Why did George W. Bush win the 2000 election?
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  Why did George W. Bush win the 2000 election?
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Author Topic: Why did George W. Bush win the 2000 election?  (Read 1732 times)
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bronz4141
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« on: October 18, 2019, 11:49:03 PM »

20 years later, let's have a deep conversation about this.

Why did Bush win the 2000 election? Why so close?

What did Gore do wrong?

Was America's real issues in the new millennium, the 21st century discussed?

Moral and religious decline, education, and dissatisfaction with government was the biggest issues in October 2000.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/02/27/us/politics/most-important-problem-gallup-polling-question.html?
Did the baby boomer candidates fail to inspire?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKEJk_phV3I
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dw93
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« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2019, 11:02:17 PM »

Bush won in 2000, IMHO because he ran a solid campaign, while Gore ran a flawed one. Granted, Gore started to right some of the wrongs which is why it was so close in the first place, but it came down to the campaigns. If it were decided solely based on the economic situation and international situation, Gore would've clobbered Bush.
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« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2019, 06:59:32 AM »

Because he cheated
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TDAS04
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« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2019, 07:21:17 AM »
« Edited: October 21, 2019, 09:52:49 AM by TDAS04 »

In spite of the success of the Clinton administration, many Americans got bored and wanted to change things.  They especially didn't want that nerdy Gore, "who talked down to people"; people wanted a regular guy they could have a beer with!  Who cares about competent policy?

Nonetheless, Gore came close in spite of it all.  His nerdiness was just enough--combined with a messed-up ballot in Palm Beach County--to enable Bush to take Florida's electoral votes.
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sg0508
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« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2019, 08:04:40 AM »

1) Gore made fatal mistakes - distancing himself from Clinton, overestimating the impact on the Lewinsky scandal, and his debate performances were ho hum.

2) Gore brought little excitement to the campaign.

3) In Bill Clinton's hints...how the heck you distance yourself from a record of 22.5 million new jobs, budget surpluses and foreign peace is an abomination.

4) The economy was thinning in the second half of 2000. Many believe Rove and company actually talked it down though.

5) Americans did get bored and the Republicans rallied around George Bush.

6) John McCain's performance in NH may have actually helped Bush in the end, something few talk about.
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UnselfconsciousTeff
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« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2019, 11:32:07 AM »

Everyone is talking about Florida

But no one talks about the Lieberman Problem
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« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2019, 01:16:16 PM »
« Edited: October 21, 2019, 01:36:42 PM by Edgar Suit Larry »

People say the same thing now as they do then- W was a Purple heart Compassionate Conservative and a Purple heart Populist and Gore looked like he just wanted to work at the Brookings Institute or the back office of a large law firm. It also pissed off a bunch of people that he was more focused on the environment than jobs. That helped Bush get started in places where McCain, Romney, and especially Trump now do really well. Then again, the D bench was thin.

In some ways, I think Bush had a lot of problems in October and Gore had a lot of problems in September.

If you look at the results, Gore actually won 5 really close states and Bush only won New Hampshire in Florida. If Bush closed better, he could have won NM,OR,MN,IA, and WI but probably fall short of PA and MI. The narrative should have been that there just wasn't enough late stage momentum for Gore. The only other state he could have won if he closed better would have been NH. If Gore actually ran a better campaign, he MAYBE would have a shot at Missouri and Nevada.
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junior chįmp
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« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2019, 04:31:48 PM »

nobody knows
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Frozen Sky Ever Why
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« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2019, 04:48:55 PM »

The more charismatic candidate usually wins.
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junior chįmp
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« Reply #9 on: October 21, 2019, 04:59:49 PM »

The more charismatic candidate usually wins.

That's because charismatic candidates avoid election years they know they would lose
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SInNYC
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« Reply #10 on: November 15, 2019, 08:33:19 AM »

Gore was a weak candidate - he had already lost in 1988 despite the primary calendar being stacked for the southern candidate and substantial establishment backing. His 2000 run was was also a bit of a coronation in the primaries. Such candidates dont often win.
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Orser67
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« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2019, 11:32:03 AM »

It's easy to forget now, but Bush was a really strong candidate in 2000; a year before the election, he had the highest favorability ratings of any recent presidential nominee. Bush's "compassionate conservatism" and record in Texas were well-calibrated to make him appeal to both the right and the center, and even people who didn't like his policies generally saw him as a likable guy who was devoted to his family.

Meanwhile, Gore was a mediocre, charisma-challenged candidate (though I personally think he would have made a pretty good president) who distanced himself somewhat from Clinton despite Clinton's 60% approval ratings. And it seems pretty likely that a significant number of people who did approve of Clinton's overall job performance were also tired of the drama of the Clinton years and looking for a change.
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538Electoral
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« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2019, 06:47:49 AM »

He was just strong enough to win 537 more voters in Florida than Gore.
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