Foremost among these were: Gravel's initial campaign also emphasized his support for a single-payer national health care system,[6] term limits, nuclear disarmament, and same-sex marriage recognition.

He garnered broader awareness and interest through his occasional television appearances, netroots campaigning, participation in Party forums (such as the Democratic Presidential Candidates Forum and Democratic National Committee (DNC) Winter Conference), and up until October 30 in Philadelphia, the string of televised debates sponsored by the DNC and others.

[8] On that occasion he expressed his support for constitutional change in aid of citizen-initiated legislation, he declaimed the existence of limitations upon the conduct of stem cell research, and stated he was against the widespread deportation of illegal immigrants then being advocated by conservative talk radio and other elements.

An August 2006 media release draws attention to the candidate's public opposition to the prospect of war in Iraq expressed as long ago as the early months of 2002.

Gravel's address before the DNC National Winter Conference in early February 2007 was received – enthusiastically, claimed campaign advocates – and was broadcast on C-SPAN.

[13] Senator Gravel was interviewed on Toniq TV where he forthrightly expressed views supporting the lifting of restrictions against the service of identified gays and lesbians in the US military.

Well, I got to tell you, extend that a little further and you'll see why the Spartans trained their people to be homosexuals, because they're better fighters.On February 11, 2007, the senator addressed the Jefferson County Presidents Day Dinner in Watertown, Wisconsin.

Senator Gravel called on congressional Democrats to force a 'constitutional crisis' by denying all further budgetary appropriations in aid of continued American military involvement in Iraq.

[28] Gravel appeared on the popular Colbert Report on television on May 2,[28] and his campaign and career were profiled in national publications such as Salon.

[33] He was joined by Tom Fahey of the Union Leader and Scott Spradling from the local NH television station WMUR.

All eight candidates discussed various topics including education, poverty, unemployment, racial discrimination, and health in the black community.

[40][41] The debate drew a record crowd of celebrities, such as Harry Belafonte, Al Sharpton, Dorothy Heights, Jesse Jackson, Terry McMillan, Judge Hatchett, and Mark Ridley-Thomas.

"[53] Detractors began to liken Gravel to "the cranky uncle who lives in the attic,"[54] or "the angry old guy that just seemed to want to become angrier.

New York Times Magazine writer Matt Bai and DailyKos Contributing Editor and Fellow Joan McCarter moderated.

Five of eight candidates, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, were accorded greater talk-time than the moderator.

3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment) Armando Soriano (age 20, of Houston), killed in Iraq (Feb 1, 2004, in Haditha), was about to be deported.

Gravel charged that CAFTA and NAFTA were the real causes of many of the problems on both sides of the US borders but confessed that he thought remedying those acts would have to await the enactment of the National Initiative for Democracy and the empowerment of US citizens as legislators.

Additionally in the same poll of South Carolina voters, in response to the question, "Regardless of your choice for president, who do you think has the best chance of beating the Republican candidate in November…?"

During mid-September 2007, Yahoo!, in partnership with The Huffington Post, produced a "mashup debate" with Charlie Rose interviewing the candidates.

[71][72] On September 20, 2007, in Davenport, Iowa, PBS held a forum focused on domestic issues, specifically health care and financial security.

Gravel and Dennis Kucinich were excluded from the debate on the grounds that they did not have at least one paid staff member or office space in Iowa.

As well, he offered that he thought it futile to try to get the Congress to pass such a law, that it would instead require his proposed National Initiative and the empowering of the people to do so.

[39] A September 27–30, 2007 American Research Group Poll showed Gravel with 2%, tied with Joe Biden and ahead of Dennis Kucinich.

On October 19, it was announced that Gravel was excluded from the next Democratic debate – October 30, 2007, in Philadelphia to be televised on NBC News and MSNBC and held at Drexel University[49] – with the debate sponsors or the Democratic National Committee saying Gravel's campaign had not met fund-raising, polling, or local campaign organizational thresholds.

The debate was shown on a large screen, with Senator Gravel providing a running commentary and later answering audience questions.

[86] Following Gravel's exclusion from most of the Democratic debates, and consequent impairment to his monetary turnover, his supporters began organizing "mass donation days" to help the campaign gain momentum and necessary funds, in the manner of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.

[90] Nevertheless, he was still subjected to a false report from Keith Olbermann of MSNBC that he had pulled out of the race afterward,[91] as fellow Democratic candidates Chris Dodd and Joe Biden had.

[96] Campaigning was light in the Democratic primary due to an intra-party dispute removing several top candidates' names from the ballot.

By the end of January 2008, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Gravel were the only remaining Democrats from the initial debates still running.

"[107] Gravel had the endorsement of campaign finance reform activist Doris Haddock[108] and received financial contributions from actor Mark Ruffalo.