The 2000 United States Presidential Election and Bush v. Gore

Public Perception of Elections: There is a common misconception that the candidate who wins the popular vote (the individual count of all votes cast) automatically wins the presidency.
The Incumbency: In the year $2000$ , President Bill Clinton was finishing his second term. Due to constitutional limits, he was ineligible to run for a third term.
Clinton's Political Standing:
- Clinton had recently been impeached by the House of Representatives following a political scandal.
- Despite the impeachment, Clinton remained "wildly popular" with the American public.
- Approximately two-thirds of the American population disapproved of the impeachment process.
- According to the most recent Gallup poll mentioned, Clinton’s approval rating had risen to $78\%$ .
- The Republican party had conversely incurred the disfavor of much of the country for their role in the impeachment.

Al Gore (Democratic Nominee):
- Serving as the incumbent Vice President from Tennessee.
- Campaign Strategy: Gore attempted to distance himself from President Clinton's scandals while positioning himself as a "moderate option" on the Democratic ticket.
George W. Bush (Republican Nominee):
- Serving as the Governor of Texas.
- Heritage: The son of the $41\text{st}$ President, George H. W. Bush.
- Campaign Image: Bush ran as a moderate under the banner of "compassionate conservatism."
- Religious Appeal:
  - Gained significant support from evangelicals in the United States.
  - When asked to identify his favorite philosopher, Bush cited Jesus.
  - He promised to integrate church leaders into the government and explicitly appealed to religious leaders to assist in voter turnout.
Campaign Issues:
- Domestic Policy: The primary focus was on the projected budget surplus, reforms to Social Security, and reforms to Medicaid.
- Foreign Policy: Bush questioned the extent of United States involvement in foreign nations, specifically critiquing interventions in Somalia and the Balkans.
- Executive Integrity: Bush campaigned on a promise to restore "dignity and decorum" to the White House following the recent executive branch scandals.
Political Friction: Al Gore denounced Bush's appeals to religious leaders and frequently highlighted various "gaffes" made by Bush to argue that he was unfit for the presidency.

Bush's Victories:
- Carried much of the South.
- States won included Al Gore's home state of Tennessee and Bill Clinton's home state of Arkansas.
- Won Indiana, Ohio, and parts of the Midwest.
- Won his home state of Texas.
Gore's Victories:
- Won many states in New England, including Massachusetts and Vermont.
- Won parts of the Upper Midwest.
- Captured the West Coast states: Oregon, California, and Hawaii.
The Florida Standstill:
- The entire election results hinged on the state of Florida.
- Excluding Florida, the electoral count was Al Gore with $246$ and George W. Bush with $250$ .
- Florida held $25$ electoral votes; both candidates needed these votes to secure a victory.

Initial Media Coverage: On election night, media outlets originally called Florida for Gore, then withdrew the call. They later called it for Bush, leading Gore to privately concede before withdrawing that concession.
The Recount Trigger: Florida law triggered an automatic recount because the vote margin was too close to determine a winner.
Post-Election Controversy:
- The Gore campaign requested hand recounts in $4$ specific counties, which was permitted under Florida law.
- Catherine Harris (Florida Secretary of State, Republican): Announced she would not accept any amended results submitted after November $14$ at $5\text{:00 PM}$ . This deadline worked to the advantage of the Bush campaign.
- Judicial Intervention: The Florida Supreme Court extended the deadline until November $6$ (Note: subsequent certified results occurred on the $26\text{th}$ ).
Disqualification of Results: Palm Beach County failed to meet the extended deadline; consequently, Secretary of State Harris rejected their results.
Certification: On November $26$ , George W. Bush was certified as the winner of Florida by a margin of only $537$ votes.

The United States Supreme Court: The Gore campaign contested the certification, leading to the landmark case Bush v. Gore.
The Decision: In a $5$ - $4$ ruling, the Supreme Court ordered that the recount must end.
Outcome: This decision effectively handed the victory of the $2000$ election to George W. Bush.

Policy Priorities: Bush entered office with a focus on domestic policy due to his limited experience in foreign affairs.
Key Objectives:
- Implementing tax cuts.
- Pushing through education reform.
Historical Shift: These domestic priorities were dramatically altered on the morning of $09/11/2001$ .