A campaign to remember

Only time will tell if the 2008 presidential contest is an epochal election. But already, there are numerous superlatives. Here are some of the landmarks along the way to Election Day:

> First woman to be Republican vice-presidential nominee: Just one day after Obama’s acceptance speech, Sen. John McCain made history again by naming Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (above) as his surprise pick for running mate. Formally nominated at the Republican National Convention six days later, she is only the second major-party female candidate for vice president. The first was Geraldine Ferraro, who ran with Democratic nominee Walter Mondale in 1984.

> First major-party African-American nominee: Forty-five years to the day after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, Sen. Barack Obama accepted the Democratic presidential nomination.

> Largest crowds: Obama’s nomination acceptance speech came before the largest crowd on record for such an event —- some 75,000 people packed into Denver’s Invesco Field. But he drew an even larger crowd last week, when he returned to Denver (above) for a rally attended by an estimated 100,000.

> Costliest campaign: Obama and McCain together have spent roughly $1 billion, a figure boosted by the fact that Obama —- who raised some $600 million mainly from small donors —- did not accept public financing and its limitations on expenditures in the general election campaign. It’s estimated that as of today, the candidate has spent $8 for every vote likely to be cast.

> Earliest start to voting: The voting began with the Iowa caucuses Jan. 3. The earliest Iowa vote before this year in modern primary history had been in 2004, when it was held Jan. 19.

> Longest campaign: The campaigning began in June 2005, when Sen. Joe Biden (right), now the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, became the first candidate in the 2008 cycle to announce his presidential candidacy.

> Most voters registered: An estimated 184 million voters were registered as of the end of October —- an unprecedented number

> Most contested primaries and caucuses: Though the Republican contest was effectively over after Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, Hillary Clinton and Obama’s contest for the Democratic nomination continued unabated until the last primaries June 3 in Montana, South Dakota and New Mexico —- five months after the voting began.

> Most early voting in the general election: Some 29 million voters nationwide had cast ballots by the end of most early voting last week. State after state, including Georgia, said early voting turnout records had been shattered.