnd-wyoming.html First G.O.P. Delegate Goes to Romney - New York Times ] ]
* January 8 - New Hampshire primary: Democratic primary won by Hillary Clinton, with Obama a close second; Republican primary won by John McCain. [ [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#NH Election Center 2008: Primary Results - Elections & Politics news from CNN.com ] ]
* January 9 - Voting begins in Illinois [http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/letters/422207,CST-EDT-VOX11A.articleprint]
* January 10 - Bill Richardson drops out of the Democratic race
* January 10 - Republican debate in South Carolina [ [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/11/at_sc_debate_six_republican_candidates_play_nice/ At S.C. debate, six Republican candidates play nice - The Boston Globe ] ]
* January 13 - Green debate in San Francisco, CA, featuring candidates: Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, Jared Ball, and Kent Mesplay and moderated by: Cindy Sheehan, Ross Mirkarimi, and Matt Gonzalez [ [http://polizeros.com/2008/01/03/green-party-presidential-primary-debate/ Politics in the Zeros » Green Party presidential primary debate ] ]
* January 13 - Jared Ball, withdraws from the race for the Green Party nomination and endorses Cynthia McKinney [http://www.jaredball.com/?p=50#more-50] .
* January 15 - The Michigan primaries: [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/04/AR2007090400821.html Washington Post: Michigan Moves Primary Up to Jan. 15] ] Democratic primary won by Hillary Clinton (although no delegates will attend the 2008 Democratic National Convention [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/16/AR2008011604646.html Washington Post: 44 Percent vote against Clinton] ] ); Republican primary won by Mitt Romney. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/15/AR2008011502605.html Washington Post: Romney wins Michigan GOP Primary] ]
* January 15 - Democratic debate in Nevada [ [http://www.lvrj.com/news/13832847.html ReviewJournal.com - News - DEMOCRATIC DEBATE: Hopefuls play safe, nice ] ]
* January 19 - Nevada caucuses: Democratic caucus won by Hillary Clinton (but Obama claims more delegates); Republican caucus won by Mitt Romney. Second place for the Republicans went to Ron Paul [ [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004135055_gop20.html Seattle Times Results Article] ] ; South Carolina Republican primary won by John McCain [Seattle Times Results Article]
* January 19 - Duncan Hunter drops out of the Republican race
* January 21 - Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute (CBC Institute) /"CNN" Democratic debate in SC [ [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/11/democratic-presidential-candidates-will-debate-on-mlk-day/ CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Democratic presidential candidates will debate on MLK Day « - Blogs from CNN.com ] ]
* January 22 - Fred Thompson drops out of the Republican race
* January 22 - Louisiana Caucuses (Republican): "Pro-life Uncommitted" slate wins, McCain second, and Ron Paul a close third. [ [http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MWI2ZjJkOTI2MzBlMTgxNmY2ZDQ3ODlmZTZkOTE5YjY= The Campaign Spot on National Review Online ] ]
* January 24 - Republican Presidential Primary Debate at Florida Atlantic University.
* January 24 - Dennis Kucinich drops out of the Democratic race. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/24/AR2008012402121.html]
* January 26 - South Carolina Democratic primary won by Barack Obama with 56%
* January 27 - Caroline and Ted Kennedy endorse Obama
* January 29 - Florida primary [cite news | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/04/us/politics/04florida.html | title = Seeking an Edge, Florida Changes Its Primary Date | publisher = New York Times |date=2007-05-03 | accessdate = 2007-05-04] : Republican primary won by John McCain, with Romney second; Democratic primary won by Hillary Clinton (but no delegates are awarded).
* January 30 - Rudy Giuliani withdraws from the Republican race and endorses John McCain.
* January 30 - John Edwards drops out of the Democratic race in New Orleans, LA.
* January 30 - Reagan Presidential Library Foundation/"CNN"/"Los Angeles Times"/"The Politico" Republican debate in Simi Valley, CA.
* January 31 - "CNN"/"Los Angeles Times" Democratic debate in Los Angeles, CA
* February 2 - Maine Republican caucuses won by Mitt Romney
* February 3 - Clinton agrees to go on Fox News-sponsored debates.

February 5, 2008 - Super Tuesday or National Primary Day

*The Feb. 5 American Samoa Democratic caucus was won by Hillary Clinton. [ [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6600ap_hi_campaign_american_samoa.html Clinton wins American Samoa Democratic caucus ] ]
*The Green Party also had primaries, with Ralph Nader winning California and Cynthia McKinney winning Arkansas and Illinois. [ [http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=22 2008-02-06 Victories for McKinney, Nader in four Green primaries on Super Tuesday ] ]
*The Libertarian Party had two primaries with Christine Smith finishing first of twelve candidates in California [http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2008_primary/presidential.pdf] , and Missouri was won by Uncommitted (47.0%) with Wayne Allyn Root finishing second with (18%) [http://www.sos.mo.gov/enrweb/statewideresults.asp?eid=203] .
*The American Independent Party (California affiliate of Constitution Party) Primary was won by Don J. Grundmann with 36.1% [http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2008_primary/presidential.pdf]
*The Peace and Freedom Party (California) Primary is won by Ralph Nader with 40.7%. Cynthia McKinney finished second with 21.5% and Gloria La Riva finished third with 20.1% [http://peaceandfreedom2008.org/feb5th.html] .

tate of the race at the halfway point

;Republican Delegate Count: McCain 604, Romney 244, Huckabee 187, Paul 44

;Democratic Delegate Count:908 for Obama, 884 for Clinton [ [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8358.html Obama claims delegate lead - Mike Allen - Politico.com ] ]

The rest of February 2008

* February 5-12 - Democrats Abroad primary
* February 6 - DNC Chairman Howard Dean proclaims that "We're going to have to get the candidates together and make some kind of an arrangement," if there's no nominee by April. [ [http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080206232326.2nxp3bd8&show_article=1 Democratic dead-heat 'not good news' says Dean ] ]
* February 7 - Paul, McCain, Romney and Huckabee address the CPAC convention in Alexandria, VA. [ [http://www.cpac.org/pressrelease_020408b.asp CPAC 2008 ] ]
* February 7 - Romney suspends his campaign
* February 7 - The DNC announces that it's considering plans for a possible "revote" in Michigan and Florida. [ [http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/020708/loc_n4001.shtml Macomb Daily : DNC pushes for Michigan, Florida caucuses 02/07/08 ] ]
* February 9 - Louisiana Democratic primary won by Obama. Louisiana Republican primary ends with Huckabee only slightly ahead of McCain, no delegates assigned. Kansas Republican caucuses won by Huckabee. United States Virgin Islands Democratic territorial convention won by Obama. Washington Democratic caucuses won by Obama. Washington Republican caucuses won by John McCain, according to media projections, without all votes having been counted. Nebraska Democratic caucuses won by Obama.
* February 10 - Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle resigns but remains with campaign as senior adviser. Maggie Williams is announced as her successor. [ [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/10/clinton-campaign-manager-is-replaced/ CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Clinton shuffles campaign team « - Blogs from CNN.com ] ]
* February 10 - Maine Democratic caucuses won by Obama.
* February 12 - The "Potomac primary": the District of Columbia Democratic primary, Maryland Democratic primary, and Virginia Democratic primary won by Obama; the District of Columbia Republican primary, Maryland Republican primary, and Virginia Republican primary won by McCain.
* February 12 - Cynthia McKinney won the DC Statehood Green Primary with 41.07% of the vote [http://www.dcboee.org/nws/news_frame.asp?filename=nr_140.pdf&mid=2&yid=2008&type=News%20Releases&hl=t]
* February 19 - Washington Democratic primary and Washington Republican primary won by Obama and McCain, respectively. No delegates were at stake in the Democratic primary. [ cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/us/politics/18washington.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=politics&adxnnlx=1203473180-Kd76r48weSy3/cXrlyQRPQ&oref=slogin |title=In Washington State Vote, Relevance Is an Issue |author=William Yardley |date=2008-02-18 |accessdate=2008-02-25 |publisher="New York Times"] Wisconsin Democratic primary and Hawaii Democratic caucuses won by Obama. Wisconsin Republican primary won by McCain.
* February 20 - "New York Times" article accuses McCain of inappropriate conduct during the 2000 Presidential campaign.
* February 21 - The Democrats Abroad primary is officially announced to have been won by Sen. Barack Obama.
* February 21 - Clinton and Obama debate in Austin, Texas.
* February 23 - American Samoa (R) caucus won by McCain.
* February 24 - Ralph Nader (I) announces his candidacy on "Meet The Press".
* February 26 - Clinton and Obama debate in Ohio.
* February 26- Former candidate Chris Dodd endorses Obama

March 2008

* March 4 - The original Super Tuesday: Sen. Hillary Clinton wins in Rhode Island, Ohio and Texas (primary); Sen. Barack Obama wins Vermont and Texas (caucus)
* March 4 - Mike Huckabee withdraws from race.
* March 4 - John McCain passes the 1,191-delegate threshold and becomes the presumptive GOP nominee.
* March 4 - Socialist Party USA nominee Brian Moore wins the Liberty Union Party primary/nomination (VT)
* March 5 - President Bush endorses McCain.
* March 6 - McCain heads off to Europe for working vacation.
* March 8 - Wyoming (D) caucus won by Obama, Guam Republican caucus won by McCain.
* March 11 - Mississippi Democratic primary won by Obama, Mississippi Republican primary won by John McCain.
* March 11 - Mike Gravel endorsed Jesse Johnson for president [http://www.jesse08.org/pr_080311.php] . Johnson is seeking the Green Party nomination.

The State of the race at the start of "Spring Break"

Delegate count:Republican: John McCain 1334; Mike Huckabee 278; Ron Paul14

Democratic: Barack Obama 1614; Hillary Clinton1487; John Edwards 24

March 2008 continued

*March 12 - 1984 Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro resigns from the Clinton campaign after accusations of racism.
*March 13 - McCain goes on tour of Middle East and Europe.
*March 14 - Flap over Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright's past remarks on race and patriotism.
*March 18 - Obama makes a major address on racial relations in America in response to past comments by Reverend Wright.
*March 25 - Hillary Clinton admits Bosnia mistake. [ [http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Vote2008/story?id=4522075&page=1 ABC News: Clinton Admits 'Mistake', Slams Obama ] ]
*March 26 - Mike Gravel announces intentions to run for the nomination of the Libertarian Party for President, ending his run for the Democratic nomination. [ [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/26/mike-gravel-drops-out-of-_n_93458.html Mike Gravel Drops Out Of Democratic Race, Seeks To Join Libertarian Ticket - Politics on The Huffington Post ] ]
*March 29 - Barack Obama nominated by the United Citizens Party (SC) via convention (South Carolina has electoral fusion).
*March 30 - Clinton rejects call to quit race.

April 2008

* April 4 - Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton's tax returns from the years 2000-2006 are released. [ [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/04/clinton-releases-tax-returns/ CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Clinton releases tax returns « - Blogs from CNN.com ] ]
* April 5 - Heartland Libertarian Conference/Presidential Debate: Wayne Allyn Root wins straw poll; Bob Barr, who came in second in the straw poll, announces presidential exploratory committee. [ [http://thirdpartywatch.com/2008/04/07/root-wins-heartland-straw-poll/ Third Party Watch] ]
* April 5 - Virgin Islands (R): McCain running unopposed.
* April 7 - Libertarian Bob Jackson drops Presidential bid and endorses Bob Barr
* April 10 - Chuck Baldwin declares candidacy for Constitution Party Presidential Nomination [ [http://www.ballot-access.org/2008/04/10/chuck-baldwin-declares-for-constitution-party-presidential-nomination/ Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » Chuck Baldwin Declares for Constitution Party Presidential Nomination ] ]
* April 13 - "The Compassion Forum" held at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania; Senators Clinton and Obama participate. [cite web
url=http://www.messiah.edu/compassion_forum/index.html
title=The Compassion Forum at Messiah College
publisher=www.messiah.edu
accessdate=2008-05-03
last=
first=]
* April 15 - Alan Keyes, former U.S. ambassador and candidate for the Republican Party presidential nomination, officially announced his departure from the GOP and his intentions to seek the presidential nomination of the Constitution Party. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-04-16-keyes_N.htm "Keyes leaves GOP, looks at Constitution Party"] , USA Today.com. April 15 2008]
* April 22 - Pennsylvania Democratic Primary won by Hillary Clinton and Pennsylvania Republican Primary won by John McCain.
* April 23 - April 26 - The Constitution Party's National Convention is held in Kansas City, Missouri. [cite web
url=http://www.constitutionparty.com/view_events.php
title=Constitution Party Events
publisher=www.constitutionparty.com
accessdate=2008-05-03
last=
first=] Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party's 2004 Vice Presidential candidate, is chosen as the party's 2008 presidential candidate. [ [http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/11314 "Constitution Party stunner: Chuck Baldwin KOs firebrand Alan Keyes"] , KCstar.com. April 26, 2008] Darrell Castle an attorney from Memphis, Tennessee is the vice-presidential candidate. [cite web
url=http://www.ballot-access.org/2008/04/26/darrell-castle-is-constitution-party-vice-presidential-nominee/
title=Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » Darrell Castle is Constitution Party Vice-Presidential Nominee
publisher=www.ballot-access.org
accessdate=2008-05-03
last=
first=]

May 2008

* May 3 - Guam (D) Obama narrowly won by seven votes.
* May 6 - North Carolina Democratic Primary, won by Obama; North Carolina Republican Primary won by McCain; Indiana Democratic Primary narrowly won by Clinton; and Indiana Republican Primary won by McCain
* May 13 - West Virginia Democratic Primary won by Clinton.
* May 12 - Bob Barr officially enters race for the Libertarian Nomination.
* May 14 - 2004 Vice Presidential Candidate for the Democratic Party John Edwards formally endorses Senator Barack Obama for President.
* May 17 - Hawaii (R) caucus
* May 20 - Oregon Democratic Primary won by Barack Obama, Oregon Republican Primary won by John McCain, Kentucky Democratic primary, 2008 won by Hillary Clinton and Kentucky Republican Primary won by John McCain.
* May 23 to May 26 - The 2008 Libertarian National Convention is held at Adam’s Mark Hotel in Denver, Colorado (the same city as the party's first convention in 1972). Bob Barr of Georgia is chosen as the party's Presidential nominee and Wayne Allyn Root of Nevada is chosen as the party's Vice Presidential nominee. [cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/05/26/ex_gop_congressman_barr_wins_libertarian_nomination/|title=Ex-GOP congressman Barr wins Libertarian nomination|work=The Boston Globe|author=Steven K. Paulson (AP)]
* May 24 - Hillary Clinton apologized for remarks about Robert Kennedy's 1968 assassination as she defended her continuing nomination bid.
* May 27 - Idaho (R) primary won by McCain.

June 2008

* June 1 - Puerto Rico (D) primary [ [http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003722078 For the Press, On to Puerto Rico - Where Obama May Have Surprising Support ] ] Won by Hillary Clinton by double digits.
* June 3 - Montana (D), South Dakota Democratic Primary, South Dakota Republican Primary and New Mexico (R) primaries. Obama wins enough delegates to officially become the Democratic nominee, however, Clinton does not concede.
*June 4 - Supporters in Congress tell Clinton race is over in conference call.
*June 4 - McCain challenges Obama to a series of "town hall" debates starting on the 12th of the month. Obama considers it.
*June 5 - Clinton officially concedes via email at 2AM eastern daylight time.
*June 5 - Obama appoints Vice presidential selection committee.
*June 12- Ron Paul officially suspends his campaign.
*June 16- Former Vice-President Al Gore endorses Obama.

tate of the Race at the end of the Primary

Delegate statistics:
*Total number of delegates: 4050 (797 unpledged superdelegates and 3,253 pledged elected delegates)
*Delegates required for nomination: 2118

July 2008

* July 10 to July 13 - The Green Party held its 2008 national nominating convention in Chicago, Illinois. [ [http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2007_08_30.shtml 2007.08.30: Greens choose Chicago for 2008 ] ] Cynthia McKinney is nominated for President and Rosa Clemente is nominated for Vice President.
* July 12 - Nebraska (R) caucus
*July 18-20 Reform Party National Convention is held in Dallas, Texas. Ted Weill of Mississippi is nominated for President, and Kent McEnulty of California is nominated for Vice President. [ [http://www.ballot-access.org/2008/07/20/dallas-reform-party-meeting/ Dallas Reform Party Meeting] , www.ballot-access.org, July 20, 2008]
*July 23-July 28 Obama makes trip to Europe and the Middle East.

August 2008

* August 16 - McCain and Obama make a joint appearance at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA.
* August 23 - Obama announces his selection of Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) as his running mate, announcing it via text message, email, and on his website [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/us/politics/24biden.html "Obama Chooses Biden as Running Mate," New York Times, August 23, 2008] ] .
* August 25 to August 28 - 2008 Democratic National Convention convenes in Denver, Colorado.
* August 27 - Barack Obama is officially nominated for President by the Democratic Party. He becomes the first African-American in U.S. history to receive the presidential nomination of a major party.Jeff Zeleny, " [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/us/politics/04elect.html Obama Clinches Nomination; First Black Candidate to Lead a Major Party Ticket] ," "The New York Times", 2008-06-04. Retrieved 2008-07-05.]
*August 27 - Joe Biden is nominated by acclamation to be the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, accepting minutes later.
*August 28 - Obama accepts the Democratic Party presidential nomination in a speech delivered at Invesco Field in Denver, Colorado. [cite news |title=Obama accepts Democrat nomination |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7586375.stm |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=2008-08-29 |accessdate=2008-08-29 ]
*August 29 - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is selected by McCain as his choice for the Republican vice-presidential candidate.cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/29/palin.republican.vp.candidate/index.html|title= McCain picks Alaska governor as running mate|date=2008-08-29|accessdate=2008-08-29]

eptember 2008

* September 1 to September 4 - 2008 Republican National Convention convenes in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.
* September 3 - John McCain is offically nominated for President by the Republican Party. [cite news | url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/convention-completes-official-roll-call/story.aspx?guid=%7BA5B27C5E-F458-4B9C-8FC5-E88802CD53C2%7D&dist=hppr | title=Convention Completes Official Roll Call Proceedings | publisher=MarketWatch | date=2008-09-04 | accessdate=2008-09-04]
* September 4 - Sarah Palin is offically nominated for Vice-President by the Republican Party. [cite news | url=http://www.beurs.nl/nieuws/artikel.php?id=270538&taal=US| title= Sarah Palin Nominated By Acclamation As GOP VP Candidate | publisher=DOW JONES NEWSWIRES | date=2008-09-05 | accessdate=2008-09-07]
* September 4 - McCain accepts the Republican Party nomination in a speech delivered at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. [cite news|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/livecoverage/2008/09/mccain_will_vow_an_end_to_part.html|title=McCain Vows to End Partisan Rancor in Convention Speech|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=2008-09-05|author=Cillizza, Chris]
* September 5 - The Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), two government-sponsored enterprises, and the largest single mortgage backing entities in the United States are seized by the Federal Government.
* September 15 - Lehman Brothers goes bankrupt, Merrill Lynch is dissolved and incorporated into Bank of America and AIG is siezed by the Federal government precipitating a stock market crash and a major Financial Crisis.
* September 23-24 - Palin is interviewed by Katie Couric.
* September 24 - McCain announced he is suspending his campaign in order to work on the Financial Crisis, and implies he may not attend the first debate on the 26th.
* September 24 President Bush addresses the nation on the Financial Crisis.
* September 25 -McCain addresses Clinton Initiative conference.
* September 25 -Obama and McCain meet with President Bush and congressional leaders to discuss the Financial Crisis. The tentative bail out deal is scuppered by Republicans in the House.
* September 26 - Washington Mutual, the largest savings and Loan in the country, is siezed by the Federal Government, dismembered and some of its assets are sold to JP Morgan.
* September 26 - After keeping the public in suspense for two days, McCain decides to attend the First CPD sanctioned Presidential Debate at the University of Mississippi on Foreign Policy , National Security and the Financial Crisis. [ [http://debate.olemiss.edu/ 2008 Presidential Debate | The University of Mississippi - Official Home Page] ] , which takes place on schedule.
* September 29 - The House rejects Bail-out plan soon after McCain takes credit for its passage. The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 777 points, the largest one day point-drop in its history.
* September 30 President Bush again addresses the nation on the Financial Crisis.
* Late September - Early voting commences in selected states. [ [http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/22/early.voting.begins.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch CNN: Early voting begins for McCain and Obama] ]

October 2008

* Early October - Absentee balloting begins.
* October 1 - Senate passes the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (a revised version of the bailout plan) by a vote of 74-25.
* October 2 - Vice Presidential Debate at Washington University in St. Louis between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin
* October 3 - House passes the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act by a vote of 263-171 and President Bush signs it into law.
* October 3 - Alaska Supreme Court asked to rule on Troopergate investigation after state court judge Peter Mihalsky refuses to prevent issue of Legislative report on the investigation [http://aprn.org/2008/10/03/alaska-supreme-court-asked-to-rule-on-troopergate-investigation/]
* October 4 - State of the race with one month to go: RealClearPolitics average Obama 49.3 McCain 43.4
* October 4 - Todd Palin is reported to have agreed to testify in the so-called Troopergate scandal. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081004/ap_on_el_pr/palin_troopergate]
* October 6 - The Dow Jones Industrials fall 800 points before recovering sharply later in the day, The McCain campaign reacts by accusing Obama of "palling around with terrorists"
* October 7 - The Federal Reserve announces details of a plan to buy massive amounts of "commercial paper," a short-term financing mechanism that many companies rely on to finance day-to-day operations, such as purchasing supplies or making payrolls. World markets rally briefly before continuing the slow motion crash, falling another five hundred points.
* October 7 - Second CPD Presidential Debate at Belmont University will be in a town meeting format and include any issues raised by members of that audience.
* October 15 - Third CPD Presidential Debate at Hofstra University on Domestic and Economic Policy.
* Late October - Absentee ballot application deadlines.

November 2008

* November 4 - Election Day

December 2008

* December 15 - Electoral College casts official votes for President and Vice-President; each state's electors meet in their respective state capitals

2009

* January 3 - The 111th Congress convenes. If the Electoral College fails to yield a majority on January 6, according to the 12th Amendment, this new class of the House and Senate would be responsible for electing the President and Vice President respectively.
* January 6 - Vice President Cheney (as President of the Senate) will open the certificates of the electoral votes from the various states, which will then be counted by two tellers each from the House and Senate.Counting electoral votes in Congress, usc|3|15] The Vice President will announce the votes for President and Vice-President. Assuming there are no objections, this will formally end the election process.
* January 20 - Inauguration Day: The inauguration of the 44th President of the United States and the 47th Vice President of the United States

References

External links

* [http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/crucialdates/ New York Times listing of significant presidential campaign dates] (retrieved September 2, 2007)