Each presidential election overview has always been similar to a three-ringcircus, but in the 2000 Election with Al Gore and George W.
Bush, was by far oneof 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 wincontrol, yet there was a lot at stake with the election at the time. And eventhough it came to be a quite chaotic election, it was by far the closestelection ever in history. The main problem was that the results were so close inFlorida that it became indefinite who the winner was.
It took over a month tofinally attain the results. Ultimately it was not the citizens whose votescounted, 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 tohandle key issues, including Democratic stands on such as health care, educationand 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 hegave his wife or not, Gore changed the public’s view of him. No longer was he ajust a stiff politician. Instead, he was a passionate, loving father and husbandwho lacked many of Clinton’s weaknesses. And Gore jumped a few points ahead ofBush. The Monica Lewinsky scandal Clinton had did not necessarily give him a badreputation. On the contrary, people continued to cast their support for thepresident since the public thought he had done so much for our nation.
Yet inthe 2000 Election Gore seemed to go in the completely opposite direction ofClinton, 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 havedifficulties when asked about his tax cut plan and about his statement that theU. S. military was not fully ready.
While Gore looked relaxed and energetic, Bushmade mistakes in front of the camera. Polls suggested that Gore was far ahead ofBush by at least a few points. Republicans became much less optimistic aboutBush, while things were looking very promising for the Democrats. Gore’s campaign was focused on issues that were mostly concerned by women, suchas health care and education.
“We’re for the people. Big tobacco, big oil, thebig polluters, the pharmaceutical companies, the HMO’s. Sometimes you have to bewilling 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 lastthing this country needs is a Supreme Court that overturns” a woman’s right tochoose.
On the other hand, Bush’s issues were geared more towards getting themale vote by concentrating on economic issues and tax cuts. But the race changed yet again before the end of September, when Bush went ontwo popular television shows and Gore was hit by the media for exaggerating andembellishing stories. Gore was being questioned over the issue of his character. The polls now seemed to favor Bush. Bush did even better in the secondpresidential debate. For the third debate television viewers seemed to be splitbetween Bush and Gore.
So, as the Election Day was closer and closer, it was showing that it was goingto be an extremely close election and an uncertain outcome. It took twenty-fiveelectoral votes and a little over a month of recounting and the bickeringbetween each other’s lawyer to finally claim a winner. In the Court hearing ofBush vs. Gore, the Supreme Court decision gave George Bush the presidency. Adecision that declares a winner cannot be justified legally before every way ofcounting every vote.
Many felt it was unfair by the termination of the rest ofthe vote count. It was like their vote did not matter. Al Gore publiclysurrendered after Supreme Court hearing of Al Gore vs. George Bush. After Bush vs.
Gore was decided many people were outraged and began to doubtthe Court. The conservative Justices, who have always been pro-state rights, were suddenlyagainst state rights. They had ignored Florida’s rights to determine its ownresults in the 2000 Presidential election through its own system. This rulingagainst state rights just so happened
