Obama or McCain: Who they beat and how they got there

APF: King of the West Wing brackets

Beginning with the stiff competition of the primaries, the drama between Hillary and Obama in the protracted Democratic contest and finally the shifting storylines of the General Election. This grueling 2 year Presidential campaign all comes to a head November 4th. Who will be the victor?

They say, to the winner go the spoils - it may be a different case this time around. The incoming President will have to navigate through two current ground wars (Afghanistan & Iraq) and an existential one with the 'War on Terror'. They will have to manage an unfolding global economic crisis. Both contenders have promised to turn a new page for America amidst these waiting challenges. All with the backdrop of an ever more ubiquitous and chattering media - 24-hour news and the rise of punditry and opinion media coupled with the influence of blogosphere and let's not forget talk radio.

The grueling journey for the eventual President will pale in comparison to how hard it will be to retain the title - to preserve the esteem of the office and validate the confidence the electorate have bestowed on them.

Before we look forward to see let's remind ourselves of the contenders that might have been:
The fallen Democratic contenders
- Hillary Clinton (withdrew Jan 7, 2008)
- Mike Gravel (changed party Mar 26, 2008)
- John Edwards (withdrew Jan 30, 2008)
- Dennis Kucinich (withdrew Jan 24, 2008)
- Bill Richardson (withdrew Jan 10, 2008)
- Joe Biden (withdrew Jan 3, 2008)
- Chris Dodd (withdrew Jan 3, 2008)

The fallen Republican contenders
- Ron Paul (withdrew June 13, 2008)
- Mike Huckabee (withdrew Mar 4, 2008)
- Mitt Romney (withdrew Feb 7, 2008)
- Rudy Giuliani (withdrew Jan 30, 2008)
- Fred Thompson (withdrew Jan 22, 2008)
- Duncan Hunter (withdrew Jan 19, 2008)

Read more in-depth analysis of the primaries at PBS' Vote 2008 site . Read about the Democratic and Republican Primaries.

Update:
Watch the "King of the West Wing" brackets featured in the 'Pollocktics' segment for The Fight Network.