Rush of Entries Gives ’08 Race Early Intensity
By JOHN M. BRODER and PATRICK HEALY
Published: January 22, 2007
The contest for the White House is off to a breathtakingly fast start, exposing an ever-growing field to longer, more intensive scrutiny.
"While presidential campaigns have been getting gradually longer over the past few decades, the acceleration in the 2008 cycle is particularly pronounced. The first President Bush announced his candidacy for the 1988 Republican nomination in October 1987; the eventual Democratic nominee in that election, Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts, had declared six months earlier.
Bill Clinton formally announced his candidacy for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination on Oct. 3, 1991, about three and a half months before the Iowa caucuses. George W. Bush announced his exploratory committee for the 2000 presidential race in March 1999 and began his campaign in June 1999."

