There are two major candidates for the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain. Many voters already know if they’re leaning left or right, but some are still on the fence, bringing confusion and chaos to pollsters nationwide.

Fortunately, the iTunes Store can help even the most indecisive Americans form opinions, by providing a wealth of information about the candidates and the issues that comprise Election 2008.

Better yet, you can download this information to your iPod or iPhone for easy access, so when a supporter of the opposite party slanders your presidential hopeful, you’ll have a more intelligent comeback than, “You’re just plain wrong.” And on Election Day, you’ll be able to put your best foot forward… toward the voting booth.

Here’s a look at the four sections of the Election 2008 page:

ON THE CANDIDATES

To the left (of course), iTunes displays Obama’s official video podcast, audio editions of his books (narrated by the man himself), speeches from the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and his presidential election biography, courtesy of A&E TV. The official video podcast is a combinational of polished and documentary-style videography and includes his speeches, an interview with his sister. All of it equates to one big infomercial, but after watching a few of these video podcasts, you really do walk away with a sense of who Obama really is.

McCain has less personal information available on iTunes, only audio editions of his co-written memoirs--one on himself and one on his family (he narrated the latter). There’s also a biography of Sarah Palin, as well as video highlights and speeches from the 2008 Republican National Convention, plus McCain's A&E biography.

DEBATES

You can watch the debates courtesy of CBS or listen to them on C-SPAN. But C-SPAN follows up those podcasts with campaign events from Obama and McCain, plus lectures from Independent candidate Ralph Nader.

Just as important, CNN is giving away episodes of Anderson Cooper 360 Daily, which is a treat. Watch the news anchor as he watches the candidates.


PUNDITRY

The punditry section is a showcase of political insight, from podcasts of the NPR show, It’s All Politics; books with a political theme (like Fleeced by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann); and political apps (like Campaign).

Best of all, iTunes tosses in a little levity to give a reason to laugh your way to the voting booth. The Daily Show and Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update (but not, alas, the infamous Tina-Fey-as-Sarah-Palin segments) show the world that politics really is a laughing matter.

Also recommended is Political Lunch, a tasty snack for those who like their political information on average in six-minute chunks.


ITUNES U

iTunes U, which has impressed us in the past with its length and breadth of knowledge, falls a little short here. The panels and discussions are presented in a dry manner. Even though the information is interesting (for example, in a University of California lecture, you hear just how “undocumented migrants” benefit America), it’s hard to rally enthusiasm for monotone lectures with topics like, “Diversity in the Public Sphere: Producing and Reproducing Power, and Performance in Dominant Culture.”

There’s one notable exception. Link TV’s What Change Looks Like has some engaging broadcasts: journalist Amy Goodman describes the circumstances of her arrest during the Republican National Convention. And the former president of the Log Cabin Republicans Abner Mason discusses the issue of gay marriage.

Although the average person might not care to look “Deeper into McCain’s Economics.” if you’re fascinated with the study of politics, there’s no better place to be than the iTunes U section.