George W. Bush

Presidential campaigns

In Bush's 2000 presidential election campaign, he declared himself to be a "compassionate conservative". He campaigned on, among other issues, allowing religious charities to participate in federally funded programs, cutting taxes, promoting the use of education vouchers, supporting oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, maintaining a balanced federal budget, and restructuring the United States armed forces. In foreign policy, he stated that he was against using the U.S. armed forces in nation building attempts abroad.

Related Topics:
Bush's 2000 presidential election campaign - "compassionate conservative" - Campaigned - Education vouchers - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - Federal budget - United States armed forces - Foreign policy - Nation building

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After winning the Republican nomination against his chief rival U.S. Senator John McCain, Bush faced Democratic candidate Vice President of the United States Al Gore. Bush won 271 electoral votes to Gore's 266, including the electoral votes of 30 of the 50 states. Neither candidate received a majority of the popular vote -- Bush received 47.9 %; Gore, 48.4 % -- but Gore received a plurality of about 540,000 more of the 105,000,000 votes cast. Most of the votes that neither Bush nor Gore won went to Green Party (United States) candidate Ralph Nader (2,695,696 votes/2.7%), Reform Party of the United States of America candidate Pat Buchanan, (449,895/0.4%), and Libertarian Party (United States) candidate Harry Browne (386,024 votes/0.4%).

Related Topics:
U.S. Senator - John McCain - Vice President of the United States - Al Gore - Electoral votes - Plurality - Green Party (United States) - Ralph Nader - Reform Party of the United States of America - Pat Buchanan - Libertarian Party (United States) - Harry Browne

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It was the first presidential election since Benjamin Harrison was elected President in 1888 in which the winning candidate received fewer popular votes than his opponent. It was the first since Rutherford Hayes was elected in U.S. presidential election, 1876 in which the winner of the electoral vote was in dispute and affected by a Supreme Court of the United States decision. The Florida totals, which favored Bush in the initial tallies, became hotly contested after concerns were raised about irregularities in the voting and tabulation processes. Al Gore, who had conceded the election in a phone call to Bush, rescinded that concession a few hours later.

Related Topics:
Benjamin Harrison - 1888 - Rutherford Hayes - U.S. presidential election, 1876 - Supreme Court of the United States

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A series of contentious court cases ensued regarding the legality of county-specific and statewide recounts. After machine and manual recounts in four counties, and with Bush still prevailing, the Florida Supreme Court ordered a statewide manual recount of all counties. The Bush campaign appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which, in its mid-December decision in Bush v. Gore, overturned the decision and halted all recounts. (Critics have pointed out that a number of the justices were appointed by his father, contending that they should have recused themselves, although that position too was subject to much criticism.) Gore then finally conceded the election again.

Related Topics:
Florida Supreme Court - U.S. Supreme Court - Bush v. Gore

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In the final official count, Bush won Florida by 537 votes (2,912,790 for Bush to 2,912,253 for Gore) http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/2000presgeresults.htm, giving him the state's 25 electoral votes and the presidency. (see U.S. presidential election, 2000 and The 2000 Florida Ballot Project)

Related Topics:
U.S. presidential election, 2000 - The 2000 Florida Ballot Project

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Bush was inaugurated President on the appointed day, January 20, 2001.

Related Topics:
January 20 - 2001

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In the 2004 election Bush won a second term, carrying 31 of 50 states for a total of 286 Electoral College votes. Bush also won a majority of the popular vote: 50.73% to Kerry's 48.27%. Bush's popular vote total, at 62,000,000, is the largest ever, with Kerry's total of 59,000,000 being the second largest. Bush was the first presidential candidate since his father, George H.W. Bush in 1988 to receive a majority of the popular vote. As in the 2000 election, there were charges raised alleging voting irregularities, especially in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In 2004 they did not lead to recounts that were expected to affect the result. After a -- the second in American history -- failed with votes of 1-74 by the Senate and 31-267 in the House, a lawsuit challenging the result in Ohio was withdrawn, because the congressional certification of the electoral votes had rendered the case moot.

Related Topics:
2004 election - George H.W. Bush - 1988 - Voting irregularities - Lawsuit

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Bush was inaugurated for his second term on January 20, 2005. The oath was administered by Chief Justice of the United States, William Rehnquist. Bush's inaugural speech centered mainly on a theme of spreading freedom and democracy around the world. Bush stated in his second inaugural address on January 20, 2005:

Related Topics:
January 20 - 2005 - Chief Justice of the United States - William Rehnquist - Freedom - Democracy

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:"From the perspective of a single day, including this day of dedication, the issues and questions before our country are many. From the viewpoint of centuries, the questions that come to us are narrowed and few. Did our generation advance the cause of freedom? And did our character bring credit to that cause?" http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050120-1.html

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