🧸US History – 1945 to Present Unit 14 – Bush Presidency and the 2000 Election

Key Players and Political Landscape

• George W. Bush, Republican candidate and Governor of Texas, son of former President George H. W. Bush
• Al Gore, Democratic candidate and incumbent Vice President under President Bill Clinton
• Ralph Nader, Green Party candidate, gained significant support from left-leaning voters
• Bill Clinton's presidency marked by economic growth and budget surplus, but also impeachment scandal
• Electorate divided on issues such as tax cuts, social security reform, and foreign policy
• Bush campaigned as a "compassionate conservative" promising to unite the nation
• Gore emphasized his experience and the Clinton administration's economic success

The 2000 Election Campaign

• Close race with no clear front-runner throughout the campaign
• Bush and Gore participated in three televised debates
  • Bush criticized for lack of foreign policy experience
  • Gore perceived as knowledgeable but less charismatic
• Nader's campaign gained momentum, especially among liberal voters disillusioned with the Democratic Party
• Key issues included tax policy, education reform, and the role of government
• Bush proposed large tax cuts and privatizing portions of Social Security
• Gore focused on maintaining economic growth, reducing the national debt, and expanding healthcare coverage
• Late-breaking revelation of Bush's DUI arrest in 1976 briefly shifted the race in Gore's favor

Election Night Drama

• Initial projections showed a tight race with several key battleground states too close to call
• Networks prematurely declared Gore the winner in Florida, then retracted and declared Bush the winner
• Gore conceded to Bush in a phone call, then retracted his concession as the margin in Florida narrowed
• Florida's 25 electoral votes would determine the outcome of the election
• Final national popular vote tally: Gore 48.4%, Bush 47.9%, Nader 2.7%
• Bush led in Florida by just 1,784 votes out of nearly 6 million cast, triggering an automatic recount

Florida Recount and Legal Battles

• Initial recount reduced Bush's lead to just 327 votes
• Gore campaign requested manual recounts in four heavily Democratic counties
  • Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Volusia
• Controversy arose over "hanging chads" and other irregularities on punch card ballots
• Bush campaign filed a federal lawsuit to stop the manual recounts
• Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris certified Bush as the winner by 537 votes
• Gore campaign challenged the certification, arguing for the inclusion of more ballots
• Florida Supreme Court ordered a statewide manual recount of all undervotes

Supreme Court Decision

• U.S. Supreme Court halted the Florida recount in Bush v. Gore
• Ruled 7-2 that the recount violated the Equal Protection Clause due to inconsistent standards
• Ruled 5-4 that no constitutional recount could be completed by the December 12 "safe harbor" deadline
• Effectively awarded Florida's electoral votes and the presidency to Bush
• Final electoral vote count: Bush 271, Gore 266
• Controversial decision with critics arguing that the Court overstepped its authority

Bush's First Term Priorities

• Focused on domestic issues, particularly tax cuts and education reform
• Signed the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001
  • $1.35 trillion in tax cuts over 10 years
  • Reduced marginal income tax rates, phased out estate tax
• Passed the No Child Left Behind Act to improve accountability in education
• Proposed partial privatization of Social Security, but faced opposition
• Foreign policy initially focused on missile defense and U.S.-China relations
• September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks dramatically shifted priorities

Domestic Policy Highlights

• Created the Department of Homeland Security in response to 9/11
• Signed the Patriot Act, expanding law enforcement and intelligence gathering capabilities
• Passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act
  • Added prescription drug coverage to Medicare
  • Criticized for complexity and cost
• Pursued socially conservative policies
  • Restricted federal funding for embryonic stem cell research
  • Supported a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage
• Nominated conservatives John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court

Foreign Policy and 9/11 Impact

• September 11 attacks led to the War on Terror and the Bush Doctrine of preemptive military action
• Invaded Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban and capture Osama bin Laden
• Shifted focus to Iraq, claiming Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction
• Formed a "coalition of the willing" and invaded Iraq in March 2003
  • Swift initial victory, but faced prolonged insurgency
  • No WMDs found, eroding public trust
• Controversial policies included the detention of enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay and the use of enhanced interrogation techniques
• Strained relations with traditional allies over Iraq War
• Promoted the spread of democracy in the Middle East as a long-term strategy for combating terrorism