THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2000 AND THE WAR ON TERROR

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2000 AND THE WAR ON TERROR

The Democratic Party nominated Vice President Al Gore to head its ticket in 2000 . To oppose him, the Republicans chose George W . Bush,

the governor of Texas and son of for- mer president George H .W . Bush .

Gore ran as a dedicated liberal, intensely concerned with damage to the environment and determined to seek more assistance for the less privileged sectors of American soci- ety . He seemed to position himself to the left of President Clinton .

Bush established a position on the right wing of the Republican Party, closer to the heritage of Ron- ald Reagan than to that of his father . He softened this image by display- ing a special interest in education and calling himself a “compassion- ate conservative .” His embrace of evangelical Christianity, which he declared had changed his life after a misspent youth, was of particular note . It underscored an attachment to traditional cultural values that contrasted sharply to Gore’s techno- cratic modernism . Corporate critic Ralph Nader ran well to Gore’s left as the candidate of the Green Par- ty . Conservative Republican Patrick Buchanan mounted an independent candidacy .

The final vote was nearly evenly divided nationally; so were the elec- toral votes . The pivotal state was Florida, where a razor-thin margin separated Bush and Gore and thou- sands of ballots were disputed . Af- ter a series of court challenges at the state and federal levels, the U .S . Su- preme Court handed down a nar- row decision that effectively gave the election to Bush . The Republicans maintained control of both houses of Congress by a small margin .

Place Your Order Here!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *