This article compares the presidential candidates in the United States' 2008 presidential election. It does not cover previous elections. Because of ballot access restrictions in the United States, not all candidates appeared on the ballots in all states.

Candidates

Those who were on the ballot in enough states to theoretically win a majority in the U.S. Electoral College are marked in bold. Candidates who are known to have appeared on at least two states' ballots are marked in italic.

Presidential candidatePartyRunning mateCampaign site Gene Amondson Prohibition Leroy Pletten geneamondson.com Chuck Baldwin (campaign) Constitution Darrell Castle baldwin2008.com Bob Barr (campaign) Libertarian Wayne Allyn Root bobbarr2008.com Róger Calero Socialist Workers Alyson Kennedy Charles Jay Boston Tea Thomas L. Knapp CJ08.com Alan Keyes (campaign) America's Independent Party Brian Rohrbough alankeyes.com Gloria La Riva Socialism & Liberation Eugene Puryear votepsl.org John McCain (campaign) Republican Sarah Palin johnmccain.com Frank McEnulty New American Independent David Manganfrankforpresident.org Cynthia McKinney (campaign) Green Rosa Clemente Brian Moore Socialist, Liberty Union Stewart Alexander Ralph Nader (campaign) Independent, Peace and Freedom Matt Gonzalez votenader.org Barack Obama (campaign) Democratic Joe Biden barackobama.com Ron Paul (campaign) Louisiana Taxpayers Party Constitution Party of Montana Barry Goldwater, Jr. Michael Peroutka ronpaul2008.com Thomas Stevens Objectivist Ted Weill Reform Frank McEnulty

Biographical data John McCainBarack ObamaRalph NaderBob BarrChuck BaldwinCynthia McKinney Gender Male Male Male Male Male Female Age 72 47 74 59 56 53 Party Republican Party Democratic Party Independent Libertarian PartyRepublican Party (former) Constitution PartyRepublican Party (former) Green PartyDemocratic Party (former) Profession U.S. Senator, U.S. Congressman, Businessman Naval Aviator U.S. Senator, Attorney, Professor of Constitutional Law Consumer advocate, lobbyist Former U.S. Congressman, United States Attorney, CIA employee Pastor, syndicated columnist and radio host Former U.S. Congresswoman, high school teacher, and college professor Undergraduate education B.S. United States Naval Academy (The Naval Academy had a fixed curriculum and did not allow Midshipmen to pick a major) B.A. Columbia University (Political Science, International Relations) 1983 B.A. Princeton University (East Asian Studies, International Relations) 1955 B.A. University of Southern California (International Relations) 1970 B.A. Liberty University B.A. University of Southern California (International Relations) Graduate education National War College J.D. Harvard Law (1991) L.L.B. Harvard Law (1958) M.A. George Washington University (International Relations) (1972), J.D. Georgetown University Law Center (1977) Master's Degree in Theology Christian Bible College M.A. Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (1982?); diplomatic fellow, Spelman College (1984); a PhD student at University of California, Berkeley States/Countries lived in Arizona, Florida, Panama Canal Zone, North Vietnam, Washington, D.C. California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indonesia, Massachusetts, New York, Washington, D.C. Connecticut, Washington, D.C. California, Georgia, Iowa, Lima, Peru, Tehran, Iran, Washington, D.C. Indiana, Florida, Virginia Georgia, California Last political office U.S. Senator (1987–2018) U.S. Senator (2005–2008) None U.S. Congressman (1995–2003) None U.S. Congresswoman (1993–2003, 2005–2007) Other political experience United States Congressman (1982–1986) Illinois State Senator (1996–2004) Consultant to Department of Labor (1964) Region 4 Representative for the Libertarian National Committee (2006–2008), National Rifle Association Board Member, Florida Chairman of Moral Majority (1980–1984), 2004 Constitution Party vice presidential nominee Member of the Georgia House of Representatives, (1988–1992) U.S. Senate committee memberships Armed Services Committee; (Chairman of the) Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; (Chairman of the) Indian Affairs Committee; Committee on POW/MIA Affairs Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Foreign Relations; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Veterans' Affairs Advised auto safety subcommittee (1964) None None None U.S. House committee memberships Committee on the Judiciary, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Committee on Financial Services None None Committee on the Judiciary, Government Reform Committee, Committee on Financial Services, Committee on Veteran's Affairs None Committee on Interior Affairs, Committee on Armed Services; Subcommittee on Military Personnel; Subcommittee on Terrorism and Unconventional Threats, Committee on the Budget Management/Corporate experience Vice President of Public Relations for Hensley & Co. President of the Harvard Law Review; Junior editor for Business International Corporation; Associate Lawyer of Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland None President of the Southeastern Legal Foundation Founded/lead Crossroad Baptist Church, Pensacola (1975–) Teaching experience Gave the 114th Landon Lecture on March 15, 1999, at Kansas State Lecturer in Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago Law School (1993–2004) Professor of History and Government (University of Hartford) Adjunct professor teaching "Privacy and Public Policy in 21st century Business and Society" at Kennesaw State University (2008) Pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church, Pensacola (1975–) Earth Day Lecturer at CSU (2008) Armed Forces experience (1958–1981) Midshipman, US Naval Academy; Naval Aviator; Prisoner of War; Commander; Commanding Officer, VA-174 "Hellrazors" None US Army (1959) None None Armed Forces awards Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Navy Commendation Medal and the National Order of Vietnam from South Vietnam None None None None Net worth (with spouse) $23–36 million (US$)Senate Financial Disclosure Form , OpenSecrets.org (2005). Retrieved 2008-02-21. $10–16 million (US$) $4 million (US$) $50,000 (US$) Spouse Cindy Hensley McCain (m. 1980) Michelle Obama (m. 1992) None Jeri Barr (m. 1986) Connie Cole Baldwin (m. 1973) None Spouse's undergraduate education B.A. in education, University of Southern California B.A. in sociology, 1985, Princeton University n/a None n/a Spouse's graduate educationM.A. in Special Education, University of Southern CaliforniaJ.D. in Law, 1988, Harvard Law School n/a None n/a Spouse's profession High school teacher, businessperson, philanthropist Attorney, executive n/a Numerous positions in Cobb, Georgia n/a

Economic issues

Tax policy

Projected Federal income tax changes in 2009 assuming all tax proposals were adopted by congress and the budget remains the same. Yellow is for the projected tax change most favorable to people in that income bracket. John McCain Barack Obama Income Average tax bill Average tax bill Over $2.9M −$269,364 +$701,885 $603K and up −$45,361 +$115,974 $227K–$603K −$7,871 +$12 $161K–$227K −$4,380 −$2,789 $112K–$161K −$2,614 −$2,204 $66K–$112K −$1,009 −$1,290 $38K–$66K −$319 −$1,042 $19K–$38K −$113 −$892 Under $19K −$19 −$567CNN,"What they'll do to your tax bill". By Jeanne Sahadi. June 11, 2008. CNNMoney.com. Article and chart."Your Money: McCain vs. Obama. Personal Taxes". CNNMoney.com. Tax Policy Center,TPC Tax Topics 2008 Election . "Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Candidates' Tax Plans." The Tax Policy Center. BarackObama.com,Barack Obama and Joe Biden: The Change We Need Taxes . BarackObama.com (official Barack Obama campaign site). and JohnMcCain.com McCain-Palin 2008. New Initiatives In The McCain Economic Plan . JohnMcCain.com (official John McCain campaign site).

The third-party candidates' tax plans were not studied by mainstream media outlets and the Tax Policy Center. Chuck Baldwin supports replacing the income tax with a 10% across-the-board tariff on imported goods. Bob Barr supports replacing the income tax with a consumption tax (the FairTax). The details of his exact plan are not known but consumption taxes tend to be regressive unless accompanied by a negative income tax for the poor to offset necessary expenditures.BobBarr2008.com . Cynthia McKinney supports sharply progressive taxation, with higher taxes for the rich and a tax cut for the middle class.

2008 financial crisis and bailout

John McCainBarack ObamaSupported bailoutSupported bailoutBob BarrCynthia McKinneyOpposed bailout. Barr will seek to limit policies that permit political interference in the economy in favor of the exercise of a free-market economic model. This would include: formally and clearly end the bailouts which promote private economic retrenchment and corporate work-outs; limiting powers of the government to place sustained federal pressure to increase mortgage lending, through Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; amending or revoking the Community Reinvestment Act; limiting the ability of the Federal Reserve to manipulate the currency for political purposes; Ensuring enforcement of the SEC regulations to insure solvency and transparency in the operation of major investment firms; Permanently lowering tax rates and simplifying taxes to more effectively reinforce long-term plans for hiring, inventory and production; cutting environmental rules such as Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards on vehicles; initiating a detailed audit of federal rules, relaxing or eliminating any regulations for which costs outweigh benefits; reducing penalties on people for delayed tax payments and premature withdrawals from IRAs; ending nonessential federal spending, particularly frivolous special interest outlays; Over the longer term, evaluate, plan, and implement for future federal liabilities and obligations—FDIC bank guarantees, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation promises, Social Security and Medicare liabilities, and more.Opposed $700 billion bailout to Wall Street. Instead offered a 14-point proposal which included a moratorium on foreclosures; elimination of all ARM mortgages and their renegotiation into 30- or 40-year loans; the establishment of new mortgage lending practices to end predatory and discriminatory practices; the establishment of criteria and construction goals for affordable housing; a redefinition of credit and regulation of the credit industry so that discriminatory practices are eliminated; full funding for initiatives that eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in home ownership; recognition of shelter as a right according to the UN Declaration of Human Rights; targeting of funds to cushion job loss and provide for retraining of those at the bottom of the income scale as the economy transitions; the closure all tax loopholes and repeal of the Bush tax cuts for the top 1% of income earners; fair taxation of corporations, denial of federal subsidies to those who relocate jobs overseas repeal NAFTA; the appointment of former Comptroller General David Walker to fully audit all recipients of taxpayer cash infusions, including JP Morgan, Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and AIG, and to monitor their trading activities into the future; the elimination of all derivatives trading; the nationalization of the Federal Reserve; and the establishment of a federally owned, public banking system that makes credit available for small businesses, homeowners, manufacturing operations, renewable energy and infrastructure investments; and criminally prosecute any activities that violated the law, including conflicts of interest that led to the current crisis.Green Pages: A Gift for a Generation: A U.S. Financial System of Our Own Chuck BaldwinRalph NaderOpposed bailout.Ralph Nader opposed the bailout, suggesting that derivatives transactions be taxed instead.

Trade