1996 United States Presidential Election (Nixon Retires)

The **1996 United States presidential election** was the 53rd quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 5, 1996. The Democratic ticket of Incumbent President Bill Clinton and Vice President John Kerry defeated the Republican ticket of Georgia Representative and House Minority Leader Newt Gingrich and Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.

Clinton had gained popularity for fixing the economy and he was very popular around the world for his strong diplomacy. Whereas, the Republicans were still trying to rebuild after Donald Rumsfeld's term, and were lost during the period.

With Clinton's popularity, he and Vice President John Kerry easily won the Democratic nomination to hold the White House for '96.

On the Republican side, there were many front runners, including Missouri Senator John Danforth, former Vice President Pete Wilson, and the winner, Georgia Representative and House Minority Leader Newt Gingrich, who named Conservative Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum as his running mate.

Clinton declared Gingrich and Santorum too radically right for America, and promoted his strong diplomacy and economy. Gingrich declared Clinton was a man who ignored the majority, and promised to be a President, that the Christian population could rely on. Despite this, Clinton still won easily, and continued his new policies.

The main issues were Civil Rights, Clinton's Secularism, and NAFTA.

## Primaries:

### Democratic Primaries:

Because of his popularity, Clinton faced no troubles whatsoever in the primaries, and he and Kerry were easily nominated.

 Bill Clinton

### Republican Primaries:

Missouri Senator John Danforth, former Vice President Pete Wilson, and Georgia Representative and House Minority Leader Newt Gingrich were considered the favorites to win the nomination, in the end it was Gingrich who won, and named Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania as his running mate.

 Newt Gingirch
from Georgia's 6th district (1979-1997)

## Campaign/Issues Unique to the Election:

### Democratic Campaign:

Clinton and Kerry would promote the strong first term, and the quick fix they had to the economy, while declaring Gingrich as an elitist who only cared about money and his views instead of that of the people.

### Republican Campaign:

Gingrich painted Clinton and Kerry as socialists, saying that multiple parts of their Presidencies like NAFTA and progress of civil rights ignored the views America was founded on.

### Civil Rights:

During Clinton's term, he would overturn the controversial Don't Ask, Don't Tell law passed under Bush. Gingrich accused Clinton of allowing potential pedophiles enter the army, where Clinton struck saying that the army doesn't even allow children and Gingrich was throwing the finger at anyone he could blame.

### Clinton's Secularism:

Bill Clinton was known for his secularism, and made many laws to separate church and state. Gingrich claimed Clinton to be Satanic and that him separating religion from the Government broke the record the founding fathers set when finding somewhere to practice their religion.

### NAFTA:

Under Clinton, America joined and made the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA for short), Gingrich was frustrated with Clinton's supposed globalism with this move, instead of trusting American nationalism and their companies.

## Results and Aftermath:

Clinton would easily beat Gingrich in the election, and because the later did not run for reelection in the house, he had to resign as minority leader, and Dennis Hastert took the role.