We begin by looking at John McCain.

Here you see the Republican candidate for president, John McCain. John McCain has been a U.S. senator for the state of Arizona for 21 years. For a long time, Sen. McCain, who is 72, has had a reputation for being a "maverick" in the Republican Party. In this case, being a maverick means not agreeing with the rest of the group. On issues like immigration and the influence of money on elections, McCain has disagreed with his party. Do you think this appeals to voters? One of his biggest accomplishments in the Senate was writing a campaign finance reform bill along with Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold. The bill put limits on the amount of money political groups can give to candidates. Do you think this is a good idea? In general, however, John McCain has voted with his party to support the ideas of the Bush administration including the war in Iraq.

Many voters like John McCain because they see him as a war hero. The picture on the right is from the 1960s, when he was a Navy pilot. In 1967, he flew bombing missions in the Vietnam War. On Oct. 26th, his plane was shot down. McCain was badly injured, and taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese, the enemy of the United States during the war. He was a prisoner of war for five and a half years, and he was beaten and tortured. He was finally released in 1973. Do you think John McCain is a war hero? Do you think his background as a Navy pilot and a prisoner of war will get him a lot of votes? Would these experiences make him a better president? Do you think John McCain would be a good choice for president? Why or why not?