|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
Sentator Barack Obama
Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 4, 1961. His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was born and raised in Kenya, Africa. His mother, Ann Dunham, was raised in Kansas. His parents met while studying at the University of Hawaii.
Obama graduated from to Columbia University in 1983. In 1985, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, to become a community organizer working to improve poor neighborhoods in Chicago. Obama then attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 1991. He became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review, a student-run publication of articles about the law.
Obama returned to Chicago soon after law school. He worked as a lawyer and taught law for a few years before he ran for the Illinois State Senate in 1996. He served as a State Senator for eight years. Obama joined the U.S. Senate in 2004. He was the third African American to be elected to the U.S. Senate since 1877.
Obama gave the keynote speech at the Democratic Convention of 2004, held in Boston, Massachusetts. His speech earned national attention. He officially announced that he would seek the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on February 12, 2007.
Obama lives in Chicago with his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters, Natasha and Malia Ann. |
| |
 |
|
Senator Joeseph Biden
On August 23, 2008, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama announced his choice of Senator Joseph Biden as his vice-presidential running mate. Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on November 20, 1942. He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965, and from the Syracuse University College of Law in 1968. He worked as a lawyer in Delaware for two years before turning his attention to politics.
At age 29, Biden became one of the youngest senators in U.S. history. He has served in the U.S. Senate since 1972. He is Delaware's longest-serving senator. As a Senator, Biden has fought for causes that are important to him, including providing health care to all children in Delaware and protecting women and children against violence. In addition to his duties in the Senate, Biden has also worked as a professor at the Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware, since 1991. He ran for President in 1988 and 2008, but dropped out of the race both times.
Biden has three grown children — Beau, Hunter and Ashley, and five grandchildren. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, with his wife, Jill. |
| |
 |
|
Senator John McCain
John McCain, 71, likes to describe himself as "the luckiest man you will ever meet." But hard work, not just luck, helped him clinch the Republican Party's nomination in early March. It will become official at his party's convention this summer.
McCain's life has combined strong doses of diligence and good fortune. He has traveled a long road to get to where he is. He was born on August 29, 1936, while his father was serving as a U.S. Navy officer in the Panama Canal Zone. Both McCain's father and grandfather were Navy admirals. Young John followed in the family career, graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy and becoming a naval aviator.
As a flier, McCain withstood several near-death experiences. In 1967, during the Vietnam War, his plane was shot down. He survived more than five years as a prisoner of war. After returning home, he continued to serve in the military until 1981 when he retired as a captain.
In 1981, McCain was elected to the U.S. Congress as a representative. Five years later, he was elected to the Senate. He has served in Congress for 25 years. Throughout his career, McCain has championed causes that are important to him, including promoting the military and a strong defense, getting tax cuts for Americans and fighting wasteful government spending.
This is not the first time McCain has run for President. In 2000, he unsuccessfully tried to gain his party's nomination. If McCain wins the November election, he will be 72 years old when he takes office. He would be the oldest first-term President ever.
McCain lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife, Cindy. He has seven children, Doug, Andy, Sidney, Meghan, Jack, Jimmy and Bridget, and four grandchildren. |
| |
 |
|
Alaska Govenor Sarah Palin
On August 28, 2008, Republican presidential nominee John McCain announced his choice of Alaska's governor, Sarah Palin, to be his running mate. It is a historic nomination. Palin is the first woman to run on the Republican presidential ticket and the second to run for Vice President for a major party. This is not the first time Palin has made history. On December 4, 2006, she became the first woman ever to be elected governor of Alaska. At 42, she was also the youngest person ever to take the office.
Palin was born on February 11, 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho. That same year, her family moved to Skagway, Alaska, where her parents were teachers. Palin was the point guard of her high school basketball team in Wasilla, Alaska. She earned the nickname "Sarah Barracuda" because of her intensity on the court. After high school, Palin returned to the Midwest to attend college. She graduated from the University of Idaho in 1987 and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism.
Before entering politics, Palin had a brief career as a television sports reporter. Palin was twice elected to the Wasilla City Council and served two terms as the town's mayor. She lives in the state capital, Juneau, during legislative sessions and in Wasilla the rest of the year. She and her husband, Todd, have five children — Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and Trig. |
| |
Additional Resources |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
