The 2008 US presidential campaign has been one of the most hard-fought, expensive, fascinating and dramatic in living memory. Barack Obama's spectacular upset of heavily favoured Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries has riveted Ireland and the rest of the world, and the battle with the Republican nominee John McCain promises to be equally enthralling.In "The Battle for the White House", Carole Coleman, who is covering the election for "Today with Pat Kenny" on RTE radio, describes this amazing race from the end of November 2007 right up to the night of November 4 a year later when a new president is finally chosen. She explains why this historic election, which features one of the starkest choices between candidates ever offered - old vs young, conservative vs liberal, pro-Iraq vs anti-Iraq, experience vs change, white vs black - is not only fascinating in its own right but crucial for the future of the United States and its standing in the world.Is America ready for a black President? Do Americans crave a dramatic break with the disastrous eight years of the Bush presidency?
Is it time for a new generation - the so-called 'millennials' born after 1980 - to take over from the traditionalists in a country that is constantly reinventing itself? Is it truly time for 'change we can believe in' as Obama supporters claim? These and other questions will be answered in November.Through interviews with party insiders, campaigners, political experts and hundreds of ordinary voters, Carole Coleman tells the remarkable story of one of the most engaging and critical US presidential elections ever fought.