The Screwups of Campaign '08

Presidential campaigns are so carefully stage-managed that few things are as entertaining as the mistakes politicians make on the trail. Throughout the 2008 race, check out TIME.com's ongoing chronicle of each candidate's gaffes, and then vote on just how big a screwup each one is

Obama's NAFTAgate

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Barack Obama
Feb. 27, 2008


"Within the last month, a top staff member for Obama's campaign telephoned Michael Wilson, Canada's ambassador to the United States, and warned him that Obama would speak out against NAFTA, according to Canadian sources. The staff member reassured Wilson that the criticisms would only be campaign rhetoric, and should not be taken at face value."

Canadian TV report, breaking the news that Obama economics adviser Austan Goolsbee allegedly told Canadian officials not to pay much attention to the candidate's promises to revise NAFTA ahead of the Ohio and Texas primaries. The Obama campaign and Goolsbee denied the report was accurate


— Katie Rooney


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