As of my writing this, it’s exactly 628 days until the 2008 presidential election. It’s February of 07 and already we’ve got a dozen plus candidates vying for their party’s nominations and hoping they can succeed Bush, automatically gaining them public popularity by doing so. It’s the first election in 80 years without an incumbent or Vice President running for office and subsequently the list is long. For those that don’t know anything more than Barack Obama,Hilary Clinton, and Rudy Guliani there are some names you’ll be wanting to keep in mind for next year’s primaries. Regardless of who the popularity frontrunners are now, anyone could win that nomination and by doing so get one step closer to being President of the United States.

Democratic Candidates
Hilary Clinton – By far one of the most buzz inducing names on this list, Hilary Clinton is the second term senator from New York and former first lady and wife of Bill Clinton. First elected to the United States Senate in 2000, she’s one of the more polarizing figures in American politics. Democratic stalwarts, always supporters of the Clintons are amassing support as her campaign gets under way, but some are finding it hard to support her because of her vote for the Iraq war which she has, as of yet, not rescinded on. One thing’s for sure, Hilary Clinton is a major force in this election. Whether as the wife of a former president, or as a candidate to be the first female president of the United States, she’s a very important part of this election.

Barack Obama – A first term senator out of Illinois, Barack Obama is by far the biggest name so far in this election season. His youth and vibrant speeches have made him something of a rock star in the party and carried him into an early Presidential run. As a young candidate he faces strict competition from other, much more seasoned candidates. One of his key notes in speeches right now is his long time stance against the war, never having supported it to begin with. However, he was not in the senate at the time to have cast a vote. Much has been made of his heritage, his father an African immigrant, making him the first serious African American candidate for President. Time will tell if his youth and inexperience will factor more than his wide spread appeal.

Chris Dodd – The senior senator from Connecticut, Chris Dodd has been in the Senate since 1981 and before that in the House of Representatives since 1975. Of the Democratic hopefuls, he has some of the most experience. However, he also has some of weakest name recognition. He served as chairman of the DNC from 1995-1997 and has been rumored for much of the last six years to take on posts including Minority Leader, running for Governor of Connecticut and at one point the 2004 Democratic Presidential nomination. Currently touting his Restore the Constitution act, Dodd is a staunch democrat in an evolving party and an impressive public speaker. What remains to be seen is whether his experience can outlast the star power of the two major candidates.

Dennis Kucinich – The House of Representatives member form Ohio’s 10th district, Dennis Kucinich has been in this race before. He’s been in the house since 1997, now serving his sixth term and already ran for the Democratic nomination in 2004. His previous experience includes being Mayor of Cleveland from 1977-1979, the youngest major of a major city in US history at 31. He found a small, yet growing base in the 2004 election, based on his criticism of Bush’s Iraq policy and the war there, but was ultimately beat out by poor media coverage and subsequent failure in later primaries. As a candidate, he’s a strong speaker, if not a bit of an unknown, coming out of the House. Having already run once before though, Dennis Kucinich is gifted with a bit more name recognition than some other lesser known candidates.

Tom Vilsack – As the only governor in this race so far, Tom Vilsack has an advantage that no one might realize he has. As the Governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007, he managed to become the first democrat elected to that office in 30 years in Iowa. There’s been a history of Governors having great success at the polls as well. Going back to John F. Kennedy, no member of Congress has won the Presidential election. Governors are blessed with not having voting records (which are incredibly easy to attack given the volume of votes) and a short, easily described term of office, no longer than 8 years. Tom Vilsack was the first to announce his candidacy for the 2008 election and little has been heard of him since, but he could sneak up on people should he stick around.

Joe Biden – As a senior member of the US Senate, first elected in 1973 from Delaware, Joe Biden is an avid opponent of Bush’s foreign policies. He leads the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and repeatedly speaks out against the current administration. In 1988 he ran for President in what would ultimate become a doomed attempt, in part because of a scandal involving a speech he used, written by for and used by another politician. His name is prominent in the Democratic Party and with the most experience in the field he has the years behind him. However, many have remarked that he has similar problems to John Kerry; long winded speeches, ineffectual campaign methods and so on. Joe Biden’s is a case in which he will have to be exciting in a way he hasn’t been before to beat out the frontrunners, Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama.

John Edwards – As the former Senator from South Carolina, John Edwards served one term before running for President in 2004. He ultimately lost the nomination to John Kerry, but was chosen as the Vice Presidential candidate, in part because of his youth and charisma, both things John Kerry lacked. His previous career was that of a trial lawyer and since his defeat in 2004, he’s worked with UNC at Chapel Hill and as a consultant for Investment groups. His candidacy hinges on his extreme attacks on George W. Bush and his war policy. By far the most openly against the war, driven by his lack of public office at the moment, and therefore no need to back up his claims, John Edwards rails hard against the choices made by the current administration. While not on the echelon of big stars like Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama, his name is known from the 2004 election and he has the youth and excitement factor that seems to be winning over support in this upcoming election season.

Al Gore ? – He gets a question mark because he isn’t actually running yet, but it’s been rumored for years that he will attempt one more time to run for President. As a former Vice President and at one time nearly President Elect, Al Gore has a lot of things in his favor that no one on this list has. He can come in this election with experience, name recognition, and most of all a strong sense of “I told you so” over the eight years since he last ran for office. For the Democratic Party, he represents a long lost chance, one that they would be more than happy to have back. If Al Gore decides to run for President again, he stands an extremely good chance of winning the nomination.

Republican Candidates
Sam Brownback – Elected to the Senate in 1996, Sam Brownback is the two term junior senator from Kansas. As a Republican candidate, he’s as conservative as they come, marketing himself to the staunch social conservatives that won the White House for Bush in 2000 and 2004. He’s a self-admitted evangelical, a member of the The Family, a group of Christian conservatives and has been a vocal opponent of abortion, stem cell research, and open borders. His views more or less coincide with the current administrations, though it’s yet to be seen how exactly he will decide to base his campaign in regard to the war in Iraq, currently backpedaling ever so slightly from the full support of only a year or two ago.

Mitt Romney – The former one term Governor of Massechussetts, Mitt Romney is another Governor, like Vilsack who might benefit from his political position as a Governor. He ran an unsuccessful campaign against Ted Kennedy in 1994 for the Senate seat in Massachusetts. He has a long history as a businessman, as the Co-Founder of Bain Capital and Organizer of the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics. His politics are still under debate, given a relatively short bout in Public Office so far, but his position as a young, former Governor might be a plus in the crowded field of senators.

Rudy Guliani - As the former mayor of New York, Rudy Guliani is one of the Republican Party’s own stars. He held that post at the time of 9/11 and since has gone on to serve as a consultant to mayors of other cities around the world. His stance on things like abortion and gun control though have put him at odds with the core of his party. His personal life stands as a problem as well, recalling his three failed marriages and the public circumstances of how he ended his last one. His support of the NYPD after the unnecessary shootings of Abner Louima and Amadou Diallo as well are stains on his record that might sit poorly with Social Conservatives as well as making him an easier target for the opposition. His candidacy is one of tight rope walking and fence mending, in which he has to appeal to the general populace rather than the far right wing of his party.

John McCain – As a rumored candidate since his failed bid in 2000, John McCain’s Presidential run has been all but inevitable. Elected to the United States Senate in 1986, McCain’s stance has always been slightly more moderate than the core of his party. He was named as one of the most influential people in America in 1997 by Time magazine and on the success of his book in 1999, began a Presidential run in 2000. After questionable slander from the opposition, McCain was forced to drop out of that race, the race eventually won by George W. Bush. He remained a fairly moderate voice in the Senate, opposing the Bush Administration’s stance on torture and the Swift Boat Veterans’ attacks on Kerry in 2004. His voting record has become slowly more conservative though. This last year in the 109th congress his was rated the most conservative of all voting records. At first a clear frontrunner for the party, his stance beside President Bush may or may not be good for his chances.