It has been nearly 80 years since the race for president has been this wide open. The campaigns for both major parties are not dominated by any one candidate. And after almost eight years of a reckless and relentless presidential assault on environmental protection, the nation is yearning for a return to the traditional bipartisan support for improved environmental standards and a new commitment to addressing the single greatest challenge of this generation: global warming and America’s energy future. The dramatic power shift in Congress in 2006 was fueled in large part by voters' dissatisfaction with the course of U.S. energy policy, especially among independents who cited energy policy as their top priority. But make no mistake, the interests that compelled the Bush administration to pursue rollbacks in clean air and water policies, erode protection for wild places and thwart action on climate change are just as strong, or stronger, than they were eight years ago. They will not give up power without a fight. To that end, the League of Conservation Voters offers this 2008 Presidential Primaries Voter Guide to arm the American people with the information they need to choose our next president and the future of conservation and environmental policy. This voter guide, unlike in years past, will focus on the candidates’ plans to address climate change and move America toward a clean, renewable energy future. In the race for the Democratic nomination, all of the candidates have shown a commitment to addressing global warming. Senators Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Obama and Rep. Kucinich have co-sponsored the strongest global warming bills in Congress. Each of the top-tier candidates, including Gov. Richardson and Sen. Edwards, have put forward aggressive plans to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The differences between these plans are detailed herein. On the Republican side, the differences are much more stark. With the exception of a few of the more fringe candidates, each candidate has acknowledged that global warming is a problem. But that is where the similarities end. Sen. McCain has offered legislation to reduce global warming pollution by 65% by 2050. None of the other Republican candidates—Mayor Giuliani, Sen. Thompson, Govs. Romney and Huckabee and Rep. Paul—have offered any kind of comprehensive plan to address global warming. Moreover, aside from Sen. McCain, only Gov. Huckabee has signaled support for a cap on emissions. Again, aside from the long-standing commitment of Sen. McCain, the rhetoric of the other Republican candidates has improved through this long year of campaigning. But as a cautionary note: then-Governor George W. Bush said in 2000 that he considered the leading greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, to be a pollutant that should be regulated, then spent his entire term in office trying to stop and subvert efforts to do just that. In the coming months, LCV will continue to assess the candidates’ positions. LCV will also continue to press the mainstream media which, to date, has done a woeful job of covering this issue in the context of the presidential race. No matter who emerges as the nominee of the respective parties, LCV will work to elect the candidate best equipped to take on this issue as president of the United States.