2008 South Cambridgeshire District Council election, Summary
At this election, Conservatives were defending 8 seats, Independents were defending 6 seats and Liberal Democrats 5 seats. Labour were defending their only seat on the council in Bassingbourn. Several councillors had switched parties in the year leading up to the election, with independents Mark Howell (Papworth and Elsworth) and Simon Edwards (Cottenham) joining the Conservatives, while Liberal Democrat James Quinlan (Whittlesford) ran for re-election as an Independent. Incumbent Liberal Democrat Val Trueman also ran as an independent in Melbourn. Conservatives gained the latter two seats at the election, but lost in Girton to an independent candidate. No other seats changed hands.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary
The 2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary took place on January 26, 2008. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois won the primary's popular vote by a 28.9% margin.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary
For both parties in 2008, South Carolina's was the first primary in a Southern state and the first primary in a state in which African Americans make up a sizable percentage of the electorate. For Democrats, it was also the last primary before 22 states hosted their primaries or caucuses on February 5, 2008 (Super Tuesday).


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary
South Carolina's 45 delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention were awarded proportionally based on the results of the primary. The state also sent nine superdelegates.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Campaign Finances
On the day of the South Carolina primary, Senator John Edwards led in fund raising from the state of South Carolina, followed by Barack Obama and Bill Richardson.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Polling leading up to primary
Despite maintaining a major early lead in the polls, Senator Clinton rapidly fell after the Iowa Caucuses, as Barack Obama skyrocketed and John Edwards began to receive a gradual increase in the polling.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Polling leading up to primary
However, in the last three polls taken before the South Carolina Primary, Barack Obama took a commanding lead over both Edwards and Clinton. Also, Former Senator John Edwards had come into the margin of error with Senator Clinton for second place in the South Carolina Primary.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Obama Campaign
Throughout the South Carolina campaign, most pundits had predicted Barack Obama the winner, primarily because of the state's large African-American population. For this reason, Obama was shown to be significantly ahead of his two rivals, John Edwards, who carried the state in 2004, and Hillary Clinton, whose husband was popular in the African-American community. In early polls taken in the weeks leading up to the primary, Clinton had a double-digit lead over both Edwards and Obama (see poll averages above). However, Obama's victory in the Iowa Caucuses instantly garnered him a wide lead in the polls and he never looked back.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Obama Campaign
During a majority of the final campaigning, the attacks between the Clinton campaign and the Obama campaign highly intensified by the candidates as well as the media coverage. Barack Obama began to attack former President Bill Clinton for his comments which were taken as racist. These comments are considered by analyst and historians alike as the turning point of the South Carolina primary and ultimately the cause of Clinton's loss of support from the black community.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Obama Campaign
Despite the increasing tensions between the Clinton and Obama camps, Obama continued to widely lead in the polls (despite a surge by Edwards). Into the final days of the campaign in South Carolina, it became apparent that Obama would win by a rather wide margin. The final tally had Obama winning by 28.9% over his closest rival, Hillary Clinton.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Clinton Campaign
In the early months of the campaign, Clinton enjoyed a steep lead over Senator Obama, and a 30-point lead over former Senator John Edwards. However, after Obama's win in Iowa, Clinton's campaign in South Carolina began to fall apart by the Obama political machine rolling into South Carolina with force.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Clinton Campaign
For Clinton, despite winning the popular vote in Nevada, the fact that she had lost Nevada's National Delegates, receiving 12 compared to Obama's 13 still lingered in the media. This, combined with the fact of Bill Clinton's continuing negative publicity from "injecting race into the campaign" as several people called Bill Clinton's actions in his wife's campaign.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Clinton Campaign
Between battling media scrutiny on Bill Clinton, constant attacks between the Obama and Clinton campaigns, and a surging John Edwards which threatened a Clinton second-place finish, poll number began to plunge, with a poll taken by Reuters-Cspan-Zogby showing Clinton in the margin of error for second place with Edwards, with Edwards at 21% and Clinton at 25%. This was also combined with the fact of Edwards's constant barrage of attacks claiming Clinton (and Obama's) big city politics were "too good for the people of South Carolina".


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Clinton Campaign
However, despite the attacks from opponents that Bill Clinton's attacks largely alienated African-Americans, Clinton was able to keep a 35% support amongst that key constituency, while losing the white vote to Edwards, In the end, Clinton's African-American support was able to place her in a clear second-place finish, finishing 9 points ahead of John Edwards despite losing to Obama by 29 points.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Edwards Campaign
After the terrible results for the Edwards Campaign during the Nevada caucuses, in which Edwards finished in third with 4% of the state delegation and received no national delegates, South Carolina began to look as a state where he needed a strong finish, after finishing in third in the last three primaries which took place, and trailing in the number of total national delegates.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Edwards Campaign
South Carolina was the state in which Edwards was born and raised. In 2004, Edwards won the South Carolina Primary, with 45% of the vote to John Kerry's 30% and Al Sharpton's 10%. While entering South Carolina, it became apparent that he needed a first-place finish, which seemed impossible, or a second-place finish, which seemed more within grasp.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Edwards Campaign
Before the CNN South Carolina Debate in Myrtle Beach on Monday, January 21, 2008, John Edwards was placing a distant third in a poll taken before the debates on January 19, in which he placed third with 15% compared to Hillary Clinton's second place with 27%. However, after the South Carolina debates, the tone of the campaign severely shifted.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Edwards Campaign
During the South Carolina Democratic Debate in Myrtle Beach, Edwards sought to distinguish himself from Senators Obama and Clinton, and criticized them for their attacks and "big city" politics. As soon as he began to question how the attacks helped, he was widely cheered by the audience for in what many people thought was what distinguished Edwards from negative campaigning. Saying "This kind of squabbling, how many children are going to get healthcare? How many people are going to get an education from this? How many kids are going to be able to go to college because of this?


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Edwards Campaign
We have got to understand and I respect both of my fellow candidates, but we have got to understand that this is not about us personally, it is about what we are trying to do for this country and what we believe in", Edwards began to get applause from several members of the audience.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Edwards Campaign
After the debate, John Edwards began to see a major influx of money and in turn, poll numbers began to rise rapidly in Edwards's favor. Along with the debate performance, Bill Clinton's remarks began to alienate black supporters from Clinton, and white supporters from Obama. As a result, Edwards won amongst white voters ages 30 to 50, while receiving the same amount of support from white 60+ year olds as Hillary Clinton according to CNN Exit Polls


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Final Campaigning, Edwards Campaign
However, Edwards was not able to get much support from non-whites, and according to Exit Polls, received only 2% of the non-white support, while receiving 40% of the white support.


2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, Results
Barack Obama won the primary, taking 44 of the 46 counties; Edwards won in his native Oconee County, while Clinton won in Horry County, which contains Myrtle Beach. Those in italics are candidates who have withdrawn from the race but still remained on the ballot.


2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Steve Spurrier, who served his fourth season at USC. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.


2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team, Preseason
Carolina had their first spring practice on March 21, 2008. It was the first of 15 spring practice sessions for the Gamecocks, who return 54 lettermen in Steve Spurrier's fourth season. The annual Garnet & Black Spring Game was scheduled for 1:00 p.m., Saturday, April 19.


2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team, Schedule
Radio coverage for all games was provided by the Gamecock Sports Radio Network.


2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team, Players, Depth chart
These are the projected starters and primary backups for the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2009.


2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team, Players, Depth chart
Antonio Allen – DBAkeem Auguste – DBEric Baker – RBReggie Bowens – LBJarrett Burns – ATHRonald Byrd – DLKenny Davis – DLAramis Hillary – QBT.J. Johnson – OLJarriel King – DLReid McCollum – QBKenneth Miles – RBD.L. Moore – WRDarrell Simmons - DBJay Spearman – DBChaz Sutton – DLDevin Taylor – DLMike Triglia – TECharles Whitlock – DB/WRElliot Williams - OLLaCharles Lindsey - WR


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash
On the night of September 19, 2008, a Learjet 60 business jet (registration N999LJ) operating for Global Exec Aviation crashed during take-off from Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina.


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash
Four of the six people on board died in the crash. The survivors, musician Travis Barker and disc jockey Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein, were critically injured. The jet had been due to fly Barker, Goldstein, and their entourage to Van Nuys, California, after their TRV$DJAM band's performance at a concert in Five Points.


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Aircraft and crew
The aircraft involved was a Learjet 60 that had first flown in 2006, receiving its airworthiness certificate on December 14. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW305A turbofan engines and had 108.5 flight hours with 123 take off and landing cycles.


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Aircraft and crew
The captain was Sarah Lemmon, 31, of Anaheim Hills, California and the first officer was James Bland, 52, of Carlsbad, California. Both pilots had joined Global Exec Aviation the same year of the accident.


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Aircraft and crew
Captain Lemmon had 3,140 flight hours, including 35 hours on the Learjet 60, though only eight of them were as a captain of that aircraft. An instructor described her as having "excellent" crew resource management. However, she had received several notices of disapprovals during her training.


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Aircraft and crew
First officer Bland had 8,200 flight hours with 300 of them on the Learjet 60. The director of Global Exec Aviation, who had flown with both crew members of the accident flight, described Bland as "not overly assertive."


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Accident
Just before midnight, the plane was heading down the runway for takeoff when the occupants heard a loud bang. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, air traffic controllers saw sparks emanating from the plane. The pilots told the control tower that a tire had blown out and they would be aborting the take-off. Barker and Goldstein stated that the aircraft felt "out of control" and was swaying back and forth.


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Accident
The aircraft overran the runway end, crashed through the airport boundary fence, crossed South Carolina Highway 302, and came to rest onto an embankment, bursting into flames. It took firefighters more than an hour to get the fire under control.


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Victims and survivors
Both pilots were killed, as well as passengers Charles Monroe Still, Jr. and Chris Baker. The pilot and co-pilot died from smoke inhalation and burns minutes after the crash. Passengers Still, Jr. and Baker died upon impact.


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Victims and survivors
Barker and Goldstein escaped the plane and told first responders four others were on board. Both suffered second and third degree burns and received skin grafts. Goldstein was asleep at the time of the crash and woke up to Barker screaming. Barker opened the door to the plane and slid down the plane's wing. Goldstein jumped out after him. Goldstein was on fire, but was able to put out the flames by rolling on the ground.


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Victims and survivors
Barker stated that he was covered in jet fuel, and started running and ripping off his clothes. Eventually, he heard someone tell him to stop, drop and roll, which put out most of the fire on his body. Barker had burns on sixty-five percent of his body and was in the hospital for eleven weeks following the accident. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, and did not fly on a plane again until August 2021.


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Investigation
On the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) the pilot indicates she is reacting to the apparent sound of a tire burst and attempting a rejected takeoff. Pieces of a tire were found at the crash site. The plane did not carry a flight data recorder (FDR).


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) report attributed the accident to tire bursts during take-off and the pilot's resulting decision to abort at high speed. Several tires were severely under-inflated and punctured during take-off. Pieces of the tires damaged the plane's hydraulic system, causing the plane's brakes to fail. The captain aborted at 144 knots (267 km/h; 166 mph). The normal operating procedure for Learjet 60s is never to abort above the "go/no-go" decision speed V1 , which for this particular take-off was 136 knots (252 km/h; 157 mph).


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Investigation
The captain therefore aborted the takeoff after V1 , violating these operating procedures. The first officer can be heard saying the appropriate "go go go" on the CVR. A contributing factor was the engines giving full power, even though the pilots were applying reverse thrust. The reason for this was the aircraft's air/ground sensor was damaged by debris and caused the sensor to go to "air" mode. Investigators also found that the captain had limited experience in the Learjet 60 and that the company’s tire pressure inspections were inadequate.


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Investigation
Global Exec Aviation estimated that the tire pressure had been checked three weeks before the crash, but investigators stated that the type of tires on the Learjet 60 at the time lose approximately two percent of their pressure per day and would need to be replaced after eight days if they were not properly maintained. Additionally, investigators noted a design flaw in the thrust reverser system which the NTSB believed may have contributed, increasing the severity of the crash.


2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, Lawsuits
Both survivors, as well as the estates of two of the deceased, sued for damages from parties including Learjet, tire manufacturer Goodyear, and, in at least Goldstein's case, against the estates of the dead pilots. Barker's case was settled out of court in December 2009 and the terms of the settlement are confidential. The estates of Still, Jr. and Baker also reached settlements. Global Exec Aviation and ITAS, Inc. also filed a lawsuit against Learjet and Bombardier, the manufacturers of the plane. The owner of the plane also sued the Columbia Metropolitan airport.


2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary
The 2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary was held on January 19, with 24 delegates at stake. The Republican National Committee took half of South Carolina's 47 delegates away from them because the state committee moved its Republican primary before February 5. It was held on the same day as the Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008.


2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary
The primary has become one of several key early state nominating contests in the process of choosing the nominee of the Republican party for the November 2008 election for President of the United States. It has historically been more important for the Republican Party than for the Democratic Party; from its inception in 1980 through the election of 2000, the winner of the Republican presidential primary has gone  on to win the nomination. As of 2008, the primary has cemented its place as the "First in the South" primary for both parties.


2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary
This state's 24 delegates would be awarded on a  "Winner-Takes-All" basis. 12 Delegates for the Statewide winner and 12 delegates awarded on a District-winner basis awarding 2 delegates for each of the states then 6 Congressional districts.


2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary, Polling
As of January 19, RealClearPolitics reported that the average support from polls placed McCain in the lead with 26.9%, followed by Huckabee with 25.9%, Romney with 14.7%, Thompson with 14.6%, Paul with 4.4%, and Giuliani with 3.4%.


2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary, Results
Huckabee was for weeks leading in the state but lost by a 14,743 vote margin. He did manage to win Congressional districts 3, 4 and 5 in the North of the state earning him a total of 6 delegates.


2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary, Results
John McCain won the statewide primary earning him 12 Delegates as well as Congressional Districts 1, 2 and 6. earning him an additional 6 delegates for a total of 18.


2008 South Carolina Republican presidential primary, Results
* Candidate withdrew his bid for the nomination prior to the reporting of the primary. On January 22, 2008 after a poor showing Fred Thompson dropped out of the race. Duncan Hunter did so too.


2008 South Carolina Senate election
The 2008 South Carolina Senate elections were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. The primary elections were held on June 10 and the runoff elections were held two weeks later on June 24. The current composition of the state delegation is 27 Republicans and 19 Democrats. Senators are elected for four-year terms, all in the same year.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 1
The district includes Oconee and parts of Pickens counties. Republican incumbent Thomas C. Alexander is the owner of Alexander's Office Supply. Polly Nicolay is the Constitution Party challenger.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 2
The district includes parts of Pickens county. Republican incumbent Larry A. Martin works in textiles for Alice Manufacturing Company. In the Republican primary, Martin won over C J Mac Martin Jr 80.15% to 19.85%.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 3
The district includes parts of Anderson county. Freshman Republican incumbent Kevin L. Bryant is a pharmacist. The Democratic nominee is Marshall Meadors, a family practice physician. In the first major controversy, which gained national attention, Bryant posted a controversial cartoon about Barack Obama on his blog on July 18, 2008, and Meadors answered in a July 22nd press release. Bryant later removed the cartoon, but screenshots and commentary remain elsewhere.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 4
The district includes parts of Abbeville, Anderson and Greenwood counties. Republican incumbent William H. O'Dell  is CEO of O'Dell Corporation. Capt . Leonardo Ortiz is the Democratic nominee, winning against Roger Odachowski 60.59% to 39.41% in the primary. .


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 5
The district includes parts of Greenville county. Republican incumbent Lewis R. Vaughn is a retired businessman.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 6
The district includes parts of Greenville county. Republican incumbent Michael L. Fair works in insurance. In the Republican primary, Fair won over Patrick B Haddon 61.88% to 38.12%.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 7
The district includes parts of Greenville county. Democratic incumbent Ralph Anderson is a retired postmaster. In the Democratic primary, Anderson won over Lillian Brock Flemming, Andrew M Jones and Seldon Peden 51.19% to 35.21%, 4.18% and 9.42% respectively. He is being challenged by Republican Roan Garcia-Quintana and Constitution Party candidate John Langville.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 8
The district includes parts of Greenville county. Republican incumbent David L. Thomas is an attorney.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 9
The district includes parts of Greenville and Laurens counties. Republican incumbent Daniel B. Verdin III is the owner of Verdin's Farm and Garden Center.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 10
The district includes parts of Abbeville, Greenwood and Laurens counties. Democratic incumbent John W. Drummond is President of Drummond Oil Company, Inc. and President Pro Tempore Emeritus of the South Carolina Senate. In the Republican run-off, Dee Compton won over Chip Stockman, 68.89% to 31.11%.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 11
The district includes parts of Spartanburg county. Democratic incumbent Glenn G. Reese is a businessman.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 12
The district includes parts of Spartanburg county. Republican incumbent John D. Hawkins is an attorney. In the Republican run-off, Lee Bright won over Scott Talley 51.30% to 48.70%.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 13
The district includes parts of Greenville, Spartanburg and Union counties. Republican incumbent James H. Ritchie, Jr. is an attorney. In the Republican run-off, Shane Martin won over Ritchie 66.15% to 33.85%.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 14
The district includes parts of Cherokee, Spartanburg, Union and York counties. Republican incumbent Harvey S. Peeler, Jr. is a dairyman/businessman.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 15
The district includes parts of York county. Republican incumbent Robert W. Hayes, Jr. is an attorney.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 16
The district includes parts of Lancaster and York counties. Republican incumbent Chauncey K. Gregory is President of Builders Supply Company.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 17
The district includes parts of Chester, Fairfield, Union and York counties. Retiring Democratic incumbent Linda H. Short (Mrs. Paul) is a homemaker. In the Democratic run-off, Creighton B Coleman won over Leah Bess Moody 52.40% to 47.60%. In the primary, the results were Coleman (47.58%), Moody (37.09%) and Michael Squirewell (15.33%).


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 18
The district includes Newberry and parts of Saluda and Lexington counties. Republican incumbent Ronnie W. Cromer is a pharmacist. The Democratic nominee is Michael Ray Ellisor, winning over Pete Oliver 52.30% to 47.70% in the primary.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 19
The district includes parts of Richland county. Democratic incumbent Kay Patterson is a retired educator. In the Democratic primary recount, John L Scott Jr. won over Vince Ford 50.47% to 49.53%.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 20
The district includes parts of Lexington and Richland counties. Republican incumbent John E. Courson is Senior V.P., Keenan & Suggs.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 21 )
The district includes parts of Richland county. Republican incumbent Darrell Jackson is a businessman and minister; Pres., Sunrise Enterprise of Columbia


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 22
The district includes parts of Kershaw and Richland counties. Democratic incumbent Joel Lourie is a businessman


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 23
The district includes parts of Lexington county. Republican incumbent John M. Knotts, Jr. is retired from law enforcement. In the Republican run-off, Knotts won over Katrina Shealy 57.52% to 42.48%.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 24
The district includes parts of Aiken county. Republican incumbent W. Greg Ryberg is CEO of REI, Inc.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 25
The district includes parts of Aiken, Edgefield, McCormick and Saluda counties. Freshman Republican incumbent A. Shane Massey is an attorney.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 26
The district includes parts of Aiken, Lexington and Saluda counties. Democratic incumbent Nikki G. Setzler is an attorney.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 27
The district includes parts of Chesterfield, Kershaw and Lancaster counties. Democratic incumbent Vincent A. Sheheen is an attorney.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 28
The district includes parts of Dillon, Horry, Marion and Marlboro counties. Democratic incumbent Dick Elliott is a real estate developer, retail.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 29
The district includes parts of Chesterfield, Darlington, Lee and Marlboro counties. Democratic incumbent Gerald Malloy is an attorney.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 30
The district includes parts of Dillon, Florence, Marion and Marlboro counties. Freshman Democratic incumbent Kent M. Williams is a Deputy County Administrator.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 31
The district includes parts of Darlington and Florence counties. Republican incumbent Hugh K. Leatherman, Sr. is a businessman.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 32
The district includes parts of Florence, Georgetown, Horry and Williamsburg counties. Democratic incumbent J. Yancey McGill is a real estate broker and residential homebuilder.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 33
The district includes parts of Horry county. Republican incumbent Luke A. Rankin is an attorney.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 34
The district includes parts of Charleston, Georgetown and Horry counties. Freshman Republican incumbent Raymond E. Cleary III is a dentist.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 35
The district includes parts of Lee and Sumter counties. Democratic incumbent Phil P. Leventis is an aviation and management services consultant.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 36
The district includes parts of Calhoun, Clarendon, Florence and Sumter counties. Democratic incumbent John C. Land III is an attorney.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 37
The district includes parts of Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton and Dorchester counties. Republican incumbent Lawrence K. Grooms is president and CEO of GTI.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 38
The district includes parts of Charleston and Dorchester counties. Freshman Republican incumbent Randy Scott is a small businessman. Bill Collins qualified as a petition candidate and will have his name on the ballot in the general election.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 39
The district includes parts of Bamberg, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton and Orangeburg counties. Democratic incumbent John W. Matthews, Jr. is a businessman and retired elementary school principal.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 40
The district includes parts of Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell and Orangeburg counties. Democratic incumbent C. Bradley Hutto is a trial lawyer.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 41
The district includes parts of Charleston county. Republican incumbent Glenn F. McConnell is an attorney/businessman, and President Pro Tempore.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 42
The district includes parts of Charleston county. Democratic incumbent Robert Ford is a developer.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 43
The district includes parts of Berkeley and Charleston counties. Republican incumbent George E. Campsen III is a businessman/attorney. Dist . No. 43 - Berkeley & Charleston Cos.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 44
The district includes parts of Berkeley county. Freshman Republican incumbent Paul G. Campbell, Jr. is a retired Regional President for Alcoa, now a consultant.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 45
The district includes parts of Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties. Democratic incumbent Clementa C. Pinckney is a pastor and student.


2008 South Carolina Senate election, District breakdown, District 46
The district includes parts of Beaufort county. Republican incumbent Catherine C. Ceips is a full-time legislator.


2008 South Carolina elections
In addition to federal elections for President, Senate, and the House of Representatives, South Carolina held state elections on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Voters elected state senators, state representatives, solicitors and local officers, and voted in three statewide constitutional referendums.


2008 South Carolina elections, South Carolina Senate
Republicans maintained their majority in the State Senate, keeping their majority of eight seats.


2008 South Carolina elections, South Carolina House of Representatives
Republicans maintained their majority in the State House, decreasing their majority from 22 seats to 20 seats.


2008 South Carolina elections, Constitutional Referendums
Voters voted on Amendment 1, which amended Section 33 of Article III of the South Carolina constitution to delete a provision that set the age of consent for sexual activity for unmarried women at 14. This amendment allowed the state legislature to set the age of consent by statute. The proposed amendment passed.


2008 South Carolina elections, Constitutional Referendums
Amendment 2 would have changed section 16 of Article X of the state constitution to allow state trust funds for post-retirement benefits of public school teachers and state employees to be invested in equity securities. The amendment failed.


2008 South Carolina elections, Constitutional Referendums
Amendment 3 would have amended section 16 of the Article X of the state constitution to allow local employee benefit trust funds to be invested in equity securities. The amendment failed.


2008 South China floods
The 2008 South China floods began on 26 May 2008. Four rounds of torrential rains with landslides and flooding lasted for 20 days and affected fifteen provinces in Eastern and Southern China.


2008 South China floods
The first round of floods affected twelve provinces in South China and killed 93 people as of 30 May. A new round of floods began on 6 June and swept nine provinces in southern China killing 55 people with 7 missing and forcing 1.3 million to evacuate as of 14 June. China's National Meteorological Centre has said that heavy rain would continue and that precipitation in the provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan would be 30 to 70% greater than in the same period last year.


2008 South China floods, Mainland China
Mainland provinces affected include Anhui, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong.


2008 South China floods, Mainland China, May
China Daily that torrential rains caused by Cloud seeding in the southern provinces killed 64 people in May. According to State Flood Control and Drought Relief headquarters, floods have claimed 59 lives up to this point of the year.


2008 South China floods, Mainland China, June
From 28 May to 2 June, some places in Guangdong experienced heavy rainfalls. After 7 days, flood situations were investigated by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on 3 June. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief headquarters and National Meteorological Centre (NMC) both raised emergency levels expecting more torrential rain and thunderstorms. On the weekend of 7–8 June, Guangzhou Daily reported it to be the heaviest rain storm in 50 years for Guangdong province. Wuzhou was struck with their worst flooding in 100 years. In two days the rainfall in some areas measured more than 400 millimetres (15.7 inches).


2008 South China floods, Mainland China, June
On 14 June, the Ministry of Water Resources said close to 1 million hectares of farmland have been affected with the worst hit provinces being Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei. From 25 May to 14 June, up to 18 people have died, including 2.22 million people were affected in 17 cities in Guangdong. The average rainfall of 415 mm (16.3 in) was double the long-term level, with the media reporting it as "Freak rain".


2008 South China floods, Mainland China, June
On 15 June, more than 300 places in Shenzhen were submerged underwater. Floods have forced more than 1.66 million people to evacuate, caused 67,000 houses to collapse, and killed 63 people. Three days later officials in Guangdong warned of a "black June" as high tides, rain and rivers threatened levees. Across the region, 169 were reported killed in the floods.


2008 South China floods, Mainland China, June
On 21 June, the main precipitation areas include the Huai River valleys, Guizhou, Sichuan and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Heavy rain follow in Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia. At the end of the month, 252 people were killed in the rainstorms and flooding.


2008 South China floods, Hong Kong, June
On 7 June, more than 400 mm (16 in) of rain fell on Lantau Island and more than 300 mm (12 in) fell on Hong Kong Island. By noon, almost 40 landslides and 156 floods were reported. In Tsim Sha Tsui, the 124-year record of rainfall per hour was smashed, with 145.5 mm (5.73 inches) of rainfall being recorded. The North Lantau Highway was blocked, for the first and so far the only time since its opening in 1997, by a landslide.


2008 South China floods, Hong Kong, June
Land traffic to the villages of Tai O was cut off, forcing the government to increase the frequency of ferries to and from the villages. Newspaper vendors in the streets reported that the water came very fast, flooding the area within five minutes to thigh-deep level (over-the-knee). One of the landslides killed two people in Tuen Mun. The Hong Kong Observatory thus changed the "amber rainstorm" warning to a "black rainstorm" warning.


2008 South Dakota Democratic presidential primary
The 2008 South Dakota Democratic presidential primary took place on June 3, 2008. Along with Montana, it was one of the final two elections in the 2008 primary season. Senator Hillary Clinton won the primary, but on the same day, her opponent Barack Obama secured enough delegate votes for the 2008 Democratic National Convention to ensure his eventual nomination for President by the Democratic Party.


2008 South Dakota Democratic presidential primary, Polling
A poll published April 3, 2008 indicated that Obama was supported by more respondents, 46%, than Clinton, who received the support of 34%. However, a May 31-June 1, 2008 poll by ARG projected a Clinton victory in South Dakota, with 60% of respondents supporting her versus 34% supporting Obama.


2008 South Dakota Democratic presidential primary, Results
Early on the day of the primary, hours before polls closed, the Associated Press projected Barack Obama's nomination for the presidency. The projection was based on the declarations of a large number Democratic superdelegates, as well as exit polls of voters in South Dakota and Montana. However, the AP calculated that Obama would be the Democratic nominee even if he lost the primaries in South Dakota and Montana.


2008 South Dakota Republican presidential primary
The 2008 South Dakota Republican presidential primary took place on June 3, 2008.


2008 South Florida Bulls football team
The 2008 South Florida Bulls football team represented the University of South Florida (USF) in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Their head coach was Jim Leavitt, and the USF Bulls played all of their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. The 2008 college football season was the 12th season overall for the Bulls and their fourth season in the Big East Conference. The 2008 season was the first in which the team was ranked in the preseason rankings.


2008 South Korean legislative election
Legislative elections were held in South Korea on April 9, 2008. The conservative Grand National Party won 153 of 299 seats while the main opposition United Democratic Party won 81 seats. This election marked the lowest-ever voter turnout of 46.0%.


2008 South Korean legislative election, Parties and Coalitions
As of April 9, 2008, there are six political parties represented in the 18th National Assembly of South Korea, in addition to independents:


2008 South Lakeland District Council election
The 2008 South Lakeland District Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2007 reducing the number of seats by 1. The Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.


2008 South Lakeland District Council election, Background
Since the last election in 2007 boundary changes had taken place reducing the number of seats from 52 to 51. Among the changes made was the combining of the Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale wards.


2008 South Lakeland District Council election, Background
Before the election the Liberal Democrats ran the council with 31 seats, compared to 16 for the Conservatives, 2 for Labour, 1 Green Party and 1 independent. Among the sitting councillors to stand down at the election was the only independent David Foot.


2008 South Lakeland District Council election, Election result
The results saw the Liberal Democrats increase their majority on the council finishing the election up on 36 councillors. This came at the expense of the Conservatives who dropped to 14 seats and Labour who lost 1 of their 2 councillors. Meanwhile, the Green Party also lost their only seat in Kendal Far Cross.


2008 South Sydney Rabbitohs season
The 2008 South Sydney Rabbitohs season was the 99th in the club's history. Coached by Jason Taylor and captained by David Kidwell & Roy Asotasi, the team competed in the National Rugby League's 2008 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season in 14th place out of 16 teams and so failing to reach the finals. The club also competed in the 2008 Under-20s competition.


2008 South Sydney Rabbitohs season
On 26 January 2008, the Rabbitohs played the Leeds Rhinos at the Hodges Stadium at University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, the first time first-grade professional rugby league teams from Australia and England played each other in the United States. A crowd of about 12,000 attended with Russell Crowe, Greg Norman, and the stars of television show American Chopper among the audience. Leeds Rhinos won the game 26-24(after having been behind 26-0 at half-time South Sydney staged an unlikely comeback that fell agonisingly short).


2008 South Sydney Rabbitohs season
South Sydney equalled the second-biggest comeback in premiership history in Round 16 against the North Queensland Cowboys. After trailing 28–4 after fifty minutes, the Rabbitohs won the match 29–28.


2008 South Sydney Rabbitohs season
No Rabbitohs players were selected for the 2008 State of Origin series, however at the end of season 2008 Rugby League World Cup tournament four were selected to play for Tonga (Manase Manuokafoa, Eddie Paea, Fetuli Talanoa and Joel Taufa'ao); three for the successful New Zealand squad (David Fa'alogo, David Kidwell and Issac Luke) and one captained Samoa (Nigel Vagana).


2008 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council election
Elections to South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 1 May 2008.


2008 Southampton City Council election
The 2008 Southampton Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Southampton Unitary Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.


2008 Southampton City Council election, Background
After the 2007 election the Conservative party took control as a minority administration after one Liberal Democrat councillor, Norah Goss, broke with her party to support the Conservatives. However, at the February 2008 budget meeting, the Labour and Liberal Democrats joined together to take control from the Conservatives.


2008 Southampton City Council election, Election result
The results saw the Conservative party win a majority on the council for the first time since 1984. The Conservatives gained 8 seats, 4 from Labour, 3 from the Liberal Democrats and 1 from an independent. Two 18-year-olds were among the Conservative winners, David Fuller taking Bitterne by 460 votes and Matthew Jones gaining Peartree by over 500 votes. Meanwhile, both the Labour leader of the council, June Bridle, in Sholing and the Liberal Democrat group leader, Adrian Vinson, in Portswood were among those who lost seats.


2008 Southampton City Council election, Election result
The Conservative gains meant that they won 15 of the 17 seats contested to take a 4-seat majority with 26 seats, compared to 14 seats for Labour and 8 for the Liberal Democrats. Overall turnout in the election was 29.7%, down on the 30.3% in 2007 and varying between a low of 16.1% in Bargate and a high of 36.9% in Shirley.


2008 Southampton City Council election, Election result
The Conservative election success was put down to a combination of a rejection of the pact between the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, anger at plans to charge people for parking outside their homes and the national issue of the abolition of the 10p rate of income tax. The results were also seen as indications for the next general election, with projections that the Conservatives could gain Southampton Test and Southampton Itchen constituencies from Labour on swings of 15.9% and 18.9% respectively, based on the local election results.


2008 Southampton City Council election, Election result
Following the election, Alec Samuels became the new Conservative leader of the council, Richard Williams became leader of the Labour group and Jill Baston took charge of the Liberal Democrat group.


2008 Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament
The 2008 Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament was held at Regions Park in Hoover, AL from May 21st through May 25th. LSU won the tournament and earned the Southeastern Conference's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


2008 Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament, Regular Season Results
The top eight teams (based on conference results) from the conference earned invites to the tournament.


2008 Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament, Format
The 2008 tournament will feature a "flipped bracket" for the first time. This means that after two days of play the undefeated team from each bracket will move into the other bracket. This reduces the number of rematches teams will have to play in order to win the tournament.


2008 Southeastern Conference football season, Bowl games
Rankings are from AP Poll. All times Central Time Zone.


2008 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election
The 2008 Southend-on-Sea Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Southend-on-Sea Unitary Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.


2008 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election, Campaign
Before the election the Conservatives ran the council with 29 seats, compared to 10 for the Liberal Democrats, 7 Labour and 5 independents. The election was seen as being the closest for years with the other parties needing to gain 4 seats from the Conservatives to deprive them of a majority.


2008 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election, Campaign
There was a record number of candidates in the election, with St Luke's ward having 7 candidates and the British National Party putting up candidates in every ward for the first time.


2008 Southern 100 Races
In 2008 the Southern 100 motorcycle races on the Isle of Man featured a Solo Championship race, won by the Welsh rider Ian Lougher on a 1000cc Yamaha.


2008 Southern 100 Races, Race 11; Solo Championship Race
Thursday 10 July 2008 – Billown Circuit 4 laps (Reduced Race Distance) – 17.00 miles (25.76 km)


2008 Southern 100 Races, Race 11; Solo Championship Race
Fastest Lap; Ian Lougher – 2 minutes 28.301 seconds 103.169 mph


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting
Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa called an emergency meeting of SADC leaders for 12 April during the 2008 Zimbabwe presidential election to discuss the post-election impasse. According to Mwanawasa, Zimbabwe's "deepening problems" meant that the issue needed to be "dealt with at presidential level". Jacob Zuma, meanwhile, said that he thought results should have already been announced, and he described the failure to release them as "unprecedented".


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting, Meeting details
Biti said on 10 April that the MDC would not participate in a second round, reiterating the party's claim that Tsvangirai won a majority in the first round. According to the law, if one candidate in a second round withdraws, the other candidate is automatically the winner. Chinamasa was dismissive of the MDC's claim that it would not participate in a second round, saying that if the party was serious, it should formally withdraw. According to Chinamasa, the MDC wanted to avoid humiliation in a second round, which he predicted ZANU-PF would win by a large margin, and was using the threat to boycott as a "face-saving gesture".


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting, Meeting details
Biti also urged SADC leaders due to meet in Zambia on 12 April to call for Mugabe's resignation, and he said that Tsvangirai would attend the SADC meeting. Matonga, the Deputy Information Minister, said initially that Mugabe would also attend the SADC meeting, although Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said that "there is no crisis in Zimbabwe that warrants a special meeting on Zimbabwe". Soon afterwards, state radio reported that three ministers would represent Zimbabwe at the summit, rather than Mugabe himself. Matonga said the summit was called without consulting Zimbabwe. According to Matonga, Mugabe decided not to attend because he could not answer anything; as a candidate, he was unable to say what the results of the election would be or when they would be announced. Tsvangirai met with South African President Thabo Mbeki on 10 April in Johannesburg.


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting, Meeting details
The MDC issued pamphlets on 11 April calling for a general strike beginning on 15 April to demand the release of results. The strike was to continue until the announcement of results. On the same day, police banned political rallies in Harare. Bvudzijena, announcing the ban, said that most policemen were occupied with guarding ballot boxes and ensuring security in the wake of the election, meaning that they were not able to handle rallies; furthermore, he said that there was no need for rallies because the election had already been held.


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting, Meeting details
The MDC had planned to hold a rally on 13 April. Nelson Chamisa of the MDC said: "We cannot accept a declaration of a police state. People have just voted for change, for democracy and what do they get? This is unacceptable." Assistant Police Commissioner Faustino Mazango accused the MDC of sending 350 activists to stir up violence and warned that anyone attempting to "provoke a breach of peace, whoever they are and whatever office they hold, will be dealt with severely".


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting, Meeting details
Mbeki visited Harare and met with Mugabe on 12 April immediately before going to Lusaka for the SADC meeting on the same day. After he met with Mugabe, Mbeki said that there was not a crisis, emphasising that it was the responsibility of the Electoral Commission to release results and urging patience in waiting for the results. At the summit, Zimbabwe was to be represented by Mnangagwa, Chinamasa, Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, and Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Joey Bimha. Mugabe, for his part, said that his decision not to attend the summit was not a snub: "We are very good friends and very good brothers. Sometimes you attend, sometimes you have other things holding you back."


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting, Meeting details
Regarding Mbeki's statement that the situation in Zimbabwe was not a crisis, Tsvangirai said that "such a misrepresentation creates the perception of quiet approval which I think is quite shocking", and he indicated that Mbeki had expressed a different view when the two had met privately. MDC Secretary for International Affairs Elphas Mukonoweshuro was overtly hostile in his reaction to Mbeki's statement, wondering if Mbeki had been drunk at the time.


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting, Meeting details, After the SADC meeting
Despite the absence of Mugabe, the 13-hour SADC meeting in Lusaka lasted well into the night. Tsvangirai attended the meeting, and he and Biti were broadly happy with the outcome. Zambian Foreign Minister Kabinga Pande, reading a joint statement, said that "the summit urged the electoral authorities in Zimbabwe that verification and release of results are expeditiously done in accordance with the due process of law" and that it "also urged all the parties in the electoral process in Zimbabwe to accept the results when they are announced."


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting, Meeting details, After the SADC meeting
The summit also urged the government "to ensure that the run-off elections are held in a secure environment". The regional leaders also called on Mbeki to continue his mission as chief mediator between Zanu-PF and the MDC; Biti urged Mbeki to deal more aggressively with Mugabe in the future. The joint statement included no criticism of Mugabe or any mention of him at all.


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting, Meeting details, After the SADC meeting
Youth Absolom Sikhosana called on the youth to vote for Mugabe. He said that many people in the first round "voted with their stomachs", hoping Tsvangirai could bring economy recovery, but according to Sikhosana "the same foreign interests who are promising an overnight turnaround in the event of a Tsvangirai presidency are the same who have destroyed the economy".


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting, Meeting details, After the SADC meeting
Sikhosana said that, while Tsvangirai promised employment, Mugabe was offering more: "he is giving the youth the opportunity to own the means of production" and "have full charge of their environment and control their resources", which Sikhosana described as a prerequisite for national wealth. In The Herald on the same day, ZANU-PF spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira denied the existence of any plan to kill Tsvangirai, saying that it had "no foundation whatsoever except in his own dreams". Similarly, Matonga said that the claim of an assassination plot was "stupid". US Ambassador James McGee called on Tsvangirai to return, noting his security concerns but saying that "as a strong leader, he should be back showing his people that he cares every bit as much for them as they do for him."


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting, Meeting details, After the SADC meeting
Also on 20 May, in response to Chinamasa's proposal in the previous week to establish joint ZANU-PF/MDC committees to bring an end to the violence, Chamisa said that the MDC was willing to participate in these committees, but he nevertheless strongly criticised ZANU-PF. He said that ZANU-PF had made this offer only due to international pressure, that the violence was ongoing (by this point the MDC placed the death toll at 43), as part of a "grand plan to rig the elections" by attacking MDC supporters and displacing them from their constituencies, and he doubted that ZANU-PF would stop.


2008 Southern African Development Community emergency meeting, Meeting details, After the SADC meeting
MDC MP Ian Kay was arrested on 20 May for alleged responsibility for violence in Mashonaland East, while another MDC MP, Amos Chibaya was arrested on 21 May for allegedly inciting junior officers in the police to rebel.


2008 Southern Conference Baseball Tournament
The 2008 Southern Conference Baseball Tournament was held at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in Charleston, SC from May 20 through May 24. Top seeded Elon won the tournament and earned the Southern Conference's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. It was Elon's first SoCon tournament win. Elon joined the conference beginning with the 2004 baseball season.


2008 Southern Conference Baseball Tournament
All ten baseball programs in the conference participated in the tournament, with the seventh through tenth place teams playing a single-elimination opening day prior to an 8-team, two bracket, double-elimination tournament.


2008 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2008 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place between Friday, March 7 and Monday, March 10 in North Charleston, South Carolina at the North Charleston Coliseum. All rounds were available on ESPN 910. The semifinals were televised by SportSouth, and the Southern Conference Championship Game was televised by ESPN2.


2008 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team
The 2008 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team represented the University of Southern Mississippi in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Golden Eagles were led by first-year head coach Larry Fedora and played their home games at M. M. Roberts Stadium. They are a member of the East Division of Conference USA. They finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in C-USA play. They were invited to the New Orleans Bowl where they defeated Troy, 30–27.


2008 Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm football team
The 2008 Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm football team (variously "So-Naz", "SNU", or the "Crimson Storm") represents Southern Nazarene University in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team is led by head coach Mike Cochran, who has coached at SNU since 2006. They play their home games at McFarland Park Stadium in Bethany, Oklahoma. It was the first time in the history of the program, the Crimson Storm have opened the season 2-0. This will be SNU's longest season by 1 game, for the past 7 seasons the Crimson Storm have only played 10.


2008 Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm football team, Game summaries, Eastern New Mexico
The game was delayed about 2½ hours due to extreme lightning in the area. The stadium was cleared and the game was paused for at 11:11 minutes left in the third quarter until the storm cleared the area. SNU missed an extra point, and gave a safety to ENMU by a high snap that crossed out of the end zone.


2008 Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm football team, Game summaries, Olivet Nazarene, Ill.
SNU won its second game of the season. Never have they started 2-0. There was no extra point tried for since the ONU touchdown happened at 0:00.


2008 Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm football team, Game summaries, Mary Hardin-Baylor, Texas, 6:00 PM
Southern Nazarene University's road football game at Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, scheduled for Saturday at 6:00 p.m., has been moved up to Friday night, September 12 at 6:00 p.m. due to the approach of Hurricane Ike.


2008 Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm football team, Game summaries, Southwestern Assemblies of God, Texas, 2:00pm
This will be senior night, and also the last home game of the season.


2008 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament
The 2008 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament was held from May 21–24. The top eight regular season finishers of the league's twelve teams met in the double-elimination tournament held at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville, Texas. The winner of the tournament, Sam Houston State, earned the conference's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


2008 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament, Seeding and format
The top eight finishers from the regular season were seeded one through eight. They played a two bracket, double-elimination tournament, with the winner of each bracket meeting in a single championship final.


2008 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2008 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place from March 13–16, 2008 at Merrell Center in Katy, Texas.


2008 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Format
The top eight eligible men's basketball teams in the Southland Conference receive a berth in the conference tournament. After the conference season, teams are seeded by conference record.


2008 Spa-Francorchamps GP2 Series round
2008 Spa-Francorchamps GP2 Series round was the ninth race of the 2008 GP2 Series season. It was held on 6 September and 7, 2008 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps at Spa, Belgium. The race was used as a support race to the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix.


2008 Spanish Formula Three Championship
The 2008 Spanish Formula Three Championship was the eighth Spanish Formula Three Championship season. It commenced on May 3, 2008 and ended on November 2. The Spanish driver Germán Sánchez was crowned champion, two points ahead of runner-up Nelson Panciatici, who was driving an older 'B-class' car. The title was decided in favour of Sánchez and Natacha Gachnang after the resolution of various claims. Panciatici was disqualified for using duct tape on the wings of the car, a common technique in this championship, which does not influence the behavior of the vehicle or guarantee any improvement according to a press release from Hache Team.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix
The 2008 Spanish Grand Prix (formally the Formula 1 Gran Premio de España Telefónica 2008) was a Formula One motor race held on 27 April 2008 at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. It was the fourth race of the 2008 Formula One World Championship. Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team won the 66-lap race starting from pole position. Felipe Massa finished second in the other Ferrari, and Lewis Hamilton was third in a McLaren.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix
Räikkönen began the race from pole position alongside Renault driver Fernando Alonso. Massa began from third, alongside BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica. Hamilton, the eventual Drivers' Champion, began from fifth and passed Kubica into the first corner, as Massa passed Alonso. Räikkönen maintained his lead through most of the race, leading to Ferrari's one-two finish. The safety car was deployed several times throughout the race, including for a serious crash involving McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen, though the Finn escaped with only a minor concussion.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix
Prior to the race weekend, the event was put on probation by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, the sport's governing body, for racist taunting during pre-season testing at the circuit. Subsequently, no such racism was reported during the race weekend. The event was Super Aguri's final Grand Prix, withdrawing afterwards due to financial pressures, leaving the sport with ten teams; this was also the last race for both of the team's drivers, Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson. The result promoted Ferrari to the lead in the Constructors' Championship, 12 points ahead of BMW Sauber and 13 points ahead of McLaren. Räikkönen extended his lead in the Drivers' Championship to 29 points, nine points ahead of Hamilton and ten points ahead of Kubica. Massa moved into fourth place on 18 points, with 14 races remaining in the season.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Background
The Grand Prix was contested by 22 drivers, in 11 teams of two. The teams, also known as "constructors", were Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Renault, Honda, Force India, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Red Bull Racing, Williams, Toro Rosso and Super Aguri. Tyre supplier Bridgestone brought two different tyre compounds to the race; the softer of the two marked by a single white stripe down one of the grooves.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Background
Prior to the race, Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen led the Drivers' Championship with 19 points, and BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld was second with 16 points. McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton, BMW driver Robert Kubica and Hamilton's teammate Heikki Kovalainen held the next three positions, all with 14 points. In the Constructors' Championship, BMW Sauber were leading with 30 points, one point ahead of Ferrari, and two ahead of McLaren-Mercedes.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Background
After Hamilton won the season opener in Australia, Ferrari had dominated the next two races in Malaysia and Bahrain. In the Malaysian Grand Prix, Ferrari driver Felipe Massa had claimed pole position, and while he later spun off and retired, his teammate Räikkönen went on to win the race. Ferrari's form had continued at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Massa had led Räikkönen to a one-two finish. Despite the promising start to the season, Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said the team was not celebrating prematurely:


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Background
The real Ferrari is not the one we've seen at the Australian GP. The team reacted immediately and has shown the great potential of our package, which is extremely competitive. Having said that, we have to be aware. We're approaching the Spanish GP with a maximum effort, keeping our feet on the ground: we were not depressed after the first race and we are not euphoric after Bahrain. We need absolute motivation and we are aware of the fact that our competitors are getting better.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Background
With his team leading the Constructors' Championship, Heidfeld said BMW was outperforming expectations: "It's better than expected after the winter time, of course, but it could also be better. It can always be better." BMW had opened the season with podium finishes in each of the first three races, which team principal Mario Theissen said put his team amongst the top three, along with Ferrari and McLaren.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Background
After a poor race in Bahrain, where he narrowly avoided stalling on the grid before colliding with Renault's Fernando Alonso a lap later, Hamilton said he would return stronger in Spain: "I approach it in the same way and obviously I won't be making the same mistake again. This weekend being here, feeling fresh after a good break from racing, and making sure we come here fresh has been important. I feel good." His team said that they had made significant improvements to their car, the McLaren MP4-23, in the three-week break, but were reserving judgement until the race to see how their performance had improved in comparison to their rivals.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Background
The event also took place under the shadow of incidents that had taken place at the same circuit during pre-season testing. At one of the test sessions, Hamilton was subjected to racist taunting by some of the spectators. In response, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) launched a "Racing Against Racism" programme, and placed the Spanish and European Grands Prix on probation, the latter event being held in the Spanish city of Valencia. During the course of the event itself, no such incidents were reported. Hamilton was particularly unpopular with the country's Formula One fans due to his acrimonious inter-team rivalry with Spaniard Alonso during the previous year's championship, which had resulted in the latter leaving the McLaren team and returning to Renault for 2008.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Background
The Super Aguri team had been in financial trouble since a proposed takeover deal backed by equity firm Dubai International Capital, under the "Magma Group" banner, failed to take effect. The team narrowly avoided folding in mid-April, and were only given confirmation to compete by team owners Honda on the Friday prior to the race. This would be the team's final Grand Prix, withdrawing after two years in Formula One prior to the Turkish Grand Prix, leaving the sport with ten teams for the first time since the 2005 season.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Practice
Three practice sessions were held before the Sunday race—two on Friday, and a third on Saturday. The Friday morning and afternoon sessions each lasted 90 minutes. The third session was held on Saturday morning and lasted an hour. The Ferraris were fastest in the first session; Räikkönen was quickest with a time of 1:20.649, ahead of Massa, who recovered from a spin and an off-track excursion on his first two laps to take second. Hamilton, Kubica and Kovalainen took the next three positions, ahead of home driver Alonso in sixth.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Practice
Räikkönen repeated his morning effort in the second session, with a time of 1:21.935, as the frontrunners experimented with higher fuel loads. Renault driver Nelson Piquet was next quickest, ahead of Alonso, Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima, Massa and Red Bull driver Mark Webber. The McLarens had a less successful session; Kovalainen struggled with gearbox problems, and difficulty with Hamilton's set-up meant he managed 11th after suffering from excessive oversteer. Heidfeld was quickest in the final session, his 1:21.269 benefiting from use of the quicker soft compound tyre.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Practice
Webber's teammate David Coulthard was next quickest, ahead of Alonso, Kubica, Toyota driver Jarno Trulli and Sébastien Bourdais of Toro Rosso. Ferrari and McLaren again ran heavier cars, and neither team managed better than ninth quickest. Mechanical problems meant Webber failed to set a time, his car coming to a halt in the pit-lane exit after two installation laps.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Qualifying
The qualifying session on Saturday afternoon was split into three parts. The first part ran for 20 minutes, and cars that finished the session 17th or lower were eliminated from qualifying. The second part of qualifying lasted 15 minutes and eliminated cars that finished in positions 11 to 16. The final part of qualifying determined the positions from first to tenth, and decided pole position. Cars which failed to make the final session could refuel before the race, so ran lighter in those sessions. Cars which competed in the final session of qualifying were not allowed to refuel before the race, and as such carried more fuel than in the previous sessions.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Qualifying
I've been chasing pole for a while now, but for one reason or another, it always escaped me. But today I got it. There is no better place to start so I will try and make the most of that tomorrow. It will be important to get off the line well, getting through the first corner without any problems. Then it will be down to exploiting the car's potential and that is definitely good. The race is what matters and tomorrow I want to bring home a nice result.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Qualifying
Räikkönen clinched his first pole position of the season with a time of 1:21.813. Alonso would start alongside him on the grid, amid suspicions the Spaniard was fuelled light for the race. Massa, Kubica and Hamilton qualified next quickest; just 0.2 seconds separated Hamilton's time from that of Räikkönen. Kovalainen would line up on the third row of the grid next to his teammate; Webber and Trulli would start from the fourth row.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Qualifying
Heidfeld was disappointed with his ninth place, after suffering from tyre problems on his final lap; Piquet, who made it into the final session for the first time in his career, qualified just ahead of Honda driver Rubens Barrichello and Nakajima. Honda driver Jenson Button and Timo Glock of Toyota would occupy the seventh row; Williams driver Nico Rosberg was outqualified by his teammate for the first time in the season, and would start from 15th, ahead of Bourdais.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Qualifying
Coulthard failed to make it through the first session after failing to get sufficient heat into his tyres; Toro Rosso driver Sebastian Vettel and the two Force Indias of Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil took positions 18 to 20. The Super Aguris of Anthony Davidson and Takuma Sato would line up on the back row of the grid in their final race.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race
The conditions on the grid were dry before the race. The air temperature was 23 °C (73 °F) and the track temperature was 38 °C (100 °F); weather forecasts indicated a light wind, but otherwise calm conditions. Räikkönen held his lead into the first corner, as Massa passed Alonso to take second; Hamilton passed Kubica to take fourth. However, an incident further down the field brought out the safety car. Sutil's car entered a spin after attempting to pass Coulthard; the resulting collision eliminated Sutil and Vettel from the Grand Prix.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race
The race restarted on lap four when the safety car peeled off, Räikkönen quickly increased his lead over Massa to more than a second. The gap between the Ferraris increased as Räikkönen continued to lap the quickest on track; Hamilton began to close in on Alonso, only to see the Renault pit on lap 16, promoting the McLaren to third place.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race
Further down the field, several incidents reduced the field to 15 cars. Piquet, after running off the track on lap five, collided with Bourdais two laps later while attempting to pass at turn 10. The Renault retired from the race immediately; Bourdais struggled back to the pit lane before Toro Rosso decided to retire his car. The resulting debris ended Davidson's race when he retired on lap eight after sustaining radiator damage.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race
On lap 22 Kovalainen's front left tyre suffered a rapid deflation, hurling his car into the barriers at an estimated 210 kilometres per hour (130 mph), with an impact of 26 g. As the track marshals extracted the McLaren from the barriers, the safety car was once again deployed. Heidfeld was forced to pit immediately as he was low on fuel, incurring a ten-second stop-go penalty for coming in before the pit-lane was officially re-opened. Barrichello and Fisichella then collided in the pit-lane on lap 26, heavily damaging the Honda's front wing, and requiring Barrichello to drive the whole lap with a disintegrating car, before retiring into his team's garage.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race
Räikkönen, Massa, Hamilton, Kubica and Alonso, having already made their pit stops, trailed the safety car until it peeled off on lap 29. As Räikkönen again increased his lead over Massa to more than two seconds, Alonso pulled over to the side of the track, smoke billowing from his engine, and retired. Rosberg's engine also suffered a failure, and the Williams retired on lap 42 from seventh place. Four laps later, Räikkönen set the fastest lap of the race, a 1:21.670 (a lap record that still stands), as Massa pitted from behind him.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race
Räikkönen, Hamilton and Kubica followed into the pit-lane on lap 47. Coulthard and Glock collided on lap 53 after the Toyota driver attempted to pass the Red Bull at the first corner. Glock sustained front wing damage, and Coulthard suffered a puncture to his left rear tyre; both pitted soon after for repairs.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race
Räikkönen took his second win of the season when he crossed the line at the end of the 66th lap, 3.2 seconds ahead of the second-placed Massa. Hamilton took third, ahead of Kubica, Webber and Button, who scored Honda's first points for the season. Nakajima finished in seventh place, ahead of Trulli, who was running in sixth place before his team mistakenly called him into the pit-lane. Toyota had mistaken Glock's damaged car for Trulli, dropping the latter down the order after the stop. Heidfeld, recovering after his penalty, finished in ninth place ahead of Fisichella. Glock and Coulthard filled the next two positions after their late collision, ahead of Sato in 13th. Rosberg, Alonso, Barrichello, Kovalainen, Davidson, Bourdais, Piquet, Vettel and Sutil were the retirements from a punishing Spanish Grand Prix.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
If we had wanted we could have gone a bit faster but there is no point to push it when you don't need to. I think it was closer than we expected but saying that there were many safety cars, so without them maybe it would have been looking a little bit different. It was a good day – everything was brilliant. I am happy that Heikki [Kovalainen] seems to be okay after his accident. I cannot ask anything more as the guys did perfect work.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
The top three finishers appeared on the podium and in the subsequent press conference, where Räikkönen said his pole position start was an important factor in his victory: "This circuit is very difficult to overtake. The start is the best place and when you have a lot of things going with the safety car you might be lucky or very unlucky, so the best place to try to win is always from the front. It was good yesterday and it really helped us today."


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Massa said that the result was a good one for his team, as they moved ahead of BMW Sauber in the Constructors' Championship: "We did our homework and brought two Ferrari's in the front – first and second – which is very important for the Championship." Although Ferrari had performed well, Massa said their speed was not significantly better than their opponents, so "we need to keep working like crazy in the factory to improve the car in every area."


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Hamilton agreed that the start was the most important part of the race: "Obviously when we qualified fifth we knew that it would be very difficult to beat the Ferraris. But the key was to get a good start and make as many places as possible and fortunately I was able to do that." Apart from the start of the race, only two passing manoeuvres were recorded: Heidfeld's lap 55 pass on Fisichella and Coulthard's lap 61 pass on Sato.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Despite his accident, Kovalainen suffered no physical injuries, except for minor concussion. After spending the night under observation in a nearby hospital, the McLaren driver was cleared to race in the next Grand Prix, two weeks later. McLaren said that the wheel failure was due to a faulty wheel clamp which made it vulnerable to the rapid changes in load and pressure that a Formula One car endures, eventually leading to the deflated tyre and Kovalainen's accident. Kovalainen praised Formula One's safety procedures and medical staff:


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
It was a serious accident and I managed to walk away. I was a bit lucky, but the safety standards the FIA has been pushing worked very well, ... The chassis, the impact, all the barriers took the impact well, the FIA medical team plus the marshals and the team took the job very well and did a fantastic job to get me out of there quickly in a short period of time ... I was able to make a recovery without any injuries. I think it is something that we must still keep working on, but the work paid off that day.


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
However, Mark Webber, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, said that standards at the track should have been better. Speaking in his regular BBC Online column, Webber said the "run-off on that corner is too tight and we need to have a look at it because any driver that has an error there is going to have a big crash. If Heikki's accident had happened two seconds later he would have been fine and controlled the car, but it probably happened on the worst section of that whole track."


2008 Spanish Grand Prix, Race, Post-race
Räikkönen's win increased his points tally in the Drivers' Championship to 29 points, nine ahead of second-placed Hamilton. Kubica and Massa were one and two points behind Hamilton, respectively; Heidfeld was fifth on 16 points, after failing to score. In the Constructors' Championship, Ferrari took the lead with 47 points, 12 points ahead of BMW Sauber and 13 points ahead of McLaren, with 14 races remaining in the season.


2008 Spanish National Badminton Championships
The 2008 Spanish National Badminton Championships was the 27th edition of the Spanish National Badminton Championships. It was held in Ibiza Town, from May 9 to May 11, 2008.


2008 Spanish general election
The 2008 Spanish general election was held on Sunday, 9 March 2008, to elect the 9th Cortes Generales of the Kingdom of Spain. All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 208 of 264 seats in the Senate.


2008 Spanish general election
After four years of growing bipolarisation of Spanish politics, the election saw a record result for both ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and opposition People's Party (PP), together obtaining more than 83% of the vote share—over 21 million votes—and 92% of the Congress seats. The PSOE under José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero benefitted from tactical voting against the PP and emerged as the most-voted party just 7 seats short of an overall majority. On the other hand, Mariano Rajoy's PP saw an increase in its vote share and seat count but remained unable to overtake the Socialists.


2008 Spanish general election
United Left (IU) had its worst general election performance ever with less than 4% and 2 seats. Regional nationalist parties Convergence and Union (CiU), Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) or Aragonese Union (CHA) were also hurt by the massive tactical voting towards the PSOE, falling to historical lows of popular support. Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD), with 1 seat and slightly more than 300,000 votes, became the first nationwide party aside from PSOE, PP and IU entering in parliament in over two decades.


2008 Spanish general election
Zapatero was sworn in as Prime Minister of Spain for a second term in office in April 2008, just as the Spanish economy began showing signs of fatigue and economic slowdown after a decade of growth.


2008 Spanish general election, Overview, Electoral system
The Spanish Cortes Generales were envisaged as an imperfect bicameral system. The Congress of Deputies had greater legislative power than the Senate, having the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a prime minister and to override Senate vetoes by an absolute majority of votes. Nonetheless, the Senate possessed a few exclusive, yet limited in number functions—such as its role in constitutional amendment—which were not subject to the Congress' override. Voting for the Cortes Generales was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over eighteen and in full enjoyment of their political rights.


2008 Spanish general election, Overview, Electoral system
For the Congress of Deputies, 348 seats were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of three percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of Spain, with each being allocated an initial minimum of two seats and the remaining 248 being distributed in proportion to their populations. Ceuta and Melilla were allocated the two remaining seats, which were elected using plurality voting. The use of the D'Hondt method might result in a higher effective threshold, depending on the district magnitude.


2008 Spanish general election, Overview, Electoral system
For the Senate, 208 seats were elected using an open list partial block voting, with electors voting for individual candidates instead of parties. In constituencies electing four seats, electors could vote for up to three candidates; in those with two or three seats, for up to two candidates; and for one candidate in single-member districts.


2008 Spanish general election, Overview, Electoral system
Each of the 47 peninsular provinces was allocated four seats, whereas for insular provinces, such as the Balearic and Canary Islands, districts were the islands themselves, with the larger—Majorca, Gran Canaria and Tenerife—being allocated three seats each, and the smaller—Menorca, Ibiza–Formentera, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote and La Palma—one each. Ceuta and Melilla elected two seats each. Additionally, autonomous communities could appoint at least one senator each and were entitled to one additional senator per each million inhabitants.


2008 Spanish general election, Overview, Election date
The term of each chamber of the Cortes Generales—the Congress and the Senate—expired four years from the date of their previous election, unless they were dissolved earlier. The election decree was required to be issued no later than the twenty-fifth day prior to the date of expiry of the Cortes in the event that the prime minister did not make use of his prerogative of early dissolution. The decree was to be published on the following day in the Official State Gazette (BOE), with election day taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication.


2008 Spanish general election, Overview, Election date
The previous election was held on 14 March 2004, which meant that the legislature's term would expire on 14 March 2008. The election decree was required to be published in the BOE no later than 19 February 2008, with the election taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the Cortes Generales on Sunday, 13 April 2008.


2008 Spanish general election, Overview, Election date
The prime minister had the prerogative to dissolve both chambers at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no state of emergency was in force and that dissolution did not occur before one year had elapsed since the previous one. Additionally, both chambers were to be dissolved and a new election called if an investiture process failed to elect a prime minister within a two-month period from the first ballot. Barred this exception, there was no constitutional requirement for simultaneous elections for the Congress and the Senate. Still, as of 2021 there has been no precedent of separate elections taking place under the 1978 Constitution, with governments having long preferred that elections for the two chambers of the Cortes take place simultaneously.


2008 Spanish general election, Overview, Election date
The Cortes Generales were dissolved on 15 January 2008, after it was announced by Andalusian president Manuel Chaves in November 2007 that he had agreed with Zapatero to hold the 2008 Spanish general election and the regional election in Andalusia simultaneously on 9 March.


2008 Spanish general election, Parliamentary composition
The Cortes Generales were officially dissolved on 15 January 2008, after the publication of the dissolution decree in the Official State Gazette. The tables below show the composition of the parliamentary groups in both chambers at the time of dissolution.


2008 Spanish general election, Parties and candidates
The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition ahead of an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.


2008 Spanish general election, Parties and candidates
Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:


2008 Spanish general election, Parties and candidates
In the Canary Islands, an alliance was formed between New Canaries (NC) and Nationalist Canarian Centre (CCN), two splinter groups from Canarian Coalition. In the Valencian Community, Valencian People's Initiative (IdPV)—splinter from United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV)—joined a coalition with the Valencian Nationalist Bloc (Bloc) and The Greens–Ecologist Left of the Valencian Country (EVEE). Unity for the Isles, an electoral alliance based in the Balearic Islands, was formed by PSM–Nationalist Agreement (PSM–EN), Majorcan Union (UM), Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), Agreement for Majorca (ExM) and The Greens of Menorca (EV–Me).


2008 Spanish general election, Timetable
The key dates are listed below (all times are CET. Note that the Canary Islands use WET (UTC+0) instead):


2008 Spanish general election, Campaign, Party slogans
Although the official electoral campaign period in Spain only lasts for the 15 days before the election, (with the exception of the day just before the election), many parties, especially the PP and PSOE, start their "pre-campaigns" months in advance, often before having finalised their electoral lists.


2008 Spanish general election, Campaign, Party slogans
The first phase campaign was done under the slogan "Con Z de Zapatero" (With Z of Zapatero), a joke based on the Prime Minister and socialist candidate's habit of tending to pronounce words ending with D as if they ended with Z. The campaign was linked to terms like equality (Igualdad-Igualdaz) or solidarity (Solidaridad-Solidaridaz), emphasizing the policies carried out by the current government.


2008 Spanish general election, Campaign, Party slogans
The second phase was done under the slogan "La Mirada Positiva" (The Positive outlook), emphasising the future government platform, and "Vota con todas tus fuerzas" (Vote with all of your strength), aiming to mobilize the indecisive or potentially abstaining voters. Another common slogan through all the campaign was "Motivos para creer" (Reasons to believe in).


2008 Spanish general election, Campaign, Party slogans
For the pre-campaign the PP used the slogan "Con Rajoy es Posible" (With Rajoy it's Possible). Usually emphasizing PP's campaign proposals, such as "Llegar a fin de mes, Con Rajoy es Posible" (Making ends meet, With Rajoy it's Possible). IU accused PP of copying its slogan from the last municipal elections


2008 Spanish general election, Campaign, Party slogans
IU chose the pre-campaign slogan "LlamazarES + Más Izquierda" (LlamazarES (is) More Left), calling attention to their position as the third national party.


2008 Spanish general election, Campaign, Campaign issues
The economy became a major campaign issue due to a number of factors:


2008 Spanish general election, Campaign, Campaign issues
The sudden emergence of the economy as a political issue came after several years of steady economic growth, and led some observers to suggest that maybe the government would have benefitted from calling an earlier election. In addition to those factors both the PP and the PSOE made competing proposals on taxation.


2008 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2008 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix was the second round of the 2008 MotoGP championship. It took place on the weekend of 28–30 March 2008 at the Circuito de Jerez located in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. The MotoGP race was won by Dani Pedrosa, who finished ahead of Jorge Lorenzo, who started on pole position. Mika Kallio won the 250cc race after Álvaro Bautista and Marco Simoncelli, the two leaders, collided on the last lap. The 125cc race was won by Simone Corsi, ahead of Nicolás Terol and Bradley Smith, who started the race in pole position.


2008 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race (MotoGP)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round two has concluded.


2008 Speed World Challenge
The 2008 Speed World Challenge season was the nineteenth Speed World Challenge season. It began March 14, 2008, and finished on October 4, 2008, after 13 rounds. The defending champions were Jeff Altenburg in Touring Car and Randy Pobst in Grand Touring competition.


2008 Speedcar Series
The 2008 Speedcar Series was the inaugural Speedcar Series championship. It consisted of four points-scoring race meetings, with a further non-championship round beforehand. The Drivers' Championship was won by Johnny Herbert.


2008 Speedcar Series, Teams and drivers
All of the teams used the Speedcar V8 vehicle with tyres supplied by Michelin.


2008 Speedcar Series, Championship Standings, Drivers
Points were awarded to the top eight classified finishers using the following structure:


2008 Speedway Conference League
The 2008 Speedway Conference League was the third tier/division of British speedway.


2008 Speedway Conference League, Summary
The title was won by Weymouth Wildcats who won the play offs.


2008 Speedway Conference League, Conference League Knockout Cup
The 2008 Conference League Knockout Cup was the 11th edition of the Knockout Cup for tier three teams. Plymouth Devils were the winners.


2008 Speedway Ekstraliga
The 2008 Speedway Ekstraliga season is the 9th since its establishment. The first fixtures of the season are scheduled for April 6, 2008, and the season will end on October 19, 2008. Unia Leszno are the defending Polish champions. The Speedway Ekstraliga (pl. Ekstraliga żużlowa) is the top division of speedway in the Poland.


2008 Speedway Ekstraliga
The 2008 Juniors League (pl. Liga Juniorów) season is the first its establishment. Every Ekstraliga team must send a Team U-21 to youth league. Eight events will be on July and August.


2008 Speedway Ekstraliga, First round, Results
The home team is listed in the left-hand column. Blue indicates a win to the home team while a red represents a loss to the home team.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix
The 2008 Speedway Grand Prix was the 63rd edition of the official World Championship and the 14th season in the Speedway Grand Prix used to determine the Speedway World Champion. It was the second under the promotion of IMG.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix, Event format
The format for 2008 was the same as that used in 2007 with 16 riders taking part in each Grand Prix. Over the course of 20 heats each rider raced against every other rider once. The top eight scorers advanced to a semi-final and from each semi-final the first and second placed riders advanced to the GP final.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix, Event format
All rides count towards Grand Prix points totals, including the semi-final and final, which counts double (6-4-2-0) and therefore the maximum points for a single Grand Prix is 24 (five heat wins, semi final win and final win). This format means that the winner of each Grand Prix may not be the rider who scores most GP points from each race.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix, Qualification
For the 2008 season, there were 15 permanent riders who were joined at each Grand Prix by one wild card and two track reserves.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix, Qualification, 2007 Grand Prix
The top eight riders from the 2007 championship qualified as of right. These eight qualifiers were, in championship order:


2008 Speedway Grand Prix, Qualification, Grand Prix Challenge
The top eight riders from 2007 were joined by three riders who qualified via the Grand Prix Challenge. These riders were, in order by qualifying position:


2008 Speedway Grand Prix, Qualification, Nominations
The final four riders were nominated by series promoters, Benfield Sports International, following the completion of the 2007 season.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification
The 2008 Individual Speedway World Championship Grand Prix Qualification Meetings


2008 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification, Domestic Qualification, Poland
Paweł Hlib was injury before Quarter-Final and was replaced by Tomasz Gapiński. Wiesław Jaguś (8th) and Sebastian Ułamek (9th) refused.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification, Grand Prix Challenge
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance •  t - exclusion for touching the tapes •  x - other exclusion •  e - retired or mechanical failure •  f - fell •  ns - non-starter •  nc - non-classify


2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic
The 2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic was the sixth race of the 2008 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on August 2 in the Marketa Stadium in Prague, Czech Republic.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic
Czech Republic SGP was won by current World Champion Nicki Pedersen from Denmark. It was his first GP Won in this season.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic, Riders
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Luboš Tomíček as a wild card, and Adrian Rymel and Filip Šitera both as track reserves. The draw was made on July 22 at the FIM Headquarters in Mies, Switzerland.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Denmark
The 2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Denmark will be the fourth race of the 2008 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on June 14 in the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Denmark
Copenhagen is also the second of four rounds of the 2008 Super Prix. The meeting winner will be given the blue helmet in the Super Prix Final at Gelsenkirchen in October with a chance of winning a share of an extra $200,000 prize fund.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Denmark, Riders
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Kenneth Bjerre as a wild card, and Nicolai Klindt and Patrick Hougaard both as track reserves. The draw was made on June 2 at the FIM Headquarters in Mies, Switzerland.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Denmark, Result
Tomasz Gollob was the winner at Parken and became the first rider to win two Grand Prix rounds in 2008. He won the final from Nicki Pedersen, Jason Crump and Hans N. Andersen. The result kept Nicki Pedersen at the top of the World Championship standings, eleven points ahead of nearest rival Gollob. Danish wild card entry Kenneth Bjerre reached the semi finals and finished in fifth position.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Denmark, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Europe
The 2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Europe was the second race of the 2008 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on May 10 in the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium in Leszno, Poland. The main sponsor was the commercial bank Bank Zachodni WBK.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Europe
The Grand Prind was won by Leigh Adams from Australia. It was the 7th Grand Prix win of his career. In the final, Adams beat American Greg Hancock and defending World Champion Danish Nicki Pedersen.


2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Europe, Riders
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Jarosław Hampel as wild card, and Damian Baliński and Krzysztof Buczkowski as track reserves. The draw was made on April 29 at the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme Headquarters in Mies, Switzerland. Because of an injury, Bjarne Pedersen was replaced by Luboš Tomíček, Jr. Adams, Kasprzak, Hampel and Baliński are all riding for Unia Leszno, whose home track is at the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium, in the 2008 season in Poland.