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[[Image:Casmier.jpg|right|thumb|250px|'''Senator John McCain, R-Arizona''']] '''John Sidney McCain III''' (born in the U.S. [[Panama Canal]] Zone, August 29, 1936) <ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m0003http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/13/Button_enter.png Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref>, the Republican candidate for President in 2008, is a prominent maverick politician and Vietnam War hero, and he is the senior [[United States Senate|Senator]] of [[Arizona]]. He has been an influential leader in American politics since 1986, when he ran for office attacking corruption, attacking [[pork barrel]] spending and working for [[campaign finance reform]].  He was defeated by [[George W. Bush]] for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, and in 2008 kept his distance from the president, despite efforts of Democrats to paint the two as close allies.

[[Image:Casmier.jpg|right|thumb|250px|'''Senator John McCain, R-Arizona''']] '''John Sidney McCain III''' (born in the U.S. [[Panama Canal]] Zone, August 29, 1936) <ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m0003http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/13/Button_enter.png Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref>, was the Republican candidate for President in 2008, is a prominent maverick politician and [[Vietnam War]] hero, and he is the senior [[United States Senate|Senator]] of [[Arizona]]. He has been an influential leader in American politics since 1986, when he ran for office attacking corruption, attacking [[pork barrel]] spending and working for [[campaign finance reform]].  He was defeated by [[George W. Bush]] for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, and lost to [[Barack Obama]] in the 2008 Presidential Election.

As a pilot for the United States Navy and former Prisoner-of-War (POW), he served in the military for 22 years.<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m000303 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref> McCain, a [[Baptist]],<ref> http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296973,00.html</ref> has impressive credentials on issues of foreign policy and national security, which have propelled him in the forefront of national politics as both an outspoken voice for the United States military and as a Presidential contender for the Republican Party since 1993.<ref>Alexander, Paul. John McCain: Man of the People. Published 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-47545-9</ref> McCain is the [[Republican]] nominee for [[President of the United States of America|President of the United States]] in the [[2008 Presidential Election|2008 Election]]. <ref>[http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/NATIONWORLD/803050441/0/LOCAL1901 ''McCain clinches GOP nomination; Huckabee bows out''] 5 March 2008 IndyStar.com</ref><ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,255535,00.html John McCain Announces Plans for '08 Presidential Candidacy on 'Late Night With David Letterman'], Associated Press, 1 March 2007</ref> If elected, John McCain would be the first President who was ever a POW of a foreign conflict.

As a pilot for the [[United States Navy]] and former Prisoner-of-War ([[POW]]), he served in the military for 22 years.<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m000303 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref> McCain, a [[Baptist]],<ref> http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296973,00.html</ref> has impressive credentials on issues of foreign policy and national security, which have propelled him in the forefront of national politics as both an outspoken voice for the United States military and as a Presidential contender for the Republican Party since 1993.<ref>Alexander, Paul. John McCain: Man of the People. Published 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-47545-9</ref><ref>[http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/NATIONWORLD/803050441/0/LOCAL1901 ''McCain clinches GOP nomination; Huckabee bows out''] 5 March 2008 IndyStar.com</ref><ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,255535,00.html John McCain Announces Plans for '08 Presidential Candidacy on 'Late Night With David Letterman'], Associated Press, 1 March 2007</ref> If McCain had been elected President, he would have been the first President who was ever a POW of a foreign conflict.

==Early Life==

==Early Life==

Romney had the edge in early races, but couldn't deliver a knockout blow.  McCain's poll numbers slowly increased and benefited as the field narrowed.  After McCain defeated top contender Mitt Romney by a large margin on Super Tuesday in delegate-rich states like New York, California, and Arizona,<ref>Scott Neuman and Howard Berkes. "Mitt Romney Drops Out of GOP Presidential Race." Feb. 7, 2008. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18772382</ref> Mitt Romney withdrew with some protest, leaving McCain the clear front-runner.<ref>Bumiller, Elisabeth, Kirkpatrick, David. "Romney Is Out; McCain Emerges as G.O.P. Choice." Feb. 8, 2008. New York Times.</ref> Although McCain's proportion of the vote was not much higher than Romney's, he won most of the 'winner take all' states giving him a much higher proportion of the delegate count.  Without Romney's well-financed opposition, McCain easily clinched the necessary delegate lead of 1,191 in March after a spirited yet short-lived fight from Mike Huckabee.<ref>NPR.org. "Election 2008: Huckabee, Romney Stay in Race for GOP Nomination." Feb. 6, 2008. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18739137</ref>

Romney had the edge in early races, but couldn't deliver a knockout blow.  McCain's poll numbers slowly increased and benefited as the field narrowed.  After McCain defeated top contender Mitt Romney by a large margin on Super Tuesday in delegate-rich states like New York, California, and Arizona,<ref>Scott Neuman and Howard Berkes. "Mitt Romney Drops Out of GOP Presidential Race." Feb. 7, 2008. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18772382</ref> Mitt Romney withdrew with some protest, leaving McCain the clear front-runner.<ref>Bumiller, Elisabeth, Kirkpatrick, David. "Romney Is Out; McCain Emerges as G.O.P. Choice." Feb. 8, 2008. New York Times.</ref> Although McCain's proportion of the vote was not much higher than Romney's, he won most of the 'winner take all' states giving him a much higher proportion of the delegate count.  Without Romney's well-financed opposition, McCain easily clinched the necessary delegate lead of 1,191 in March after a spirited yet short-lived fight from Mike Huckabee.<ref>NPR.org. "Election 2008: Huckabee, Romney Stay in Race for GOP Nomination." Feb. 6, 2008. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18739137</ref>

Between March and April, John McCain was the all-but-certain nominee while attention centered on a fierce battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in the Democratic Primaries. Hillary's early losses, which could have been attributed to a surprise showing of John Edwards early in the campaign, led to a difficult and long-stretched race that many criticized for continuing. Hillary was far more moderate in her positions than Obama, and appealed more to the blue-collar rural Democrats that could vote Republican. When she lost the nomination in April, it was reported that Obama had a double-digit lead in the polls over John McCain.

McCain had won the nomination and could focus on the [[2008 United States Presidential Election]].

 

McCain led an energetic and hard-fought campaign through the summer of 2008, and closed the lead steadily in important states, even gaining movement in Michigan and Pennsylvania among disenfranchised Democrats. He had an enormous difference in positions with Obama, on issues ranging from military spending to abortion to campaign finance reform. However, in many red states, Obama began an aggressive "50 States" strategy, campaigning in Georgia, North Carolina, South Dakota, Indiana, and Virginia on a message of economic stimulation. For McCain, who lacked the resources necessary for a wide-reaching campaign, the tactic helped divert Republican money into defending Red states, making an electoral win increasingly difficult by many simulations.

 

 

As October rolled around, media reports began to surface on Barack Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers, a domestic terrorist who had worked with Obama during his community-organizing past. McCain capitalized on the issue, making mention of the terrorist during Town Hall meetings and in the Presidential debates. Media reaction was mixed, as Fox News continued the story, while most other outlets were all too happy to disregard the issue. John McCain's crowds also became rowdy when discussing the issue, making jeers of "terrorist" during campaign events. Bad publicity surrounded the campaign after a woman in Lakeville, Minnesota said she had heard Obama was "an Arab".<ref>Amie Parnes and Lisa Lerer. "McCain avoids trouble from crowds." October 1, 2008. Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/15147.html</ref>

 

In the closing weeks of the election, as many news sources and electoral projections had claimed that McCain's chances of winning were slim to none, John McCain cultivated a strong following in western Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and several Southwestern states, tightening the race in many battleground states. Barack Obama's lead shrank from a 7-8 point lead to a mere 5 points in the last two weeks of October, and strong campaign efforts threatened prospects of an Obama victory in Pennsylvania. John McCain shifted through several messages comparing himself to his opponent, underscoring the risky Socialist policies and the extremist past that detracted many from Senator Obama.

==Domestic Policy==

==Domestic Policy==