A History of the 2004 Presidential Campaign The election of 2002 can be characterized as very peculiar because according to Podesta a closely divided American electorate moved only a few steps, but with seismic consequences to how the country is governed. As a chronological as well as logical continuation the 2004 presidential election will be very similar to the outcomes the election of 2002. According to many analysts the 2000 election was a status quo election since the Senate became 51-49, however the difference had a profound effect on the Presidents strength in governing (Abramowitz, 107).
However, still some politicians allege that the Republican takeover of the Senate had not an opportunity to manage the legislature without super majority. Before the election President Bush and his team surveyed the political situation and its context and concluded that while the weak economy meant that Democrats were likely to pick up some important Governors houses, redistricting made the House Republican majority all but safe, and that the Senate would be decided on the Presidents ground (Rhode, 31-32).
Therefore, nine out of ten close Senate races were held in so-called red states, states the President carried in 2002.
In the beginning to 2003, the President decided to campaign in an off-year like no previous President, skillfully controlling the fall congressional calendar to focus on Iraq and the Department of Homeland security, simultaneously avoiding any discussion of the economy and pleading to his Republican base that the election was a referendum on his leadership on national security affairs (Jason, 57).
The Term Paper on Presidential Election 2000 Democrats Republicans
In 2004, the election has been the "biggest" news of the year. In 2000, the presidential election was marred by turmoil and scandal over the Florida punch card votes and alleged racial discrimination acts against minorities at the polls. The article, "Poll: U. S. Voters Skeptical of Elections" revisits the horror of the 2000 election and examines the current position of voters, Republicans, and ...
In opposition, the Democrats ran a tactical race, critiquing the Presidents economic performance, but offering no compelling plan regarding new economic policies and overall economic perspective of the US. March 11 became the day when after multiple meetings with Democratic superdelegatesin Washington, D.C.and former primary electionopponents, U.S. Senator John Kerryof Massachusettsmanaged to accumulated the 2,162 delegates required to confirm the nomination. Three months prior to the party convention the Democratic National Committeesofficial website recognized him as the partys nominee. In case if something happens to Kerry before the election, the Democratic National Committee remains the only body involved in choosing an alternate candidate, which is considered to be U.S.
Senator John Edwardsof North Carolina. According to the Economists YouGov internet poll of 1192 Americans, Mr. Edwards would increase the tickers vote by more than any plausible rival. His only competitors were Hillary Clinton and John McCain, which both ruled themselves out. In addition, Mr. Edwards senate victory and his performance during the primaries indicated that he is more successful than Mr. Kerry with rural and small-town voters, specifically the people who matter in mid-western states.
The demographic situation in the US is constantly changing and some states grow in population faster than others. Thus, according to the 2000 census, Congressionalundertook re-apportionmentand moved some representative districts from the slowest growing states to the fastest growing. Therefore, some states will send a different number of electors to the U.S. Electoral College. Evaluating close election results in 2000 and comparing contemporary citizen polls, the majority of analysts consider re-apportionment to impact the outcome of the 2004 both in terms of statistics and final result (White, 101).
Some supporters of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry are concerned with the fact that the independent candidate Ralph Nader could split the vote between the two candidates, thus allowing the Republican presidential candidacy of George W. Bush to win the 2004 election.
The Essay on Budget Government Spend Spending
The budget of the United States is a document that announces how much the government will collect in taxes and spend in revenues and how those expenditures will be allocated among various programs. The basic jist of it is how much money the government is going to spend and where it is going to spend it. There are three major areas the government spends this money: the country's defense, Medicare, ...
Moreover, many analysts indicate that Ralph Nader did split the vote and influenced in some degree on the 2000 presidential election when he ran as the candidate of the Green Party. According to experts from Business Week, in Florida Nader’s appearance on the ballot could once again tip the state to Bush. In an American Research Group Inc. poll taken April 18-21, Bush held a 46% to 45% lead over Kerry, with Nader receiving just 3%, however in two-candidates case those are votes that would otherwise go to Kerry (Business Week, 33).
From the critical point of view, current political and economical situation as well as issues developed during presidential debates establish critical points for both candidates, in particular health insurance and public education, the economy and federal budget deficit, conduct of war in Iraq, homeland security, stem cell research and taxes (Economist, 41).
Since George W.
Bush took office, the record budget surpluses built up during the Clinton administration have turned to record red ink, and government spending has expanded at its fastest clip in 40 years (Fortune, 34).
As a result, the GOP has lost most of its edge over the Democrats on the issue of fiscal responsibility. On the other hand, John Kerry has a long history of fighting deficits. Meanwhile Bush has been trying to restore his credibility with fiscal conservatives. Bush has initiated an ascetic 2005 budget proposal that holds the increase in domestic discretionary spending to a minimal 0.5%. However, there are reasons to doubt whether the Bush budget represents a realistic solution to the US fiscal troubles. Primarily, the 2005 budget does not include spending for Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to Bushs own budget director the cost for Iraq might reach $50 billion. In order to achieve the goal of paring the deficit to $237 billion by 2009, Bush proposes keeping total discretionary spending virtually flat for the entire four-year period, which is absolutely unachievable objective according to budget experts (Fortune, 34).
While both candidates promise to reduce the deficit, none of them is willing to take appropriate action to curtail government spending. Kerry offers to halve the deficit in four years, in part by raising the top two marginal tax rates. However, this could be at odds with other campaign pledges that, according to some budget experts, actually would boost spending by $165 billion or more (Barrons, 24).
The Essay on Campaign Spending Wellstone Limits Money
Issue #3 in Mckenna and Feingold is entitled "Are the New Limits on Campaign Spending Justified?" . Paul D Wellstone, A Democratic senator from Minnesota believes that yes they are justified. He believes that the new limits are "an enormous step forward" in decreasing the excess power of wealthy special interests in U. S. elections. On the other hand, John Samples, director of the Cato Institute's ...
States, for example, would get $50 billion in aid from Kerry.
Regarding the issue of homeland security, in the University of Miami Mr. Kerry indicated that the U.S. is spending $500 million for improving police and fire protection in Iraq, at the same time reducing support for first-responders in the U.S. However, Bush noted that his administration had tripled the homeland security budget to $30 billion, and created the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, he said the administration also is modernizing the borders, and had added more than 1,000 security officers to stations at the borders with Mexico and Canada (Journal of Commerce, 1).
Due to Bushs position regarding stem cell research, the president could lose up to 20% of the people who say they would vote for him thanks to an issue that gained momentum in the weeks following President Reagans death (American Demographics, 21).
According to a new poll conducted exclusively for American Demographics by Zogby International, if Kerry were to announce a major initiative in stem cell research to fight diseases such as Alzheimers, from which Reagan suffered, Parkinson’s, diabetes and spinal injuries, Kerry would obtain 11% of Bushs voters. The Kerry campaign, together with six or seven groups supporting Democratic issues, is concentrating its advertising firepower in 17 to 19 battleground states, as is President Bushs campaign, but while the Bush campaign also has bought some national cable, Kerry has bought far less of that. The on-air result is that Bushs attacks go without rebuttal in most of the nation. According to TNSMIs Campaign Media Analysis Group, the Bush campaign has spent $5.2 million on national cable since March, stunting the Kerry campaigns $250,000 (Advertising Age, 4).
Even though the Kerry campaign announced it will spend a massive $27.5 million, the vast majority is slated for spot TV and only $2.5 million is for national cable. As of now, the Bush campaign spending is nearly double that of Kerry in national cable for the week ending September 21: Bush $570,000; Kerry $390,000.
The Essay on Economic Consequences Postwar American Bush Life
September 11 TH literally and figuratively shattered America's veneer of invincibility, both at home and abroad. Besides the psychological shock, 911 had profound economic effects on America. The stock market, already reeling, crashed. The U. S. economy plunged deeper into a recession. Unemployment rose and stubbornly refused to come down. According to The Economist Newspaper "While diplomatic ...
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Rhode, Paul W. 2004.
Historical Presidential Betting Markets. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 18 (2).
Jason G. Gimpel, Jason E. Schuknecht. 2003. Patchwork Nation: Sectionalism and Political Change in American Politics.
Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Press. John K. White. 2003. The Values Divide: American Politics and Culture in Transition. New York: Chatham House Publishers/Seven Bridges Press..
