United States presidential election, 2000
The 54th election of the President of the United States of America was held on 7 November 2000. In one of the closest elections in U.S. history, George W. Bush was elected the 43rd President of the United States.
The counting of votes in the state of Florida, considered the swing state in U.S. presidential elections, took more than a month, and Bush was ultimately with 537 votes ahead of his Democratic challenger. Despite the highest judicial review and arrangement of recounts in some constituencies by the Supreme Court of the election results to date is controversial.
- 2.1 Voting Machines
- 2.2 overall result
- 2.3 election results by state
Candidates
Democratic Party
Democratic candidates:
Senator Bill Bradley
According to the rules of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was not allowed to reapply incumbent Bill Clinton to two terms. In the race for the nomination, therefore, went to the incumbent Vice President Al Gore. Only significant opposition candidate was Senator Bill Bradley, a former professional basketball player, who played for the New York Knicks and had gone into politics in 1978. Especially in the area of health care, the opinions Gore and Bradley went, who demanded massive reforms apart. Although Gore finally won all primaries for themselves, revealed the debates with Bradley an image problem for him. Gore sometimes robot-like posture and seemingly arrogant charisma as well as his intellectual style came with the voters to bad. These negative aspects of the candidate and potential next president gave him in the televised debates against Bush major problems in the electorate.
As a candidate for the office of Vice President Gore nominated later Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. The Orthodox Jew Lieberman was the first prominent Democrat who had criticized Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky as immoral. Lieberman's warm appearance should compensate Gore's alleged rigidity.
Republican Party
Republican candidates:
Senator John McCain
Former Ambassador Alan Keyes ECOSOC
Businessman Steve Forbes
Senator Orrin Hatch
Former Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole
Columnist Pat Buchanan
Former Vice President Dan Quayle
Former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander
Senator Robert C. Smith
Deputy John Kasich of Ohio
Herman Cain Businessman
After Bob Dole was clearly inferior in the elections four years ago, the Republicans now opted for the Texas Governor George W. Bush, the son of former President George Bush. His toughest rival in the primaries was Senator John McCain of Arizona, who, however, practically for a significant defeat had no chance in the primaries in South Carolina. All the other candidates had already abandoned the race early. When nominating convention in Philadelphia Bush received 2,038 votes out of 2,041.
With the search for a suitable candidate for the vice presidency a selection committee chaired by former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney was in charge. This came to the conclusion that no member of the party was better than Cheney himself suitable for the office.
Election result
Due to the legal problems of the correct counting of votes in Florida it took after the election more than a month until a result was clear. As the Supreme Court of last instance a new recount in certain constituencies Florida forbade the election of the Republican candidate was official. George W. Bush had won the presidential election with a controversial till today difference of 537 votes in Florida.
From the crucial total of 538 electoral votes George W. Bush could with 271 votes for the majority to win ( one vote more than the required 270).
Since the majority of the judges of the Supreme Court were appointed by Republican presidents, frequently criticizing the objectivity of the decision of the court had already become loud.
Voting machines
By public criticism of the voting machines in Florida the Help America Vote Act was designed and adopted on 29 October 2002. Right at the beginning of his tenure sat down Florida Governor Crist for the abolition of voting machines in Florida a.
On 3 May 2007 Florida has returned to the traditional ballot paper. Parliament unanimously passed a law requiring the use of paper ballots. Like the 118 deputies justified in its decision, should therefore be allowed where appropriate, a necessary expectant recount of the votes.
Overall result
As in the U.S., the overall result of the vote in presidential elections is not relevant, but the number electoral votes, George W. Bush was elected president, even though Al Gore had a statewide vote lead of 532,994 votes. Choice Barbara Lett - Simmons from the District of Columbia issued a blank ballot instead of voting along party line for Gore to protest against the fact that the citizens of the capital are not represented in the Senate.
Election results by state
WM: Number of electoral votes