US election: Guide to the battle

Team McCain John McCain has reshaped his top campaign team several times during his run at the presidency. Campaign chief operating officer is Steve Schmidt, who worked with Karl Rove in George Bush's election campaign team. Mr Schmidt brings an attacking style to the McCain campaign. Campaign manager is Rick Davis, a veteran of campaigns for Ronald Reagan, George Bush senior and Bob Dole. Mr McCain's key economic adviser is Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the Congressional Budget Office, and a renowned fiscal conservative. On foreign policy, Senator McCain has a core group of neo-Conservatives who back pre-emptive action, including chief foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann, and former CIA boss James Woolsey.

Team Obama Many of Senator Obama's key political operatives are drawn from the rough and tumble of Chicago politics. These include his long-standing campaign manager, David Axelrod, who managed his Senate bid in 2004, and worked for John Edwards in the 2004 presidential election. Campaign manager is the publicity-shy David Plouffe, architect of Mr Obama's winning primary election strategy. Mr Obama's chief economic adviser is Jason Furman, an economist influenced by former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, who persuaded Bill Clinton to build a budget surplus in the 1990s. Mr Obama's chief foreign policy advisers are Susan Rice and Tony Lake, respectively assistant secretary of state for African affairs, and National Security Adviser under Clinton. Both opposed the Iraq war.