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George W. Bush
SNAPSHOT
President Bush had the power of incumbency on
his side as he sought re-election to office. He has traveled extensively around
the country, amassing a campaign war chest that allowed him to avoid the need
for public financing, and the campaign spending limits that accompany it.
It was a recipe that worked well in his first campaign, in which he raised
so much money, that many of his dispirited Republican challengers dropped
out of the race before the first primary was held. Bush's popularity soared
following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Although his favorable poll numbers often dipped below 50 percent, Bush was able to stay on his message during his entire campaign: the fight against terrorism. In the end, according to exit polling on Election Day, the election was as much about the war in Iraq and the fight against terrorism, as an affirmation of Bush's policies.
He won the election on November 2, 2004 with the largest popular vote in the nation's history, thanks in large measure to a huge turnout.
President Bush mining votes on traditional DFL turf
President Bush is making a stop in northern Minnesota for an evening rally at the Duluth Convention Center. The Bush campaign visit comes a little more than a week after Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry appeared at a rally just outside of Duluth in Cloquet. DFLers say northeastern Minnesota is solidly Democratic and that the president is wasting his time trying to pick up votes there. But Republicans say many residents of northern Minnesota agree with the president on key issues and they're not giving up on any part of the state. (07/12/2004)
Let's talk politics
With the Green Party meeting in Milwaukee for its national convention, it's time to talk politics. Independent candidate Ralph Nader, who ran as a Green in 2000 and is credited with taking enough votes from Al Gore to win the race for George W. Bush, named Green party member Peter Camejo as his running mate on Monday. A poll from Quinnipiac University out today showed Nader pulling seven percent in Pennsylvania--a key battleground state. The poll showed President Bush and John Kerry in a statistical dead heat in the state that Gore won by 4.2 percentage points in the last election--perhaps an indication of just how close this year's race is likely to be. Even Minnesota, which has historically been a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections, is considered up for grabs this time around. ( 06/24/2004)
Laura Bush campaigns for the president
First Lady Laura Bush told a cheering crowd in St. Paul Friday afternoon her husband has worked hard for all Americans since becoming president, and it's time for Americans to help re-elect him and Vice President Cheney. Laura Bush's stop in Minnesota was part of a two-day swing through three states considered to be battlegrounds in this fall's presidential election. (06/18/2004)
Kerry rolls out campaign for the veterans' vote in Minneapolis visit
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Friday celebrated the "special bond" he shares with other veterans across the country as he formally rolled out his campaign for the traditionally conservative-leaning veterans' vote. (06/04/2004)
Kerry to push for veterans' support in Minnesota visit
Sen. John Kerry plans to make another campaign stop in Minnesota Friday, on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis. While in the state, the presumptive Democratic nominee will roll out a national Veterans for Kerry campaign organization. Kerry's visit comes as a Minnesota Public Radio - Pioneer Press poll shows the presidential race is virtually even in the state. MPR's David Molpus reached Kerry on the campaign trail in Florida Wednesday. (06/02/2004)
MPR Poll: Growing concern about involvement in Iraq
A new poll finds growing concern about the aftermath of the war in Iraq, even though a majority of Minnesotans say the U.S. was right to invade Iraq. The Minnesota Public Radio-St. Paul Pioneer Press poll also found most Minnesotans want the U.S. to stabilize Iraq, even if it takes awhile. Yet many people say they believe the Bush administration misled the public about the reasons for going to war. (06/01/2004)
MPR Poll: Presidential race is a close one
A new Minnesota Public Radio-Pioneer Press poll shows the presidential race is extremely close in Minnesota. The poll shows Democrat John Kerry with a slight lead over Republican incumbent George W. Bush, although that lead is within the poll's margin of sampling error. The poll also shows President Bush's approval ratings have steadily dropped over the past year. (05/31/2004)
Iraq taking heavy toll on Bush five months before election
Five months before the election, President Bush confronts a grim picture in Iraq of rising casualties, growing violence, skittish allies and Arab anger. To the administration's dismay, the setbacks have drowned out news of an improving economy at home and have pushed Iraq to the top of Americans' concerns. Those anxieties have helped drive down Bush's approval ratings to the lowest point of his presidency and stirred deep doubts about his handling of Iraq. (05/25/2004)
Bush says U.S. will persevere in Iraq
President Bush, trying to dispel rising doubts about the war, declared Monday night the United States would stay in Iraq until it was free and democratic and suggested more U.S. soldiers might have to be sent to stop enemy forces bent on destroying the new government. In a prime-time address at the U.S. Army War College, he also promised to demolish the Abu Ghraib prison that has become an ugly symbol of the U.S. occupation. (05/24/2004)
Bush, buoyed by economic news, appeals to voters in Iowa, Wisconsin
Bearing good news on the economy, President Bush touted his tax cuts Friday as he campaigned in the Mississippi River farmlands of Iowa and Wisconsin, a region that eluded him in the 2000 election. (05/07/2004)
Republican congressman responds to Kerry visit
Democrats are not the only ones interested in John Kerry's visit to Minnesota. Republicans in the state are also watching the presumptive Democratic candidate for president closely as they try to help president Bush win the state's 10 electoral votes. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Republican Congressman Mark Kennedy, who represents the 6th Congressional District. Kennedy has been a strong supporter of President Bush. (05/04/2004)
Is Minnesota a swing state?
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry is in Minnesota on Monday, a week after George Bush paid a visit to the state. Is Minnesota a swing state? What difference might the Gopher state make in this year's presidential campaign? (Photo by Stephen Chernin/Getty Images) ( 05/03/2004)
Community colleges hope for results from Bush visit
President Bush left Minneapolis Monday after raising $1 million at a private fundraiser and giving a policy speech to a national education group. Many who attended the annual convention of the American Association of Community Colleges in Minneapolis Monday, say they are grateful for the president's recognition of the education and job training programs offered by the country's nearly 1,200 community colleges. (04/26/2004)
Bush came, spoke and raised money
President Bush raised $1 million on a swing through Minnesota Monday. Bush appeared at an invitation-only fundraiser at the Edina home of real estate developer David Frauenshuh. The president also addressed the American Association of Community Colleges, calling for new investments in high-tech innovation. (04/26/2004)
'Face off' over the presidential campaign
The University of St. Thomas hosted a "Face-off" debate last Thursday about the war in Iraq and the presidential campaign. A conservative and a liberal political writer debated those issues. ( 04/26/2004)
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