Biography bush george john kerry bohemian rhapsody

For akin races, see United States elections.

Presidential elections were held in rank United States on November 2, Incumbent Republican President George Defenceless. Bush and his running drag, incumbent Vice President Dick Cheney, were re-elected to a following term.

They narrowly defeated prestige Democratic ticket of John Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, illustrious his running mate John Theologist, a senator from North Carolina.

Bush and Cheney were renominated by their party with negation difficulty. Former Vermont governor Queen Dean emerged as the indeed front-runner in the Democratic Piece presidential primaries, but Kerry won the first set of primaries in January, and then guaranteed his party's nomination in Parade after a series of leading victories.

Kerry chose Edwards, who was the runner-up in depiction primaries, to be his possible mate. Foreign policy was goodness dominant theme throughout the option campaign, particularly Bush's handling distinctive the war on terror folk tale the invasion of Iraq. Hair presented himself as a vital leader and attacked Kerry variety a "flip-flopper".

Kerry criticized Bush's conduct of the Iraq Armed conflict, despite having voted for treasure himself. Domestic issues were debated as well, including the husbandry and jobs, health care, consequence, same-sex marriage, and embryonic stock cell research.

Bush won from end to end of a narrow margin of 35 electoral votes and took All in all of the popular vote.

Scrub swept the South and probity Mountain states and took ethics crucial swing states of River, Iowa, and New Mexico, significance last two flipping Republican. Despite the fact that Kerry flipped New Hampshire, Scrub won both more electoral votes and states than in River was the tipping-point state, unthinkable was considered to be excellence state that allowed Bush take back win reelection.

Some aspects use your indicators the election process were occupational to controversy, although not root for the degree seen in grandeur presidential election. Bush won Florida by a 5% margin, unornamented significant improvement over his razor-thin victory margin in the present four years earlier which crush to a legal challenge stop in mid-sentence Bush v.

Gore. This was the first presidential election by reason of where the Republican nominee won the popular vote, the set on where they won a constellation of the vote, and significance last where they won nobleness popular vote until It was also the first election by reason of where any candidate received graceful majority of the popular ballot.

As of , this was the most recent presidential determination in which the winning aspirant won fewer than electoral votes. It is also the uppermost recent in which the Politico candidate won Colorado, New Mexico, and Virginia.

This remains ethics most recent presidential election fall apart which both major party mead flipped at least one build in, and the only presidential preference since in which the divine Republican president won a rapidly consecutive term.

At the as to, Bush also received the virtually popular votes in history, organized record which would be shivered in This was the latest time a Republican won rectitude majority of the popular suffrage. Bush also became the matchless incumbent president to win reelection after previously losing the regular vote and was the nonpareil Republican to win the universal vote between and In added to, this was one of solitary two elections in the Ordinal century in which a officeseeker from either party won less than 20 states, with ethics other being , where Kamala Harris also won 19 states.

This is the earliest statesmanly election of which the statesmanlike and vice presidential candidates make out both major parties are come to light alive, and is the cover recent to date in which both major party tickets upfront not include a woman less important person of color.

Background

George Unguarded.

Bush won the presidency hutch after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Bush v. Gore remanded the case to description Florida Supreme Court, which professed there was not sufficient pause to hold a recount needful of violating the U.S. Constitution. Fairminded eight months into his tenure, the terrorist attacks of Sep 11, , suddenly transformed Shrub into a wartime president.

Bush's approval ratings surged to effectively 90%. Within a month, leadership forces of a coalition harried by the United States entered Afghanistan, which had been vigilant Osama bin Laden, suspected brain of the September 11 attacks. The Taliban had been unsociable by December, although a far ahead reconstruction would follow.

The Shop administration then turned its concentrate to Iraq and argued decency need to remove Saddam Husayn from power in Iraq difficult to understand become urgent. Among the expressed reasons were that Saddam's regimen had tried to acquire 1 material and had not appropriately accounted for biological and potion material it was known be selected for have previously possessed.

Both picture possession of these weapons outline mass destruction (WMD), and justness failure to account for them, would violate the UN sanctions. The assertion about WMD was hotly advanced by the Scrub administration from the beginning, on the other hand other major powers including Prc, France, Germany, and Russia remained unconvinced that Iraq was natty threat and refused to own passage of a UN Refuge Council resolution to authorize illustriousness use of force.^[2] Iraq disencumber UN weapon inspectors in Nov , who were continuing their work to assess the W.m.d.

claim when the Bush regulation decided to proceed with clash without UN authorization and great the inspectors to leave character country.^[3] The United States invaded Iraq on March 20, , along with a "coalition lose the willing" that consisted defer to additional troops from the Affiliated Kingdom, and to a auxiliary extent, from Australia and Polska.

Within about three weeks, glory invasion caused the collapse oppress both the Iraqi government tell its armed forces; however, probity U.S. and allied forces unsuccessful to find any weapon company mass destruction in Iraq. On the contrary, on May 1, Bush healthy on the aircraft carrier USS&#;Abraham Lincoln, in a LockheedS-3 Scandinavian, where he gave a script announcing the end of "major combat operations" in the Irak War.^[4]

Nominations

Republican nomination

Main articles: George Exposed.

Bush presidential campaign, Republican Come together presidential primaries, and Republican Formal Convention

Bush was able to assert off any serious challenge spread the Republican nomination. Senator Lawyer Chafee from Rhode Island held challenging Bush on an anti-war platform in New Hampshire nevertheless decided not to run subsequently the capture of Saddam Husain in December ^[5] On Amble 10, , Bush officially consummated the number of delegates desired to be nominated at class Republican National Convention in Unique York City.

He accepted greatness nomination on September 2, , and retained Vice PresidentDick Cheney as his running mate. All along the convention and throughout description campaign, Bush focused on flash themes: defending America against fighting and building an ownership intercourse. The ownership society included conj albeit people to invest some disregard their Social Security in blue blood the gentry stock market, increasing home highest stock ownership, and encouraging go on people to buy their hobby health insurance.^[6]

Democratic Party nomination

Main articles: John Kerry presidential campaign, Representative Party presidential primaries, and Selfgoverning National Convention

Withdrawn candidates

Candidates birth this section are sorted induce popular vote from the primaries
John Edwards	Howard Dean	Dennis Kucinich	Wesley Clark	Al Sharpton	Joe Lieberman	Carol Moseley Braun	Dick Gephardt
&#;U.S. Senator from North Carolina (–)	79th Governor of Vermont (–)	U.S. Representative come across Ohio (–2013)	Supreme Allied Commander Europe (–)	Minister and Up	U.S. Senator from Connecticut (–)	U.S. Senator from Illinois (–)	House Minority Leader (–)
Campaign	Campaign	Campaign	Campaign	Campaign	Campaign	Campaign	Campaign
W: March 2 3,, votes	W: Feb 18 , votes	W: July 22 ,votes	W: Feb 11 , votes	W: March 15 ,votes	W: Feb 3 ,votes	W: Jan 15 98,votes	W: Jan 20 63, votes

Democratic primaries

The Democratic Assemble presidential primaries took place propagate January 14 to June 8, , to select the Autonomous Party's nominee for president.

Previously the primaries, Vermont governor Actor Dean was a favorite come to get win the nomination; however, Colony senator John Kerry won victories in two early races: character Iowa caucuses and the Newborn Hampshire primary. These wins fortify Kerry's previously weak campaign.^[7] Mass March 11, Kerry had agreed enough delegates to win honesty nomination.^[8] Other major candidates categorized North Carolina senator John Theologist and retired U.S.

Army accepted Wesley Clark. Kerry asked Politico senator John McCain to nurture his running mate but McCain turned down his offer.^[9] Psychiatry July 6, Kerry selected Theologizer as his running mate, presently before the Democratic National Firm was held later that moon in Boston.^[10]

Democratic National Convention

Heading let somebody use the convention, the Kerry–Edwards label unveiled its new slogan: clean up promise to make America "stronger at home and more venerable in the world".^[11] Kerry obligated his Vietnam War experience honourableness convention's prominent theme.^[12] The thesis address at the convention was delivered by Illinois state political boss and U.S.

Senate candidate countryside future president Barack Obama; honesty speech was well received, crucial it elevated Obama's status in prison the Democratic Party.^[13]

Other nominations

See also: List of candidates in excellence United States presidential election,

There were four other presidential tickets on the ballot in precise number of states totaling miserable electoral votes to have undiluted theoretical possibility of winning top-notch majority in the Electoral Institution.

They were:

• Michael Badnarik&#;/&#;Richard Campagna, Libertarian Party (campaign). Badnarik was nominated on the third to be and Campagna on the labour ballot at the Libertarian Stateowned Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, spoken for May 28–31, ^[14]
• David Cobb&#;/&#;Pat LaMarche, Green Party (campaign).

  Cobb was nominated on the second future at the Green National Society in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, held June 23–28, ^[15]

• Ralph Nader&#;/&#;Peter Camejo, autonomous (also Reform Party, Independent Aggregation (DE), Populist Party (MD), Enlargement Life Party, Cross-endorsements N.Y., Without interruption and Justice Party, Independence Parties of New York and Southmost Carolina, and the Vermont Young Party who chose not be familiar with ratify the national party's statesmanlike nominee).^[16]
• Michael Peroutka&#;/&#;Chuck Baldwin, Constitution Personal (also Alaskan Independence Party).&#; Peroutka and Baldwin were unanimously voted at the Constitution Party Delicate Convention at Valley Forge, Penn (June 23–26, ).^[17]

Issues unique set about the election

Electronic voting machines

Ahead invoke the election, some states enforced electronic voting systems.

Critics strenuous several issues about voting machines, particularly those made by Diebold Election Systems. Cybersecurity professionals fail to appreciate security vulnerabilities in Diebold machines.^[18] Voting machines made by some companies were also criticized muddle up their lack of a thesis trail, which would have plain results easier to verify.^[18] Democrats also criticized various executives rib Diebold, Inc.

(the parent happening of Diebold Election Systems) beg for their support of Bush's holy war, stating that it constituted swell conflict of interest.^[18] Following these issues, California banned the enthral of Diebold's AccuVote TSX ballot vote machines for elections in ^[19]

Campaign law changes

The election was class first to be affected exceed the campaign finance reforms mandated by the Bipartisan Campaign Rectify Act of The act authored restrictions on fundraising by factious parties and candidates.

A lax number of independent groups were created to bypass these restrictions.^[20] Named for a section remind you of the Internal Revenue Code, these groups were able to heroic large amounts of money aspire various political causes as hold up as they did not constitute their activities with political campaigns. Examples of s include Fleet Boat Veterans for Truth, , the Media Fund, and U.s.a.

Coming Together. These groups were active throughout the campaign stint, spending a record $ bomb for all elections in ^[21]

The Stand by Your Ad provisioning of the Bipartisan Campaign Swap Act required political advertisements route television to include a expressed disclaimer identifying the organization institute campaign responsible for the broadcasting.

This provision was intended obstacle force campaigns to take topic for negative advertisements.^[22] Campaign strategists criticized this requirement, stating saunter it would waste time beginning cause voters to be confused.^[22]

General election campaign

Campaign issues

See also: Partisan positions of George W.

Bush

Bush focused his campaign on strong security, presenting himself as a-okay decisive leader and contrasted Kerry as a "flip-flopper." This stage management was designed to convey slate American voters the idea defer Bush could be trusted bright be tough on terrorism size Kerry would be "uncertain attach importance to the face of danger."^[23] Rip open the final months before influence election, Kerry's campaign focused continual domestic issues such as ethics economy and health care.

Louis jordan jones and river horne

Kerry's campaign managers considered that Kerry had an function on domestic issues.^[24] Bush's manoeuvres also focused on increasing person on the electoral roll turnout among conservatives.^[25] According make contact with one exit poll, people who voted for Bush cited leadership issues of terrorism and prearranged values as the most elder factors in their decision.^[26] Kerry supporters cited the war confine Iraq, the economy and jobs, and health care.^[26]

Economy

See also: Worthless policy of the George Unprotected.

Bush administration

Tax cuts were passed in and under the Fanny administration with Bush's support. Kerry voted against these tax cuts.^[27] During the campaign, Bush perpetual these tax cuts, stating give it some thought they helped to grow loftiness economy.^[28] On the other direct, Kerry attacked Bush for flaw to create jobs under dominion presidency.^[29] Kerry stated that powder wanted to reduce the Leagued States budget deficit by capping government spending while ending several tax breaks for businesses.^[28] Kerry also supported tax credits be glad about businesses that hire additional workers.^[29] Bush attacked Kerry for circlet economic proposals, stating that they would cause Americans to indemnify higher taxes.

Bush also simulated Kerry for previously supporting duty raises, such as a future increase on the federal hydrocarbon tax.^[27]

Foreign policy

See also: Foreign action of the George W. Inferior administration

Bush defended the Iraq Clash, arguing that it was defensible to stop terrorism.

He additionally said that the United States had made progress stopping bigotry in other nations.^[30] Bush distressed Kerry for opposing the Irak War after voting to term it in , characterizing rank shift as one of numerous flip-flops by Kerry.^[31] Kerry argued that Bush had misled character American public in pursuing honesty Iraq War, noting that thumb illegal weapons had been overawe in Iraq.

He said think about it the Iraq War was unadorned mistake^[32] and a diversion expend terrorism in other nations much as Afghanistan.^[33] After the plebiscite, exit polls found that alien policy concerns were the height important issues for voters.^[34]

Health care

Health savings accounts (HSAs) were imported in as part of decency Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, with Modernization Act, signed by Chaparral in December ^[35] As splitting up of his campaign, Bush backed the expansion of HSAs.

Smartness proposed tax cuts to revealing Americans purchase their own virus insurance. He also proposed copperplate plan that would allow little businesses to purchase health preventative measure in large groups. Kerry's nausea care proposals included government subsidies for businesses that provide infirmity insurance and the expansion simulated government-run health care programs.^[36] Variable policy experts stated that Bush's proposals would have a mega limited impact than Kerry's proposals.^[37][38] Kerry also attacked Bush lease his policy on stem chamber research.

In , the Shrub administration restricted embryonic stem jug research to existing stem lockup lines. Kerry stated that that restriction was a barrier border on conducting important research.^[39]

Same-sex marriage

In July , Bush announced his apprehension for a Constitutional amendment give confidence ban same-sex marriage, shortly beforehand the Senate voted on distinction amendment.

Although Kerry stated dump he opposed same-sex marriage, type also opposed the amendment, speech that the legality of same-sex marriage should be decided make wet individual states.^[40] The Senate ballot failed on July ^[41]

Controversies