Barack Obama v John McCain

Jun 8 2008

AGE
Born Barack Hussein Obama in 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii, his boyish looks make him seem younger than his 46 years.

Born John Sidney McCain in 1936 in Panama, where his military family were stationed at a US base. He is 71 years old.

BACKGROUND

Obama: His Kenyan dad met his Kansas-born mum in Hawaii. They divorced and his mum wed again. Moved to Indonesia where he livedwith half-sister Maya until he was 10.

McCain: His dad and grandad were four-star admirals in the US Navy. With his older sister Sandy and younger brother Joe, they lived on naval bases and attended up to 20 different schools.

EDUCATION & CAREER

Obama: Studied political science at Columbia University, New York, then went to Harvard Law School. Worked as a lawyer in Chicago, fighting discrimination cases.

McCain: Graduated from US Naval Academy in 1958. Won 17 awards and decorations.

Held as a POW in Vietnam for five years, two in solitary confinement, where he was tortured.

FAMILY

Obama: Met his wife Michelle Robinson in 1989 when he got a job at the law firm where she worked. Married in 1992 and has two daughters, Malia, nine, and Sasha, six.

McCain: Wed model Carol Shepp in 1965, adopted her two kids and had a daughter.

Divorced in 1980. Married heiress Cindy Hensley, had three kids and adopted a Bangladeshi girl, now 17.

SOUNDBITES

Obama: 'I'm so overexposed, I'm making Paris Hilton look like a recluse.'

'There is not a black, white, Latino and Asian America - there is the United States of America.'

McCain: 'Only the most deluded of us could doubt the necessity of this war.'

'I'm older than dirt, I've got more scars than Frankenstein but I've learned a few things on the way.'

POLITICS

Obama: Was elected to Illinois state senate in 1997 and became the senator for Illinois in 2005.

McCain: Retired from the Navy in 1981. Elected to the House of Representatives from Arizona in 1982.

POLICIES

Obama: Priorities include ending the war in Iraq, providing affordable health care for all and tackling illegal immigration.

McCain: Tough stand on the Iraq war, vowing to keep troops there as long as necessary. Supports tax cuts.

HOBBIES

Obama: Basketball fanatic - he plays every morning. He also loves jogging.

McCain: Loves barbecues, baseball, hiking and fishing. Was an amateur boxer.

FLAWS

Obama: He was a smoker but claims he has quit. He wears nicotine patches to curb the urges. He also plays poker.

McCain: His age and previous health problems, such as skin cancer. Felt obliged to make his medical records public, showing he is now healthy.

SUPPORTERS

Obama: Oprah, George Clooney, Jon Bon Jovi, Jennifer Aniston and Bruce Springsteen are fans.

McCain: Celebrity backers include Tom Selleck, Sylvester Stallone and Burt Bacharach.

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