Election 2008

Starting Points • Other General Sites • Indexes and Directories • Government Agencies • Blogs • Campaign Finance/Federal Election Commission • Candidates • Election Statistics and Polls • Electoral College & Other Election Reforms • Issues • News and Media Sites • Political Party and Other Groups • Research Centers and Other Educational Sites • Students • Voter Participation and Registration • Campaign Ads • Candidates • Congress • Electoral College • State and Local Government • Truthiness • Voter Participation and Registration

  • StateVote 2008 -- National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) -- Breakdown of statistics and state-by-state analysis of the 2008 elections.


Starting Points

  • 2008 Election Center -- GovSpot -- Covers candidates and their stands on the issues, state referendums, and third parties.
  • 2008 Elections -- U.S. Dept. of State -- Links and articles on the election process: primaries, caucuses, issues, electoral college, public opinion polls.
  • CQ Politics -- Congressional Quarterly Inc. -- Has a section on House, Senate and Gubernatorial races to watch in 2008 as well as a section on the presidential race. Also describes the political situation in each of the covered districts.
  • Change.gov [Presidential transition] -- U.S. Office of the President-Elect -- Official website of President-Elect Barack Obama. Features Obama's election night speech, a transitions press room (with "up-to-the-minute updates and information about all aspects of the transition"), background about positions on issues (such as the economy, health care, and the war in Iraq), an area "designed to provide prospective applicants with information to help them apply for positions in the Obama-Biden Administration," a blog, an opportunity for you to contribute campaign stories, and more.--LII
  • Congress.org -- Capitol Advantage -- Covers writing to elected officials, candidates and issues, issue areas and action alerts from various organizations, recent Congressional votes, agencies, courts, and local and national media by ZIP code.
  • Election Guide -- Capitol Advantage (Congress.org) -- Enter your zip code or use the state map to find out who's running for state and national offices on your ballot. Find out more about the races, candidates, and issues invovled in current elections. Uses same database as C-SPAN.
  • FactCheck.org -- University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg Public Policy Center -- Monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major candidates and their supporters in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.
  • How Lame Is a Lame-Duck President?: HowStuffWorks -- HowStuffWorks, Inc. -- Material about the "incumbent president who's reached the end of his term." On this site, "read about some of the hits (and misses) some lame duck presidents have made in the final days of their terms in this article. But first, read about the Lame Duck Amendment [20th Amendment] to the Constitution," which shortened the lame duck period. Includes links to related material. From HowStuffWorks.
  • Indecision Forever -- Comedy Central -- Video clips, interviews, a news blog, and other humorous resources from Comedy Central featuring "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report".
  • Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2004 (74th-108th Congress) -- U.S. Congress. Senate. -- This 2006 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report described the activities of each "lame duck" session of Congress from 1935-2004. "A 'lame duck' session of Congress occurs whenever one Congress meets after its successor is elected, but before the successor's term begins." Also includes material about characteristics of lame duck sessions such as occurrence, timing, and length. Opens directly into a PDF file.
  • Lost in Transition -- National Journal -- This blog was launched in November 2008 to help "you navigate the presidential handover" from George W. Bush to Barack Obama. Blog entries include roundups of top transition stories in the press, insider interviews, and commentary on activities, such as the selection of Rahm Emanuel as Barack Obama's chief of staff (which is noted as echoing a plot point from the television show "West Wing"). --LII
  • Obama Fact Check -- Obama for America -- Barack Obama was so concerned about inaccurate ads and statements that he set up his own site to combat what he feels are inaccurate statements.
  • Obama's Transition to Power (PBS Online NewsHour: In-Depth Coverage) -- Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) -- This news coverage of the 2008-2009 presidential transition features background reports, analysis, interviews, and related material. Includes a listing of key positions (such as chief of staff, secretary of defense, and U.N. representative), and related links. From the PBS Online NewsHour.
  • OntheIssues.org - Candidates on the Issues -- Near the top of the page, look for Candidates: 2008 Speculation: McCain, Obama, Biden, Palin, Nader, McKinney, Barr, and others. Click on a candidate to find quotations from the candidate and his voting record. For House, Senate, and Governor candidates, find similar information by clicking on the apprpriate tab. Choose an issue and a candidate. Extensive analysis of voting records of gubernatorial, senatorial, and congressional candidates and incumbents on major campaign issues.
  • Politifact.com -- St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly (CQ) -- Check out the "truth-o-meter" and "attack files" tabs. You can choose the "candidates" tab to see the overall truthfulness score for major candidates. You can also enter an issue (for example, abortion) in the search box hidden in the bottom right of the page.
  • Pollster.com -- Various polling, survey, and statistical information on the 2008 election.
  • Presidency 2008 -- Ron Gunzburger -- Politics1 -- Provides basic information about 2008 Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates and provides links to other 2008 election sites.
  • President 2008 -- e-Democracy -- Wiki site for the U.S. Presidential election in 2008. Covers Presidential candidates websites, election 2008 websites, U.S. non-profit non-partisan election information websites, and links to major media political news sections.
  • Presidential Transition: Preparing for the White House (C-SPAN.org) -- C-SPAN.org, National Cable Satellite Corporation -- Archive of C-SPAN's 2008-2009 coverage of the 77-day period between Election Day and Inauguration Day, traditionally known simply as the transition. Features audio and video of press conferences, remarks, conference calls, and other activities involving the transition of the White House from President George W. Bush to President-elect Barack Obama. Also includes links to related websites.
  • The Presidential Transition (Brookings) -- Brookings Institution -- This page on the 2008-2009 presidential transition will examine "policy challenges, with public discussions, memos to the president-elect, and a weekly podcast." Browse sections for the memos, podcasts, briefing room, online chats, events, and historical political advice and policy on the presidency. --LII
  • USA Election Polls -- USAElectionPolls.com -- See latest polls by candidate, by polling source, or by state. Also provides Presidential approval scores by state.


Other General Sites

  • TechPresident -- Personal Democracy Forum -- Site that focuses on the use of the Internet in presidential campaigns.How the candidates are using the web and how the web is using the candidates.


Indexes and Directories

  • Mayoral Elections Database -- United States Conference of Mayors -- Searchable database of mayoral election winners by city and date of inauguration from 1999-2007. Scedule of mayoral elections for 2008.
  • StateVote 2008 -- National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) -- Breakdown of statistics and state-by-state analysis of the 2008 elections.


Government Agencies

  • 2008 Elections -- U.S. Dept. of State -- Links and articles on the election process: primaries, caucuses, issues, electoral college, public opinion polls.
  • 2008 Presidential Election: U.S. Electoral College -- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Office of the Federal Register -- How the electoral college works, interactive electoral map, electoral college calculator, and other sources.
  • Voting and Elections - USA.gov -- U.S. General Services Admin. (GSA) -- Topics include the basics, contact elected officials, electoral college, history, learn about candidates, legislation and reform, "Register to Vote and Go Vote," volunteering and contributions.


Blogs

  • Campaign Spot -- National Review Online (NRO) -- National Review's election 2008 blog.
  • Instapundit.com -- Glenn Reynolds -- Political blog from Univ. of Tennessee law professor.
  • The Corner -- National Review Online (NRO) -- National Review's politics blog.


Campaign Finance/Federal Election Commission

  • Campaign Finance in American Politics -- CampaignMoney.com -- Searchable database of campaign contributions for Presidential and Congressional candidates beginning in 2000. Information can be accessed by candidate, political action committee, or 527 organization. Last updated 2-08.
  • The Campaign Legal Center -- Nonpartisan analyses of issues of campaign finance and elections, political communication and government ethics.


Candidates

  • OntheIssues.org - Candidates on the Issues -- Near the top of the page, look for Candidates: 2008 Speculation: McCain, Obama, Biden, Palin, Nader, McKinney, Barr, and others. Click on a candidate to find quotations from the candidate and his voting record. For House, Senate, and Governor candidates, find similar information by clicking on the apprpriate tab. Choose an issue and a candidate. Extensive analysis of voting records of gubernatorial, senatorial, and congressional candidates and incumbents on major campaign issues.


Election Statistics and Polls

  • 270 to Win -- 270towin.com -- Interactive electoral college map. Select one of the starting views below the map. Click any state to change its outcome. As you modify a state, the total Electoral Vote counter will update. You'll also see historical election info for that state. Provides Presidential electoral maps of the U.S., 1992 to present.
  • Daily Presidential Tracking Poll -- Rasmussen Reports Inc. -- Daily reports on favorite presidential candidates as well as a chart of candidate popularity beginning in 2007.
  • Election '08 -- Pew Research Center -- Polling and survey information relevant to the 2008 election.
  • Election 2008 -- PollingReport.com -- Up-to-date polling results from many polling groups.
  • Kaiser Polls [PDF] -- Kaiser Family Foundation -- Surveys on American values, sex, health care issues, politics, and morals. Most files are in PDF form.
  • National Annenberg Election Survey -- Annenberg Public Policy Center, Univ. of Pennsylvania -- Weekly reserves provide public opinion on election issues such as stem cell research, veteran service, assault weapons, candidate personalities, and the war in Iraq.
  • PollingReport.com -- Up-to-date polling results from many polling groups covers head-to-head match-ups and ratings of individual candidates.
  • Pollster.com -- Various polling, survey, and statistical information on the 2008 election.
  • StateVote 2008 -- National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) -- Breakdown of statistics and state-by-state analysis of the 2008 elections.
  • USA Election Polls -- USAElectionPolls.com -- See latest polls by candidate, by polling source, or by state. Also provides Presidential approval scores by state.


Electoral College & Other Election Reforms

  • U.S. Electoral College -- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Office of the Federal Register -- Electoral vote totals, popular vote totals, electoral college members, certificates of ascertainment, certificates of vote, state laws and requirements (are your state electors bound by the popular vote?), past electoral results, 1789 - 2000, procedural guide to the electoral college, relevant provisions of the u.s. constitution and federal law.


Issues

  • FactCheck.org -- University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg Public Policy Center -- Monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major candidates and their supporters in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.
  • Obama Fact Check -- Obama for America -- Barack Obama was so concerned about inaccurate ads and statements that he set up his own site to combat what he feels are inaccurate statements.
  • OntheIssues.org - Candidates on the Issues -- Near the top of the page, look for Candidates: 2008 Speculation: McCain, Obama, Biden, Palin, Nader, McKinney, Barr, and others. Click on a candidate to find quotations from the candidate and his voting record. For House, Senate, and Governor candidates, find similar information by clicking on the apprpriate tab. Choose an issue and a candidate. Extensive analysis of voting records of gubernatorial, senatorial, and congressional candidates and incumbents on major campaign issues.
  • Politifact.com -- St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly (CQ) -- Check out the "truth-o-meter" and "attack files" tabs. You can choose the "candidates" tab to see the overall truthfulness score for major candidates. You can also enter an issue (for example, abortion) in the search box hidden in the bottom right of the page.


News and Media Sites

  • Ballot Access News -- Richard Winger -- Non-partisan newsletter on voting issues within the states, including conflicts over who gets on the ballot..
  • CNN/YouTube Democratic Debate: Complete Video -- For the first time in presidential debate history, user-generated video drove the debate. On July 23, 2007, eight Democratic presidential hopefuls answered questions submitted via YouTube in a debate hosted by the Web site and CNN.
  • CQ Politics -- Congressional Quarterly Inc. -- Has a section on House, Senate and Gubernatorial races to watch in 2008 as well as a section on the presidential race. Also describes the political situation in each of the covered districts.
  • Politics West -- The Denver Post -- Political news and issues information related to the western U.S.
  • Sayfie News: Your Morning Cup of Coffee -- Sayfie Media -- Links to editorials, columnists, current newspapers, magazines, media, and press releases from Government cabinet departments. Also includes election news and Presidential candidate news releases.


Political Party and Other Groups

  • Democratic Leadership Council -- "Idea center, catalyst, and national voice for a reform movement that is...moving beyond the old left-right debate".
  • GOP.gov -- Hot topics, newsroom, floor info, mutlimedia archives, govt websites, issue focus.
  • Senate Republican Conference -- Includes republican agenda, television and radio clips, graphics, committee assignments, and calendar of events.
  • Yahoo! Political Parties Directory -- Yahoo! Inc. -- Compilation of links for several international parties as well as the major parties in the United States. Includes Greens, Christian Democrats, Socialists, etc.


Research Centers and Other Educational Sites

  • Election '08 -- Pew Research Center -- Polling and survey information relevant to the 2008 election.
  • FactCheck.org -- University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg Public Policy Center -- Monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major candidates and their supporters in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.
  • Issue Area: Elections/2008 -- Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) -- One of the most important functions of the U.S. media is to give voters the tools to make informed decisions at the ballot box. But instead of open forums where qualified candidates debate issues of national significance, we see a contest warped by candidate mudslinging, dubious fact-checking and skewed issue coverage that obsesses on the irrelevant and trivial. Judging media coverage of elections is often reduced to asking whether the press is fair to this candidate or that. FAIR's media critics go further to explore the better question - whether the press is fair to the American voters. National media watch group.
  • Obama Fact Check -- Obama for America -- Barack Obama was so concerned about inaccurate ads and statements that he set up his own site to combat what he feels are inaccurate statements.
  • President 2008 -- e-Democracy -- Wiki site for the U.S. Presidential election in 2008. Covers Presidential candidates websites, election 2008 websites, U.S. non-profit non-partisan election information websites, and links to major media political news sections.
  • Religion and Politics -- Articles and information on the issue of religion vs. politics related to the 2008 election.
  • TechPresident -- Personal Democracy Forum -- Site that focuses on the use of the Internet in presidential campaigns.How the candidates are using the web and how the web is using the candidates.


Students

  • Campaign U -- The Chronicle of Higher Education -- Archived page from Feb. 17, 2008. Provides links to articles focusing on the 2008 election and how they affect students, colleges and universities, and higher education in general. For current information from The Chronicle, visit here.
  • Campus Politico -- Capitol News Company -- Election information related to colleges and universities.


Voter Participation and Registration

  • VOTE411.org -- League of Women Voters -- Includes links to local candidate information, information on how to register to vote, and more.
  • Voting and Elections - USA.gov -- U.S. General Services Admin. (GSA) -- Topics include the basics, contact elected officials, electoral college, history, learn about candidates, legislation and reform, "Register to Vote and Go Vote," volunteering and contributions.


Campaign Ads

  • Campaign 2008 -- Political Communication Lab, Stanford University. -- Presidential general-election ads. Look at all recent ads or look for only Obama ads, McCain ads, Democratic Party ads, or Republican ads. Also includes archive of primary-election ads. Searching by topic is not available.
  • Campaign Ads: Obama '08 -- You Tube -- Democratic candidate Barack Obama's Presidential campaign ads. Because this You Tube site also contains longer videos, you have to enter "ads" in the search box halfway down the page on the right to find ads.Or at the main YouTube site, http://www.youtube.com/, you can also search for barack obama ads and your topic (for example, energy).
  • FactCheck.org -- University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg Public Policy Center -- Monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major candidates and their supporters in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.
  • Politifact.com -- St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly (CQ) -- Check out the "truth-o-meter" and "attack files" tabs. You can choose the "candidates" tab to see the overall truthfulness score for major candidates. You can also enter an issue (for example, abortion) in the search box hidden in the bottom right of the page.


Candidates

  • The 51st State: The State of Online [PDF] -- Laura Gordon-Murnane -- Infotoday.com -- Nov.-Dec. 2007 article that provides analysis of how candidates, the media, and voters are using the technology of today.


Congress

  • Congressional Report Cards -- Voter Information Service -- Ratings of the U.S. Congress: level of support members of Congress give to particular interest groups; includes links to home page of each advocacy group.
  • Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2004 (74th-108th Congress) -- U.S. Congress. Senate. -- This 2006 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report described the activities of each "lame duck" session of Congress from 1935-2004. "A 'lame duck' session of Congress occurs whenever one Congress meets after its successor is elected, but before the successor's term begins." Also includes material about characteristics of lame duck sessions such as occurrence, timing, and length. Opens directly into a PDF file.
  • Voter Information Services (VIS) -- Non-partisan, non-governmental organization dedicating to educating voters about political issues that affect their everyday lives, including legislative and congressional news. Includes "report cards" of individual members of congress, comparing their voting records to the personalized issues of the user.


Electoral College


State and Local Government

  • Mayoral Elections Database -- United States Conference of Mayors -- Searchable database of mayoral election winners by city and date of inauguration from 1999-2007. Scedule of mayoral elections for 2008.


Truthiness

  • FactCheck.org -- University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg Public Policy Center -- Monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major candidates and their supporters in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.
  • Obama Fact Check -- Obama for America -- Barack Obama was so concerned about inaccurate ads and statements that he set up his own site to combat what he feels are inaccurate statements.
  • Politifact.com -- St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly (CQ) -- Check out the "truth-o-meter" and "attack files" tabs. You can choose the "candidates" tab to see the overall truthfulness score for major candidates. You can also enter an issue (for example, abortion) in the search box hidden in the bottom right of the page.


Voter Participation and Registration

  • Registering to Vote and Voting -- U.S. General Services Admin. - USA.gov -- Covers absentee ballots in the United States and for uniformed and overseas citizens, registering to vote by mail, state election offices, state voter registration deadlines, voting rights and discrimination, and when to vote with polling hours by state.


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