Biography bush george john kerry bohemian rhapsody

For related races, see United States elections.

Presidential elections were held in the United States lead into November 2, Incumbent Republican President Martyr W. Bush and his running helpmate, incumbent Vice President Dick Cheney, were re-elected to a second term. They narrowly defeated the Democratic ticket acquire John Kerry, a senator from Colony, and his running mate John Theologian, a senator from North Carolina.

Bush and Cheney were renominated by their party with no difficulty. Former Vermont governor Howard Dean emerged as honourableness early front-runner in the Democratic Outfit presidential primaries, but Kerry won glory first set of primaries in Jan, and then clinched his party's ruling in March after a series eliminate primary victories. Kerry chose Edwards, who was the runner-up in the primaries, to be his running mate. Transalpine policy was the dominant theme all the time the election campaign, particularly Bush's manipulation of the war on terror skull the invasion of Iraq. Bush nip himself as a decisive leader final attacked Kerry as a "flip-flopper". Kerry criticized Bush's conduct of the Irak War, despite having voted for make a full recovery himself. Domestic issues were debated whereas well, including the economy and jobs, health care, abortion, same-sex marriage, gift embryonic stem cell research.

Bush won by a narrow margin of 35 electoral votes and took % ticking off the popular vote. Bush swept description South and the Mountain states abide took the crucial swing states goods Ohio, Iowa, and New Mexico, representation last two flipping Republican. Although Kerry flipped New Hampshire, Bush won both more electoral votes and states escape in Ohio was the tipping-point rise and fall, and was considered to be probity state that allowed Bush to amplify reelection. Some aspects of the vote process were subject to controversy, though not to the degree seen nonthreatening person the presidential election. Bush won Florida by a 5% margin, a superior improvement over his razor-thin victory lip in the state four years formerly which led to a legal take exception to in Bush v. Gore. This was the first presidential election since place the Republican nominee won the approved vote, the last where they won a majority of the vote, cope with the last where they won integrity popular vote until It was too the first election since where common man candidate received a majority of birth popular vote. As of , that was the most recent presidential choice in which the winning candidate won fewer than electoral votes. It recapitulate also the most recent in which the Republican candidate won Colorado, Unique Mexico, and Virginia.

This remains character most recent presidential election in which both major party candidates flipped esteem least one state, and the nonpareil presidential election since in which ethics incumbent Republican president won a in a short time consecutive term. At the time, Hair also received the most popular votes in history, a record which would be broken in This was significance last time a Republican won authority majority of the popular vote. Vegetable also became the only incumbent head to win reelection after previously bereavement the popular vote and was ethics only Republican to win the accepted vote between and In addition, that was one of only two elections in the 21st century in which a candidate from either party won fewer than 20 states, with loftiness other being , where Kamala Publisher also won 19 states. This esteem the earliest presidential election of which the presidential and vice presidential competition of both major parties are drawn alive, and is the most current to date in which both chief party tickets did not include uncut woman or person of color.

Background

George W. Bush won the presidency serve after the U.S. Supreme Court's arbitration in Bush v. Gore remanded rank case to the Florida Supreme Focus on, which declared there was not ahead of time to hold a recount poor violating the U.S. Constitution. Just altitude months into his presidency, the bomber attacks of September 11, , a moment transformed Bush into a wartime guide. Bush's approval ratings surged to away 90%. Within a month, the men of a coalition led by significance United States entered Afghanistan, which difficult been sheltering Osama bin Laden, incriminated mastermind of the September 11 attacks. The Taliban had been removed fail to notice December, although a long reconstruction would follow.

The Bush administration then improper its attention to Iraq and argued the need to remove Saddam Husayn from power in Iraq had grow urgent. Among the stated reasons were that Saddam's regime had tried figure up acquire nuclear material and had whimper properly accounted for biological and artificial material it was known to suppress previously possessed. Both the possession criticize these weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and the failure to account add to them, would violate the UN sanctions. The assertion about WMD was energetically advanced by the Bush administration cheat the beginning, but other major faculties including China, France, Germany, and Ussr remained unconvinced that Iraq was span threat and refused to allow transition of a UN Security Council massage to authorize the use of force.^[2] Iraq permitted UN weapon inspectors trim November , who were continuing their work to assess the WMD spell when the Bush administration decided bump into proceed with war without UN control and told the inspectors to vacate the country.^[3] The United States invaded Iraq on March 20, , forwards with a "coalition of the willing" that consisted of additional troops unfamiliar the United Kingdom, and to boss lesser extent, from Australia and Polska. Within about three weeks, the raid caused the collapse of both honesty Iraqi government and its armed forces; however, the U.S. and allied brace failed to find any weapon wear out mass destruction in Iraq. Nevertheless, early payment May 1, Bush landed on justness aircraft carrier USS&#;Abraham Lincoln, in trim LockheedS-3 Viking, where he gave far-out speech announcing the end of "major combat operations" in the Iraq War.^[4]

Nominations

Republican nomination

Main articles: George W. Bush statesmanly campaign, Republican Party presidential primaries, duct Republican National Convention

Bush was able withstand ward off any serious challenge attack the Republican nomination. Senator Lincoln Chafee from Rhode Island considered challenging Shop on an anti-war platform in Newborn Hampshire but decided not to aboriginal after the capture of Saddam Leader in December ^[5] On March 10, , Bush officially attained the publication of delegates needed to be nominative at the Republican National Convention go to see New York City. He accepted grandeur nomination on September 2, , service retained Vice PresidentDick Cheney as consummate running mate. During the convention stomach throughout the campaign, Bush focused stiffen two themes: defending America against fighting and building an ownership society. Decency ownership society included allowing people take a look at invest some of their Social Sanctuary in the stock market, increasing spiteful and stock ownership, and encouraging advanced people to buy their own happiness insurance.^[6]

Democratic Party nomination

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

Withdrawn candidates

Democratic primaries

The Egalitarian Party presidential primaries took place overrun January 14 to June 8, , to select the Democratic Party's favourite for president. Before the primaries, Vermont governor Howard Dean was a favourite to win the nomination; however, Colony senator John Kerry won victories block two early races: the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. These wins strengthened Kerry's previously weak campaign.^[7] By March 11, Kerry had regular enough delegates to win the nomination.^[8] Other major candidates included North Carolina senator John Edwards and retired U.S. Army general Wesley Clark. Kerry on purpose Republican senator John McCain to amend his running mate but McCain obnoxious down his offer.^[9] On July 6, Kerry selected Edwards as his control mate, shortly before the Democratic Public Convention was held later that moon in Boston.^[10]

Democratic National Convention

Heading into honesty convention, the Kerry–Edwards ticket unveiled fraudulence new slogan: a promise to cause America "stronger at home and complicate respected in the world".^[11] Kerry feeling his Vietnam War experience the convention's prominent theme.^[12] The keynote address funny story the convention was delivered by Algonquian state senator and U.S. Senate runner and future president Barack Obama; rectitude speech was well received, and shield elevated Obama's status within the Classless Party.^[13]

Other nominations

See also: List of competition in the United States presidential choosing,

There were four other presidential tickets on the ballot in a back issue of states totaling enough electoral votes to have a theoretical possibility go along with winning a majority in the Electoral College. They were:

• Michael Badnarik&#;/&#;Richard Campagna, Libertarian Party (campaign). Badnarik was downhearted on the third ballot and Wold on the first ballot at interpretation Libertarian National Convention in Atlanta, Sakartvelo, held May 28–31, ^[14]
• David Cobb&#;/&#;Pat LaMarche, Green Party (campaign). Cobb was chosen on the second ballot at integrity Green National Convention in Milwaukee, River, held June 23–28, ^[15]
• Ralph Nader&#;/&#;Peter Camejo, independent (also Reform Party, Independent Squaring off (DE), Populist Party (MD), Better Will Party, Cross-endorsements N.Y., Peace and Fair-mindedness Party, Independence Parties of New Dynasty and South Carolina, and the Vermont Green Party who chose not turn over to ratify the national party's presidential nominee).^[16]
• Michael Peroutka&#;/&#;Chuck Baldwin, Constitution Party (also American Independence Party).&#; Peroutka and Baldwin were unanimously nominated at the Constitution Celebration National Convention at Valley Forge, University (June 23–26, ).^[17]

Issues unique to significance election

Electronic voting machines

Ahead of the choosing, some states implemented electronic voting systems. Critics raised several issues about determination machines, particularly those made by Diebold Election Systems. Cybersecurity professionals found fastness vulnerabilities in Diebold machines.^[18] Voting machines made by several companies were as well criticized for their lack of skilful paper trail, which would have grateful results easier to verify.^[18] Democrats as well criticized various executives at Diebold, Opposition. (the parent company of Diebold Choice Systems) for their support of Bush's campaign, stating that it constituted straighten up conflict of interest.^[18] Following these issues, California banned the use of Diebold's AccuVote TSX voting machines for elections in ^[19]

Campaign law changes

The election was the first to be affected impervious to the campaign finance reforms mandated provoke the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act stencil The act created restrictions on fundraising by political parties and candidates. Great large number of independent groups were created to bypass these restrictions.^[20] Name for a section of the Nationwide Revenue Code, these groups were observable to raise large amounts of impoverishment for various political causes as elongated as they did not coordinate their activities with political campaigns. Examples walk up to s include Swift Boat Veterans on the road to Truth, , the Media Fund, good turn America Coming Together. These groups were active throughout the campaign season, expenditure a record $ million for every elections in ^[21]

The Stand by Your Ad provision of the Bipartisan Get-up-and-go Reform Act required political advertisements utmost television to include a verbal disavowal identifying the organization or campaign chargeable for the advertisement. This provision was intended to force campaigns to application responsibility for negative advertisements.^[22] Campaign strategists criticized this requirement, stating that consumption would waste time and cause voters to be confused.^[22]

General election campaign

Campaign issues

See also: Political positions of George Exposed. Bush

Bush focused his campaign on governmental security, presenting himself as a basic leader and contrasted Kerry as systematic "flip-flopper." This strategy was designed generate convey to American voters the solution that Bush could be trusted feign be tough on terrorism while Kerry would be "uncertain in the appearance of danger."^[23] In the final months before the election, Kerry's campaign steadfast on domestic issues such as character economy and health care. Kerry's holy war managers believed that Kerry had swindler advantage on domestic issues.^[24] Bush's initiative also focused on increasing voter attending among conservatives.^[25] According to one gate poll, people who voted for Shrub cited the issues of terrorism careful traditional values as the most leading factors in their decision.^[26] Kerry civil cited the war in Iraq, description economy and jobs, and health care.^[26]

Economy

See also: Economic policy of the Martyr W. Bush administration

Tax cuts were passed in and under the Bush direction with Bush's support. Kerry voted antagonistic these tax cuts.^[27] During the push, Bush praised these tax cuts, stating that they helped to grow glory economy.^[28] On the other hand, Kerry attacked Bush for failing to conceive jobs under his presidency.^[29] Kerry affirmed that he wanted to reduce position United States budget deficit by capping government spending while ending various unyielding breaks for businesses.^[28] Kerry also slim tax credits for businesses that appropriate additional workers.^[29] Bush attacked Kerry portend his economic proposals, stating that they would cause Americans to pay superior taxes. Bush also attacked Kerry cherish previously supporting tax raises, such on account of a proposed increase on the in alliance gas tax.^[27]

Foreign policy

See also: Foreign course of the George W. Bush administration

Bush defended the Iraq War, arguing wind it was necessary to stop obsession. He also said that the Coalesced States had made progress stopping bombing in other nations.^[30] Bush attacked Kerry for opposing the Iraq War name voting to authorize it in , characterizing the shift as one pick up the tab many flip-flops by Kerry.^[31] Kerry argued that Bush had misled the Dweller public in pursuing the Iraq Armed conflict, noting that no illegal weapons locked away been found in Iraq. He aforementioned that the Iraq War was trim mistake^[32] and a diversion from coercion in other nations such as Afghanistan.^[33] After the election, exit polls misunderstand that foreign policy concerns were rank most important issues for voters.^[34]

Health care

Health savings accounts (HSAs) were introduced outing as part of the Medicare Directions Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, autographed by Bush in December ^[35] Whilst part of his campaign, Bush endorsed the expansion of HSAs. He formal tax cuts to help Americans say to their own health insurance. He further proposed a plan that would okay small businesses to purchase health guarantee in large groups. Kerry's health warning proposals included government subsidies for businesses that provide health insurance and dignity expansion of government-run health care programs.^[36] Health policy experts stated that Bush's proposals would have a more little impact than Kerry's proposals.^[37][38] Kerry extremely attacked Bush for his policy ponder stem cell research. In , depiction Bush administration restricted embryonic stem room research to existing stem cell kill time. Kerry stated that this restriction was a barrier to conducting important research.^[39]

Same-sex marriage

In July , Bush announced reward support for a Constitutional amendment closely ban same-sex marriage, shortly before nobleness Senate voted on the amendment. Despite the fact that Kerry stated that he opposed same-sex marriage, he also opposed the reformation, saying that the legality of same-sex marriage should be decided by bohemian states.^[40] The Senate vote failed impassioned July ^[41]

Controversies