Presidential Election 2000

Perhaps one of the most historic and nail biting Elections in our history was not one from the 19th Century or the 20th Century; although we had some real squeakers: 1916, 1948, 1960, 1968, and 1976.  No, the most nail biting Election had to be that of the first Election of the 21st Century in 2000.

In this Election Cycle, we saw two political dynasties, Vice President Al Gore, son of Tennessee Senator Albert Gore, whom he himself was being considered for the vice presidency at the 1956 Democratic National Convention against such political figures as Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts, Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota (both of whom would run against each other for the Democratic Nomination in 1960), and fellow Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver to run with Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois.  Kefauver would be the Nominee.  And you had Governor George W. Bush of Texas, the eldest son of the 41st President of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush.

Throughout the campaign, Vice President Gore, knowing that the Clinton Impeachment was still fresh on voters’ minds distanced himself against the popular impeached president.  He went so far as to name Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut  as his running mate.  Governor Bush ran as a uniter and not a divider touting his "Compassionate Conservative" beliefs.  He would eventually name the head of his Vice presidential vetting team, Former Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney of Wyoming to be his running mate. 

This is the story of that campaign, of the people in the campaign, the events leading up to Election Night 2000, the chaos in Florida where the Vice President had initially won the state only to have it taken back and Governor Bush won, only to have it sent back to the too close to call column.  This would spark 36 days of counting and recounting ballots, law suits in the state and federal courts, and an eventual outcome where the Vice President was defeated 271 Electoral Votes to 266 Electoral Voted, but beating Governor Bush in the Popular Vote, 50,999,897 votes to 50,456,002 Popular Votes.  That is a difference of 543,895 Popular Votes.  

See also:

• Presidential Before They Were Nominees
• President Inaugural Addresses
• Presidential and Political Funerals
• Presidential Campaigns
• Presidential Debates
• Presidential Farewells and Library
• Presidential Party Nominating Conventions
• Presidential Victory and Concession Speeches
• Presidential Christmas Addresses

See also:

• Presidential Election 1940
• Presidential Election 1944
• Presidential Election 1948
• Presidential Election 1952
• Presidential Election 1956
• Presidential Election 1960
• Presidential Election 1964
• Presidential Election 1968
• Presidential Election 1972
• Presidential Election 1976
• Presidential Election 1980
• Presidential Election 1984
• Presidential Election 1988
• Presidential Election 1992
• Presidential Election 1996
• Presidential Election 2000
• Presidential Election 2004
• Presidential Election 2008
• Presidential Election 2012
• Presidential Election 2016
• Presidential Election 2020