Candidates are listed in alphabetical order. Positions are categorized as Pro (Yes), Con (No), Not Clearly Pro or Con, or None Found.
Candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria are listed last.

Pro (Yes)

Con (No)

Baldwin, Chuck (Cst) - Con Chuck Baldwin, Founder and Minister of the Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, FL, issued the following statement through his Communications Director, Mary Starrett, in an Aug. 15, 2008 email to ProCon.org: "Con, in the same way automobile manufacturers aren't responsible for those who drive while impaired and kill people. Fast food is a commodity that, while not the centerpiece of a healthful diet and while not the best and most nutritous fare, in moderation, and as part of a healthful diet coupled with exercise does not lead to obesity in and of itself. People are responsible for what they choose to eat, and how much they choose to eat. Fast food on a regular basis can lead to obesity, but that does not call for government intervention and watchdog meddling." Aug. 15, 2008 Chuck Baldwin

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Barr, Bob (Lib) - Not Clearly Pro or Con Bob Barr, former US House Representative (R-GA), stated in an article titled "Bureaucracy and Obesity" on the American Conservative Union Foundation website (accessed Aug. 14, 2008): "The CDC's [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] now-infamous 2004 report on obesity ["State-Level Estimates of Annual Medical Expenditures Attributable to Obesity"]... concluded that 400,000 Americans a year die from obesity, a figure that threatened to make it the nation's No. 1 preventable cause of death. However, the basic research leading to this alarmist conclusion was deeply flawed, a fact later pointed out by The Wall Street Journal... Just as trial lawyers are hoping to reap millions from litigation targeting fast-food purveyors and others, the CDC is pushing its publicly discredited study to improve its funding posture with Congress... Congress should again remind the CDC to stick to its clear, core mission: disease prevention. We don't need to spend billions of dollars so publicity-seeking bureaucrats can tell us what good parents and common sense already tell children: 'Don't eat too much.'" Aug. 14, 2008 Bob Barr

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McCain, John (R) - Not Clearly Pro or Con John McCain, US Senator (R-AZ), stated in a May 18, 2008 article titled "What the Candidates Had to Say" on washingtonpost.com: "McCain believes the fight against obesity involves more than just the federal government mandating fitness. Parents should provide their children with healthier meals and make exercise a family activity; schools must provide children with nutrition education and should offer more opportunities for physical education; and health-care providers should use yearly checkups as an opportunity to guide their patients through diet and fitness goals." May 18, 2008 John McCain

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McKinney, Cynthia (Grn) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Cynthia McKinney, former US House Representative (D-GA), on Oct. 19, 2005 voted No on H.R.554, the "Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act of 2005," which stated: "To prevent legislative and regulatory functions from being usurped by civil liability actions brought or continued against food manufacturers, marketers, distributors, advertisers, sellers, and trade associations for claims of injury relating to a person's weight gain, obesity, or any health condition associated with weight gain or obesity." Oct. 19, 2005 Cynthia McKinney

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Nader, Ralph (Ind) - Pro Ralph Nader, attorney, author, and political activist, in a Jan. 28, 2005 article titled "Super Bowl Advertising" on Nader.org, stated: "Experts in their methods of targeting children, McDonald's uses some of children's most beloved characters, including Nemo, Tarzan, Winnie-the-Pooh, 101 Dalmatians, Furby and Beanie Babies, as well as collectible toys and gimmicks to peddle its high-calorie, low-nutrition Happy Meals. The rise of McDonald's and other fast junk food chains has paralleled the boom in children obesity as it has changed the diets of children, (who are encouraged to nag their parents for fast food)." Jan. 28, 2005 Ralph Nader

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Obama, Barack (D) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Barack Obama, US Senator (D-IL), in a May 18, 2008 article titled "What the Candidates Had to Say" on washingtonpost.com, stated: "The food industry overall could do substantially more to limit [children's] exposure to foods with minimal nutritional value. Obama believes that guidelines for advertising and marketing of foods and beverages must be finalized, and the industry should be encouraged to implement these guidelines on a voluntary basis. If voluntary adoption is not effective, Obama believes that these guidelines should be made mandatory and that the Federal Trade Commission should have the authority and the resources to monitor and enforce compliance." May 18, 2008 Barack Obama

CANDIDATES WHO HAVE WITHDRAWN OR WHO NO LONGER MEET OUR CRITERIA      Biden, Joe (D) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 3, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Brownback, Sam (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Oct. 19, 2007; no position found as of that date Top      Clinton, Hillary (D) - None Found   Suspended campaign on June 7, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Dodd, Chris (D) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 3, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Edwards, John (D) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 30, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Gilmore, Jim (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Aug. 14, 2007; no position found as of that date Top      Giuliani, Rudy (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 30, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Gravel, Mike (Lib) - None Found   Withdrew on May 27, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Huckabee, Mike (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Mar. 4, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Hunter, Duncan (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 19, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Imperato, Daniel (Ind) - None Found   No longer met ProCon.org's criteria as of Mar. 21, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Keyes, Alan (Ind) - None Found   No longer met ProCon.org's criteria as of June 23, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Kubby, Steve (Lib) - None Found   No longer met ProCon.org's criteria as of Mar. 21, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Kucinich, Dennis (D) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 25, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      McEnulty, Frank (Ind) - None Found   No longer met ProCon.org's criteria as of Mar. 21, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Paul, Ron (R) - None Found   Withdrew on June 12, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Richardson, Bill (D) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 10, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Romney, Mitt (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Feb. 7, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Smith, Christine (Lib) - None Found   No longer met ProCon.org's criteria as of Mar. 21, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Tancredo, Tom (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Dec. 20, 2007; no position found as of that date Top      Thompson, Fred (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Jan. 22, 2008; no position found as of that date Top      Thompson, Tommy (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Sep. 12, 2007; no position found as of that date Top      Vilsack, Tom (D) - None Found   Withdrew on Feb. 23, 2007; no position found as of that date