2000 Election timeline

[Senator-elect Spark]

Hi everyone, this will be my first attempt at a timeline. Wish me luck!

[Senator-elect Spark]

Election 2000

The 2000 election is widely regarded as one of the closest elections in modern American history. But this is only the beginning. Incumbent president Bill Clinton enjoyed high favorability ratings and the economy was prospering. The 2000 Presidential race began in June of 1999. The front runners from both major parties declared their candidacies. Vice-President Al Gore and Texas Governor George Bush entered the election cycle as their parties’ front runners. They both commanded substantial funding, endorsements of party leaders, and leads in the polls. But these two men could not have been more different.

   



Gore, the Democratic party’s nominee, struggled through most of the race and needed a last-minute revival to stay alive. His opponent, afflicted by past revelations, was never able to build a comfortable lead. Gore always had countless opportunities to pull away from his stumbling opponent, however, each time some controversy or gaffe kept the race close. Third party candidates from both ideological extremes also garnered coverage, taking key support from both mainstream nominees. The 2000 election was a political chess match, from beginning to end. It took a long campaign season, plentiful fundraising, many stump speeches, and polls pointed toward a close contest in the fall.

The election would ultimately hinge on Florida, and the state would become the deciding factor in the election of 2000. It was shocking that the Associated Press called Florida for Gore before 8:00 PM. Most expected the Sunshine State to be the last to be decided. The Gore camp believed that they would probably emerge victorious.

Barring a Bush win in a Democratic-leaning state in the Midwest or Northeast, Gore was likely to be the next President.

In Austin, the Bush team was restless. The polls were not even closed in the Panhandle, which was thought as Bush Country, and the most reliably Republican region in the state, while Karl Rove was on the phone, downplaying news center pollsters, explaining that their information was incorrect. And that there was suppressed turnout in the precincts that were still open. It was seemingly unfair for any news center to call Florida for Gore this early. For over an hour, the networks didn’t acknowledge it. The Vice-President believed he would be able to deliver wins in Michigan and Pennsylvania, which were undeniably close, and two states Bush had to carry in order to mitigate the loss of Florida. As many in the country slept, it seemed that the Democrats would retain the White House for another four years.