Election of 2000 The Civics Lesson of the New Century Text Credit: 2003 Teacher Fellows Candidates: George W. Bush, Republican (pictured), Al Gore, Democrat, Ralph Nader, Green Party, and Pat Buchanan, Reform Party C-SPAN Video Clip | Fun Fact | Historically Significant Elections Campaign Overview | Electoral Overview

CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW Ushering in a new century, the election of 2000 tested the workings of the U.S. Constitution, party politics, and the patience of the nation. The sitting president, Bill Clinton, had survived impeachment but not without the taint of scandal. Democratic Vice President Al Gore distanced himself from the President and ran an earnest campaign. His Republican opponent, Texas Governor George W. Bush, enjoyed immediate name recognition as the son of the one-term forty-first president, George Herbert Walker Bush. But "George W."(or "Dubya" as he became known) never completely shed his less than presidential image. Disaffected Republican-turned-Reform Party candidate, Pat Buchanan challenged the "bi-partisan establishment," while the entrance of Green Party candidate, Ralph Nader may have tipped the balance in what was one of the closest elections in modern times. In the News The new century arrived with fanfare, but also fears of the Y2K "millennium bug," a possibility that computers would not recognize the new year. Fortunately, the anticipated chaos never materialized. Early in the year, the combination of AOL/ Time Warner became the largest corporate merger up to that time. As these mega-companies came together, the Justice Department was attempting to break up Microsoft, claiming violations of antitrust laws. Innovations in biotechnology launched the human genome project, a map of the human genetic make-up. At the same time, such scientific inroads ignited controversies surrounding the possibilities of human cloning and stem cell research. Tactics/Strategy In the election of 2000, "George W." had to fend off allegations that targeted his past lifestyle and questioned his intellectual prowess. Bush admitted to a history of alcoholic excess and academic mediocrity—a contrast to Gore's "straight arrow" persona. (In reality, while each had Ivy League credentials, neither had stellar academic records.) Both candidates emphasized their political heritage: Bush's father had been president and Gore's father had served as senator from Tennessee. In courting the Latino vote, Bush and his nephew (also named George Bush), as well as Gore, delivered commercials in Spanish. Nader's Green Party campaign appealed to the self-styled "progressive" constituent who wanted "none of the above." He campaigned vigorously to get his name on the ballot in all fifty states and to appear in the televised debates. He succeeded in getting on the ballot in forty-three states, but no third party candidate was permitted to participate in the debates. Buchanan relied on stump speeches and rallies to promote his Reform Party's conservative agenda. Platforms The candidates stressed education accountability and tax reform as well as full employment and protection of social security. They differed on the issue of abortion: Bush supported a ban while Gore supported "a woman's right to choose." Bush supported school vouchers and charter schools while Gore opposed them. Their differences on environmental issues reflected their respective backgrounds--Bush the oil businessman and Gore the prophet of global warming. Nader's opposition to the World Trade Organization and NAFTA trade policies distinguished him from the Republican and Democratic frontrunners. Buchanan was "unapologetically" pro-life and asserted a pro-family farm platform. Like Nader, Buchanan challenged America's current trade policies. Slogans Bush's campaign succeeded with his "compassionate conservatism," a mantra for personal responsibility and limited government intervention. At the helm of his education reform package was the credo, "No Child Left Behind." The Bush camp also promoted "Real Plans for Real People" and touted Bush as a "Reformer with Results." Gore relied on the motto, "Prosperity and Progress" and maintained that he was "Fighting for Us." One of the election's most famous catchwords was the "lock box" metaphor, a reference to Gore's promise not to allocate Social Security reserves to other areas of the budget. Green Party candidate, Ralph Nader distinguished himself as a populist, offering a "government of, by, and for the people. . . not the monied interests." Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan ran on the slogan, "Win, Pat, Win!"

ELECTORAL OVERVIEW The election was predictably close. However, few could have foreseen the complicated outcome of Election Day 2000. As polls began closing, Gore seemed to be leading in the popular and electoral votes. Later that night however, the final results hinged on the outcome in Florida, where Bush's brother was governor. The initial count declared George W. Bush the winner. But speculation surfaced surrounding Bush's victory and Florida's ballot legitimacy, as Palm Beach County reported a large number of votes for third party candidates. When an automated recount still put Bush ahead by a few hundred votes (out of nearly six million cast), Gore filed a lawsuit demanding a manual recount in several Florida counties. Bush sued to block the hand count. Political and legal wrangling ensued among county and state officials of different parties and in both the Florida state and federal courts. Uncertainty as to who was the legitimately-elected President stretched to mid-December. In the end, the U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision barred recounting in only certain Florida counties, effectively assuring all of Florida's twenty-five electoral votes, and by extension, the presidency, for Bush. Electoral College Results Popular Vote Bush (Republican)  50,456,062 Gore (Democrat)  50,996,582 Nader (Green)  2,858,843 Buchanan (Reform)  438,760 Electoral College Bush (Republican)  271 Gore (Democrat)  266 Nader (Green)  0 Buchanan (Reform)  0 Aftermath On December 18, 2000, the Electoral College representatives met in their state capitals to cast their votes. Gore had conceded the election and Bush accepted the presidency days earlier. When Congress met in January, Vice President Gore presided over the tally of the Electoral College results, confirming the victory to his opponent. The swearing in of the 43rd president on January 20, 2001 made history. Not since the campaign of 1888 did a candidate lose the popular vote but win the election in the Electoral College. The civics lesson of a new century prompted popular debate over the function of the Electoral College as well as ballot standardization. George W. Bush's inauguration concluded one of the most contested elections in American political history; it also marked the second time that the son of a former president followed his father to the White House. Bush's first months in office were clouded by the election controversy. However, after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the nation rallied behind a resolute Commander-in-Chief committed to defending American security at home and abroad.