The home stretch

摘要

The leading US presidential candidates are not trying to woo voters with science issues. But the senator who wins will help shape the world's most influential research agenda. Alexandra Witze looks at how John McCain and Barack Obama have developed their thoughts on science and technology, and where each of them might take the country if elected. The United States' scientific establishment has been doing its best to get this year's presidential contenders to pay attention to it. In April, a group of supporters calling itself Science Debate 2008 reserved a large hall at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, hoping the whole field of candidates would show up to take questions. None accepted. In fact, it took evangelical pastor Rick Warren to get the two leading candidates -Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama - together for the first time, at a forum at a California church in August.