Before voters choose between John McCain and Barack Obama, see for yourself who they really are.

In 2004, a wrote an essay titled Hiring a President that looked at the question of why we in the United States elect our president with a process that looks like a Miss America beauty pageant crossed with a fundraising marathon. On the other hand, when our public companies hire a new CEO, they use a much more rational process that looks at the actual relevant skills of the job candidates.

Before the 2000 Presidential election, I published an analysis of George Bush which urged people not to vote for Bush because he would be a disaster as President since he had a track record of ignoring facts, ignoring science, and twisting the facts to support his misguided beliefs. Even though the evidence was there for everyone to see, most people don't look beyond the sound bites and nobody else predicted this that I'm aware of (if you know of anyone who did, please send me the link!). As everyone now knows, I was right on the money with my prediction.

A survey of world citizens' opinion of John McCain vs. Barack Obama and a look at the major issues in the countries being visited by the Democratic candidate. Plus: Match the international pundit with what he said about Obama in an interactive game.

ARTICLE II of the Constitution declares that

Barack Obama talked to NEWSWEEK's Lisa Miller and Richard Wolffe about how faith plays into his everyday life.

Phil Gramm will have none of your complaints: Get over it! Stop whining and eat your gruel. This recession

CHICAGO

Only an idiot would think or hope that a politician going through the crucible of a presidential campaign could hold fast to every position, steer clear of the stumbling blocks of nuance and never make a mistake. But Barack Obama went out of his way to create the impression that he was a new kind of political leader

The two presumptive nominees, along with the many candidates who bowed out along the way, spent more than $900 million through the end of May, about $470 million more than was spent on primaries in 2000, when both major parties last had competitive primary battles. Nearly half of the current spending has been paid to just a few dozen companies.