Presidential Campaign of 2004

Each presidential election overview has always been similar to a three-ring

circus, but in the 2000 Election with Al Gore and George W. Bush, was by far one

of the biggest circuses ever. Democrats had reason to worry about the election.

Republicans held the White House for three consecutive terms from 1980 to 1992,

voters often grow tired of one party after two terms. They were hoping to win

control, yet there was a lot at stake with the election at the time. And even

though it came to be a quite chaotic election, it was by far the closest

election ever in history. The main problem was that the results were so close in

Florida that it became indefinite who the winner was. It took over a month to

finally attain the results. Ultimately it was not the citizens whose votes

counted, but the vote of the Supreme Court for the election case.

Al Gore had a good start to begin with, having high marks on his ability to

handle key issues, including Democratic stands on such as health care, education

and Social Security. But Gore changed all that on the last day of the Democrats'

Los Angeles national convention. Whether it was the highly publicized kiss he

gave his wife or not, Gore changed the public's view of him. No longer was he a

just a stiff politician. Instead, he was a passionate, loving father and husband

who lacked many of Clinton's weaknesses. And Gore jumped a few points ahead of

Bush. The Monica Lewinsky scandal Clinton had did not necessarily give him a bad

reputation. On the contrary, people continued to cast their support for the

president since the public thought he had done so much for our nation. Yet in

the 2000 Election Gore seemed to go in the completely opposite direction of

Clinton, or at least try to avoid his name in his speeches at first.

Yet Gore's luck did not change when he left California. Bush seemed to have

difficulties when asked about his tax cut plan and about his statement that the

U.S. military was not fully ready. While Gore looked relaxed and energetic, Bush

made mistakes in front of the camera. Polls suggested that Gore was far ahead of

Bush by at least a few points. Republicans became much less optimistic about

Bush, while things were looking very promising for the Democrats.

Gore's campaign was focused on issues that were mostly concerned by women, such

as health care and education. "We're for the people. Big tobacco, big oil, the

big polluters, the pharmaceutical companies, the HMO's. Sometimes you have to be

willing to stand up and say no, so families can have a better life," Gore said.

That same night Gore claimed to protect abortion rights and said: "The last

thing this country needs is a Supreme Court that overturns" a woman's right to

choose. On the other hand, Bush's issues were geared more towards getting the

male vote by concentrating on economic issues and tax cuts.

But the race changed yet again before the end of September, when Bush went on

two popular television shows and Gore was hit by the media for exaggerating and

embellishing stories. Gore was being questioned over the issue of his character.

The polls now seemed to favor Bush. Bush did even better in the second

presidential debate. For the third debate television viewers seemed to be split

between Bush and Gore.