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Talk:U.S. presidential election, 2008/Lists of potential candidates

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Potential candidates for nomination in 2008

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Numerous names have been floated as possible candidates for President or Vice President in 2008.

Other parties and independents

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It is also conceivable that a candidate for a major party nomination who did not win that nomination might seek the presidency as an other party or independent candidate; contemporary examples include John B. Anderson, Republican nomination candidate and Independent general election candidate in the 1980 election, and Buchanan, Republican nomination candidate in the 1992, 1996 and initially prospective candidate in the 2000 election primaries but then Reform Party general election candidate in the 2000 election.

Possible Constitutional amendments

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There has been some discussion recently of amending the Constitution to remove the absolute requirement that only natural-born citizens may become President. It would require 2/3rds favorable votes by both houses of congress and ratification by 3/4ths of the states. This proposal has been advanced 26 times since the 1870's without even moving to a congressional floor vote. In the extremely unlikely event that a strong consensus developed and the amendment won swift enough passage to allow such a change to occur in time for the 2008 elections, possible candidates for President or Vice President who are naturalized citizens and who have lived in the United States a minimum length of time (20 years in Senator Orrin Hatch's proposal) would include:

Alternative proposals requiring 35 years residency or phasing the measure in 10 years in the future would effectively remove the prospects that passing the measure would benefit these prominent individuals in 2008.

The possible repeal or amendment of Amendment XXII to allow a President to seek election to a third or further term has also come under some discussion. One proposal would allow a President to serve only two consecutive terms but seek to return after a respite. The only living former president who has served two terms is Bill Clinton. George W. Bush is also unable to run again. If sentiments across party lines looked favorably on a contest between George W. Bush and Bill Clinton in 2008, when both men would be 62, 2012, when both would be 66, or at a later date, or a potential candidacy by either individually, a repeal or change to this term limit might find support.