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Stump early and often in the race for president
Numbers are everything in a presidential election - 348 days to the nation's first caucus in Iowa; more than 500 days to the national political conventions; 633 days until Americans vote for their next president. But if you've turned on the television lately, you'd think the election was much sooner than that. "The incumbent's not running in the election so we've got open spots in both parties. That complicates it for all the rest of us who are seeing candidates just flashing across the TV screen," says local political expert Steve Smith. Almost like shopping for the holidays, election season seems to start earlier every time with candidates stepping forward - now. The latest made it official on Saturday. "I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the United States of America," said Democrat Barack Obama to a crowd in Springfield, IL. Obama, along with Clinton and Edwards, is now at the top of the polls for Democrats. For Republicans, the names McCain, Giuliani and Romney are leading contenders already. But with the frontrunners, so many other faces have come forward as presidential possibilities. Experts say the early game is all about the money. "That takes more and more time and more and more effort, so you need to be in the race early and campaigning hard because once a dollar is given to one of your opponents it's not given back to you," says Steve Smith. And what about Tim Pawlenty? He?s co-chair ofJjohn McCain?s presidential exploratory committee and was stumping Saturday in Michigan. "Sen. McCain is a once in a generation leader," Pawlenty told party members at the Republican Convention in Grand Rapids. So could Minnesota lose its governor in 2008? "Governor Pawlenty announced his support for John McCain some weeks ago," says Steve Smith. "It's natural for people to start thinking whether he's aiming for the vice presidency."
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