What if John Kerry was Al Gore's Running Mate in 2000? What if John Kerry was Al Gore's Running Mate in 2000? What if John Kerry was Al Gore's Running Mate in 2000? « on: August 09, 2007, 11:22:39 pm » The three finalists for Al Gore's running mate were John Kerry, John Edwards, and Joe Lieberman. As we all know, Lieberman was selected. What if Gore had selected John Kerry? Would things have worked out differently? I think it's possible that Kerry might have flipped Gore the election. Mainly because... (a) His presence may arguably have swung at least a handful of New Hampshire voters into voting for Gore; Gore only lost New Hampshire by a few thousand votes and winning NH would have won him the presidency without Florida.

(b) He would likely have done better against Cheney in the VP debate and his more progressive record would have swayed SOME (by no means all) Nader voters into sticking with the Democratic ticket (some of the more informed Green Party voters - and a lot of them were just tuned out wannabe hippies - cited Joe Lieberman as a key reason they voted for Nader). On the other hand, Kerry would probably not have helped much in Florida, where Lieberman's presence might have helped (although getting retired liberal Jews from NY to vote for Gore can't have been that hard). Also, Kerry would almost certainly not have garnered the positive press the Lieberman selection did in August; the buzz the ticket had coming out of the convention was a huge boost to Gore and a Gore/Kerry ticket might not have had the same positive press coverage and the same momentum. I can think of another likely outcome; had Gore and Kerry still lost, I think Kerry would have failed to be the '04 nominee. Let's assume that Kerry still votes for the IWR resolution as in real life, he still starts out as the frontrunner in '03 and let's assume Howard Dean's run occurs as in real life.

When Iowa voters look for an alternative, they might turn instead to John Edwards, who was a fresher face. Kerry would have been more of a known commodity had he been the VP nominee in '00 and he may not have been able to pick up as much support from voters who didn't know him as well. Although, on the other hand, if Kerry had more campaign experience from '00 and DID become the '04 nominee, maybe he would have campaigned better and emerged victorious. Thoughts? « Reply #1 on: August 11, 2007, 10:07:42 pm » New Hampshire flips to Gore but Iowa flips to Bush. Iowa farmers and small town residents are upset with Kerry's military service record, and vote more strongly for Bush, giving Bush the state. Bush wins Florida by a margin of approximately 100,000, so there is no question as to who wins Florida, and there is clearly no recount. Without Lieberman on the Democratic ticket, this brings down Jewish turnout in Florida, hurting Gore's chances in that state. Cheney is up to debating anyone in public life, including Kerry.

Cheney emphasizes his foreign policy expertise and contrasts it with Kerry's lack of experience in this field. Not in the debate, but on the campaign trail, Bush does not make the reference, but it is left up to Cheney to make the reference to the "elitist northeastern liberal," and Cheney uses this to great effect. Kerry may have helped with some of the Nader voters, however, by the same token, more independents and moderates decide to go with Bush, balancing out the Nader voters who went with Gore. Bush/Cheney 274 Gore/Kerry 264 In 2004, John Edwards wins the Democratic nomination, picks Dick Gephardt for Vice President, and the two go on to be demolished in the election by George W Bush and Dick Cheney. Logged Quote from: President Thomas E. Dewey on August 11, 2007, 10:07:42 pm New Hampshire flips to Gore but Iowa flips to Bush. Iowa farmers and small town residents are upset with Kerry's military service record, and vote more strongly for Bush, giving Bush the state.

Bush wins Florida by a margin of approximately 100,000, so there is no question as to who wins Florida, and there is clearly no recount. Without Lieberman on the Democratic ticket, this brings down Jewish turnout in Florida, hurting Gore's chances in that state. Cheney is up to debating anyone in public life, including Kerry. Cheney emphasizes his foreign policy expertise and contrasts it with Kerry's lack of experience in this field. Not in the debate, but on the campaign trail, Bush does not make the reference, but it is left up to Cheney to make the reference to the "elitist northeastern liberal," and Cheney uses this to great effect. Kerry may have helped with some of the Nader voters, however, by the same token, more independents and moderates decide to go with Bush, balancing out the Nader voters who went with Gore. Bush/Cheney 274 Gore/Kerry 264 In 2004, John Edwards wins the Democratic nomination, picks Dick Gephardt for Vice President, and the two go on to be demolished in the election by George W Bush and Dick Cheney. I think this map is the most accurate.

Logged Quote from: Vosem on May 14, 2010, 07:45:09 pm Kerry does better than Lieberman in the debate, and the home-state effect, combined, are enough to put N.H. in the Democratic column. Gore/Kerry wins 271-267. However, Kerry is not Jewish, so Bush wins by a much larger margin in Florida. The outcome is the opposite of RL: Bush wins the popular vote, Gore wins electoral. Thus energizing the Republican base (and bringing many young and unintelligent voters to the GOP) leading to a close win in 2004 under the assumption that Gore cheated. However, this would be a small consequence, as real life probably would've asserted itself anyways, with the GOP being blamed for the recession by the general public, leading to a Dem victory anyways in 08.

« Last Edit: May 22, 2010, 02:29:01 pm by ArchangelZero » Logged Quote from: Vosem on May 14, 2010, 07:45:09 pm Kerry does better than Lieberman in the debate, and the home-state effect, combined, are enough to put N.H. in the Democratic column. Gore/Kerry wins 271-267. However, Kerry is not Jewish, so Bush wins by a much larger margin in Florida. The outcome is the opposite of RL: Bush wins the popular vote, Gore wins electoral. Thus energizing the Republican base (and bringing many young and unintelligent voters to the GOP) leading to a close win in 2004 under the assumption that Gore cheated. However, this would be a small consequence, as real life probably would've asserted itself anyways, with the GOP being blamed for the recession by the general public, leading to a Dem victory anyways in 08. This would have probably been the best case scenario for the country.

No Iraq War and smaller deficits (or no deficits at all) with the Republicans still receiveing the blame for the financial crisis and Great Recession. Logged Quote from: Vosem on May 14, 2010, 07:45:09 pm Kerry does better than Lieberman in the debate, and the home-state effect, combined, are enough to put N.H. in the Democratic column. Gore/Kerry wins 271-267. However, Kerry is not Jewish, so Bush wins by a much larger margin in Florida. The outcome is the opposite of RL: Bush wins the popular vote, Gore wins electoral. Thus energizing the Republican base (and bringing many young and unintelligent voters to the GOP) leading to a close win in 2004 under the assumption that Gore cheated. However, this would be a small consequence, as real life probably would've asserted itself anyways, with the GOP being blamed for the recession by the general public, leading to a Dem victory anyways in 08. This would have probably been the best case scenario for the country.

No Iraq War and smaller deficits (or no deficits at all) with the Republicans still receiveing the blame for the financial crisis and Great Recession. The only problem that I see with this is September 11. While Gore was in favour of preemptive strikes against Afghanistan (which may of killed off Bin Laden and put the plan on hold indefinitely) we don't know that 9/11 would've still happened (and if it did happen, would Gore attack Afghanistan and stay there this long, and would he have attacked Iraq if there really were reports from the CIA about WMDs? Logged Quote from: Derek on May 22, 2010, 03:13:30 pm and major. I don't see Kerry and Gore agreeing on much of anything either. Gore and Kerry would have agreed that tax cuts for the rich are bad. They would ahve also agreed that it is necessary to protect the environemnt, support international opinion, and promote affirmative action. Yes but what should the tax rates be? What should the environmental regulations be? Nothing is scarier than international opinion. And not every democrat is the the same.

I hate to burst your happy little bubble, but Kerry is a New England elitist who thinks he's better than everyone else. You don't remember this story in 2003, but he actually asked a waitress "Don't you know who I am?" when they said they just had the last codfish ordered. Al Gore is a southerner and has somewhat conservative roots even though he's moved to the left in the past 10 years. Gore ran a centrist campaign in 2000 while Kerry only tried to appear moderate in 2004. Logged Quote from: Vosem on May 14, 2010, 07:45:09 pm Kerry does better than Lieberman in the debate, and the home-state effect, combined, are enough to put N.H. in the Democratic column. Gore/Kerry wins 271-267. However, Kerry is not Jewish, so Bush wins by a much larger margin in Florida. The outcome is the opposite of RL: Bush wins the popular vote, Gore wins electoral.

Thus energizing the Republican base (and bringing many young and unintelligent voters to the GOP) leading to a close win in 2004 under the assumption that Gore cheated. However, this would be a small consequence, as real life probably would've asserted itself anyways, with the GOP being blamed for the recession by the general public, leading to a Dem victory anyways in 08. This would have probably been the best case scenario for the country. No Iraq War and smaller deficits (or no deficits at all) with the Republicans still receiveing the blame for the financial crisis and Great Recession. The only problem that I see with this is September 11. While Gore was in favour of preemptive strikes against Afghanistan (which may of killed off Bin Laden and put the plan on hold indefinitely) we don't know that 9/11 would've still happened (and if it did happen, would Gore attack Afghanistan and stay there this long, and would he have attacked Iraq if there really were reports from the CIA about WMDs? With or without 9/11, I seriously doubt Gore would have invaded Iraq.

He was against it in 2002 in RL and from what I've read the CIA and FBI evidence was very vague as to whether there were actually WMDs in Iraq. Bush Jr. just decided to manipulate the information and only show that which favored the case that there were WMDs in Iraq. Also, I don't think Gore would have implemented tax cuts for the rich or Medicare Part D, which, together with the lack of a war in Iraq, would have made the deficit and debt smaller (with or without 9/11). Thus, what I wrote was completely accurate, assuming Gore would ahve lost his relection bid (and I think he would have, with or without 9/11). Logged Quote from: Vosem on May 14, 2010, 07:45:09 pm Kerry does better than Lieberman in the debate, and the home-state effect, combined, are enough to put N.H. in the Democratic column. Gore/Kerry wins 271-267. However, Kerry is not Jewish, so Bush wins by a much larger margin in Florida.

The outcome is the opposite of RL: Bush wins the popular vote, Gore wins electoral. Thus energizing the Republican base (and bringing many young and unintelligent voters to the GOP) leading to a close win in 2004 under the assumption that Gore cheated. However, this would be a small consequence, as real life probably would've asserted itself anyways, with the GOP being blamed for the recession by the general public, leading to a Dem victory anyways in 08. This would have probably been the best case scenario for the country. No Iraq War and smaller deficits (or no deficits at all) with the Republicans still receiveing the blame for the financial crisis and Great Recession. The only problem that I see with this is September 11. While Gore was in favour of preemptive strikes against Afghanistan (which may of killed off Bin Laden and put the plan on hold indefinitely) we don't know that 9/11 would've still happened (and if it did happen, would Gore attack Afghanistan and stay there this long, and would he have attacked Iraq if there really were reports from the CIA about WMDs? With or without 9/11, I seriously doubt Gore would have invaded Iraq.

He was against it in 2002 in RL and from what I've read the CIA and FBI evidence was very vague as to whether there were actually WMDs in Iraq. Bush Jr. just decided to manipulate the information and only show that which favored the case that there were WMDs in Iraq. Also, I don't think Gore would have implemented tax cuts for the rich or Medicare Part D, which, together with the lack of a war in Iraq, would have made the deficit and debt smaller (with or without 9/11). Thus, what I wrote was completely accurate, assuming Gore would ahve lost his relection bid (and I think he would have, with or without 9/11). Kerry was for the war in Iraq and even voted to give Bush the authority to act on it. He flipflopped on the issue when the public became impatient as he was politically calculating election chances. Medicare part D was good for seniors. My grandparents very much enjoy it. Logged Gore would win. I gotta wonder why he didn't pick Jeanne Shaheen though... I think she asked not to be picked, plus he might have been worried about her inexperience.

Even though I agree that picking Shaheen would have been a good move strategically. It would have energized the female vote in favor of Gore, delivered NH for Gore, and possibly ewnergized the Democratic base. Also, if Shaheen would have had a good performance in her VP debate with Cheney, I think that all questions about her inexperience would have been off the table and answered. Lieberman added nothing to Gore's campaign that Gore didn't already have. It was a huge waste picking him, and a mistake that gave us 8 years of a horrendous President. Logged Quote from: Derek on June 08, 2010, 10:31:00 pm Then we would've had to listen to his crazy flashbacks in 2000 as we were forced to hear in 2004. Yeah, but people in 2000 would have respected his flaskbacks and admired him as a war hero, in contrast to 2004, when the GOP swiftboated him. Stop the spin.

He flew Jane Fonda around in Vietnam and I'm not sure if that's known to the public or not but I would've paid personally for an ad that had real footage of these 2 doing such a thing. He met with the enemy without permission from us in a time of war which is TREASON. As a reward he earned himself a spot in the North Vietnamese War Museum dedicated to the northern victory in the 70's. After analyzing his behavior, Kerry was at best traumatized and unfit for command. Logged Quote from: Derek on June 08, 2010, 10:31:00 pm Then we would've had to listen to his crazy flashbacks in 2000 as we were forced to hear in 2004. Yeah, but people in 2000 would have respected his flaskbacks and admired him as a war hero, in contrast to 2004, when the GOP swiftboated him. Stop the spin. He flew Jane Fonda around in Vietnam and I'm not sure if that's known to the public or not but I would've paid personally for an ad that had real footage of these 2 doing such a thing.

He met with the enemy without permission from us in a time of war which is TREASON. As a reward he earned himself a spot in the North Vietnamese War Museum dedicated to the northern victory in the 70's. After analyzing his behavior, Kerry was at best traumatized and unfit for command. That's all a bunch of crap and lies. That Jane Fonda picture was fabricated. And you wonder why many people here don't like you. Logged Quote from: Derek on June 08, 2010, 10:31:00 pm Then we would've had to listen to his crazy flashbacks in 2000 as we were forced to hear in 2004. Yeah, but people in 2000 would have respected his flaskbacks and admired him as a war hero, in contrast to 2004, when the GOP swiftboated him. Stop the spin. He flew Jane Fonda around in Vietnam and I'm not sure if that's known to the public or not but I would've paid personally for an ad that had real footage of these 2 doing such a thing.

He met with the enemy without permission from us in a time of war which is TREASON. As a reward he earned himself a spot in the North Vietnamese War Museum dedicated to the northern victory in the 70's. After analyzing his behavior, Kerry was at best traumatized and unfit for command. That's all a bunch of crap and lies. That Jane Fonda picture was fabricated. And you wonder why many people here don't like you. I'm not saying anything about the photo. I'm saying what happened. People here don't like me because I'm a Republican. As a Republican that's something that I'll always have to deal with but it makes me a stronger person. Logged Al Gore - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google Early Life Born Albert Arnold Gore, Jr., on March 31, 1948 in Washington , D.C., where his father, Albert Gore, Sr., was serving as a Democrat in the U.S. House from Tennessee . His father also served in the U.S. Senate (1953-71) and was considered a possible vice presidential nominee (1956 and 1960).

Gore’s mother, Pauline LaFon Gore, was one of the first women to graduate from Vanderbilt Law School. Gore’s childhood was divided between a hotel room the nation’s capitol during the school year and his family’s farm in Carthage, Tennessee, in the summer. Gore attended Harvard, where he roomed with future actor Tommy Lee Jones. He earned a degree with high honors in government in June 1969 after writing a senior thesis titled “The Impact of Television on the Conduct of the Presidency, 1947-1969.” Military Service Gore opposed the Vietnam War , but said that his sense of civic duty compelled him to enlist in the U.S. Army in August 1969. After basic training, Gore was assigned as a military journalist writing for The Army Flier, the base newspaper at Fort Rucker. Gore’s father was defeated for re-election to the U.S. Senate in November 1970, largely due to his liberal positions on many issues such as the Vietnam War and Civil Rights. With seven months left in his enlistment, Gore was shipped to Vietnam, arriving in January 1971.

He served with the 20th engineer Brigade in Bien Hoa and at the Army Engineer Command in Long Binh. Entry into Politics When he returned to the States in 1971, he worked as a reporter at the Tennessean. When he was later moved to the city politics beat, Gore uncovered political and bribery cases that led to convictions. While at the Tennessean, Gore, a Baptist, also studied philosophy and phenomenology at Vanderbilt University. In 1974, he enrolled in Vanderbilt’s law school. Gore quit law school in March 1976 to run for the U.S. House from Tennessee. He was elected four times. He also became the first person to appear on C-SPAN. In 1984, Gore successfully ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate, which had been vacated by Republican Majority Leader Howard Baker. Gore pushed the High Performance Computer and Communication Act of 1991, which greatly expanded the Internet. Vice Presidency In 1988, Gore made a bid for the Democratic nomination for the presidency. He won five southern states on Super Tuesday, but eventually lost to Michael Dukakis.

Gore remained in the Senate until presidential candidate Bill Clinton chose him as his running mate in 1992. They were elected into office that year and re-elected in 1996. During his tenure, he worked to cut back on government bureaucracy. But his image suffered when he was investigated by the Justice Department for his fund-raising activities. Bush v. Gore In his 2000 presidential campaign, Gore won the Democratic presidential nomination after facing down an early challenge from former Senator Bill Bradley. Gore chose Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut as his running mate, the first Orthodox Jew ever to be named on the ticket for a major national party. Gore won the popular vote, but conceded defeat to Republican George W. Bush after five weeks of complex legal argument over the voting procedure in the presidential election. Environmental Activism On December 10, 2007, Gore accepted a Nobel Prize for work on global warming.

In accepting the prize, he urged the world’s biggest carbon emitters, China and the U.S., to “make the boldest moves on climate change or “stand accountable before history for their failure to act.” Gore shared the prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for sounding the alarm over global warming and spreading awareness on how to counteract it. Gore shared the prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for sounding the alarm over global warming and spreading awareness on how to counteract it. “We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency–a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here,” Gore said at the gala ceremony in Oslo. Despite speculation that he may run for the presidency in the future, Gore frequently stated that “I’m not planning to be a candidate again.” Biography courtesy of BIO.com Access hundreds of hours of historical video, commercial free, with HISTORY Vault . Start your free trial today.

Tags United States presidential election, 2000 (President McCain) | Alternative History | Fandom powered by Wikia United States presidential election, 2000 (President McCain) 41,186pages on United States presidential election, 2000 November 7, 2000 48.4% 47.9% Presidential election results map. Red denotes states won by McCain/Bush (31), Blue denotes those won by Gore/Lieberman (19+D.C.). President before election John McCain Republican The United States presidential election of 2000 was held on Tuesday, November 7, 2000, to elect the President of the United States. It was the 54th consecutive quadrennial election for President and Vice President. Republican Party candidate John McCain, senior U.S. Senator from Arizona, defeated Democratic Party candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President. Bill Clinton, the incumbent President, was vacating the position after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the Twenty-second Amendment.

McCain narrowly won the November 7 election, with 276 electoral votes to Gore's 261 (with one faithless elector abstaining in the official tally). However, the fate of the election came down to the close race in the final state of Florida and its 25 electoral votes, but after several hours of vote counting at 3:17 AM eastern time John McCain was declared the winner of the election and the forty third President of the United States. Contents Add a photo to this gallery Democratic Party primaries Serious early speculation surrounded Bill Bradley, a U.S. Senator and former basketball player for the New York Knicks, who had long been considered a potential Democratic contender for the presidency. In December 1998, Bradley formed a presidential exploratory committee and began organizing a campaign. Gore, however, had been considered the favorite for the Democratic nomination as early as 1997, with the commencement of President Bill Clinton’s second term. Though numerous candidates for the Democratic nomination tested the waters, including Senator John Kerry, Governor Howard Dean, Representative Richard Gephardt, and Reverend Jesse Jackson, only Gore and Bradley ultimately entered the contest.

Bill Bradley campaigned as the liberal alternative to Gore, taking positions to the left of Gore on a number of issues, including universal health care, gun control, and campaign finance reform. On the issue of taxes, Bradley trumpeted his sponsorship of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which had significantly cut tax rates while abolishing dozens of loopholes. He voiced his belief that the best possible tax code would be one with low rates and no loopholes, but he refused to rule out the idea of raising taxes to pay for his health care program. On public education, Bradley pushed for increased federal funding for schools under Title I, as well as the expansion of the Head Start program. He further promised to bring 60,000 new teachers into the education system annually by offering college scholarships to anyone who agreed to become a teacher after graduating. Bradley also made child poverty a significant issue in his campaign. Having voted against the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, better known as the "Welfare Reform Act," which, he said, would result in even higher poverty levels, he promised to repeal it as president.

He also promised to address the minimum wage, expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, allow single parents on welfare to keep their child support payments, make the Dependent Care Tax Credit refundable, build support homes for pregnant teenagers, enroll 400,000 more children in Head Start, and increase the availability of food stamps. Although both Gore and Bradley showed comparable success in terms of fund-raising, Bradley lagged behind Gore in many polls from the start and never gained a competitive position. Despite the late endorsement of the Des Moines Register, Bradley went on to be defeated in the Iowa Caucus; Gore garnered 64% of the votes, while Bradley received only 35%. Gore won the primary competition in New Hampshire as well, though by a significantly smaller margin, receiving 52% to Bradley’s 47%. After a resounding defeat on Super Tuesday, with Bradley failing to carry the majority of delegates in a single state, he withdrew from the race on March 9. Republican Party nomination Republican Party candidates Several Republican candidates appeared on the national scene to challenge the nominee of the incumbent party, Al Gore. Republican candidates gallery Republican Party primaries John McCain and his wife Cindy next to the Straight Talk Express.

McCain initially planned on announcing his candidacy and beginning active campaigning on April 6, 1999 with a four-day roadshow, whose first day would symbolically begin at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, then see early primary states New Hampshire and South Carolina, before concluding in home Phoenix, Arizona. However, the beginning of the NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia delayed his announcement. On March 31 three American soldiers is captured by Yugoslavia. McCain canceled his planned roadshow for the next day, stating that "This is not an appropriate time to launch a political campaign." He received media praise for his action and continued to be a highly visible spokesman for strong action regarding Kosovo; CNN pundit Mark Shields said that, "In thirty-five years in Washington, I have never seen a debate dominated by an individual in the minority party as I've seen this one dominated by John McCain." McCain also became a very frequent guest on television talk shows discussing the conflict, and his "We are in it, now we must win it" stance drew much attention.

On April 13 McCain issued a simple statement without fanfare that he would be a candidate: "While now is not the time for the celebratory tour I had planned, I am a candidate for president and I will formally kick off my campaign at a more appropriate time." McCain and his wife Cindy would make some campaign-related appearances over the spring and summer. McCain formally announced his candidacy for president on September 27, 1999 before a thousand people in Greeley Park in Nashua, New Hampshire. In his opening speech he declared that "It is because I owe America more than she has ever owed me that I am a candidate for president to the United States." He further said he was staging "a fight to take our government back from the power brokers and special interests and return it to the people and the noble cause of freedom it was created to serve." With no incumbent running, McCain entered a large field of candidates for the Republican Party presidential nomination. His main challenger was Texas Governor George W. Bush, who had the political and financial support of most of the party establishment.

Other candidates included Alan Keyes, Steve Forbes, Gary Bauer, Orrin Hatch, Elizabeth Dole, Dan Quayle, Pat Buchanan, Lamar Alexander, John Kasich and Robert C. Smith. McCain portrayed himself as a political maverick, capitalizing on a message of political reform and "straight talk" that appealed to moderate Republican and independent voters and to the press. While Bush had the political and financial support of most of the party establishment, McCain was gaining momentum. On October 21, 1999 a Time Magazine/CNN poll showed that McCain was trailing Bush nationally 41 percent to 22 percent, with Dole trailing in a distant third with 13%. A month later, on November 18, polls showed that Bush was continuing his lead over McCain nationally, with 44 percent to 28 percent. On December 20 McCain's lack of political support by the party establishment was compensated by one major boost.

On December 12, 1999 John McCain was endorsed by former president and conservative icon Ronald Reagan, a Zogby international poll conducted two days later showed McCain in a much stronger position than before with McCain fielding 37 percent nationally to Governor Bush's 42 percent. McCain speaks to supporters at the Town Center in Sun City, South Carolina, on a day of heavy campaigning across the state the day before its presidential primary, February 18, 2000. In the Iowa caucuses McCain gained a strong momentum by finishing in a strong third, while focusing on the New Hampshire primary, where his message appealed to independents. He traveled on a campaign bus called the Straight Talk Express. He held many town hall meetings, answering every question voters asked, in a successful example of "retail politics", and he used free media to compensate for his lack of funds. On February 1, 2000, he won New Hampshire's primary with 59 percent of the vote to Bush's 26 percent. The Bush campaign and the Republican establishment feared that a McCain victory in the crucial South Carolina primary might give his campaign unstoppable momentum.

The South Carolina primary was exceptionally controversial, in which an anonymous smear campaign began against McCain, delivered by push polls, faxes, e-mails, flyers, and audience plants. The smears claimed that McCain had fathered a black child out of wedlock (the McCains' dark-skinned daughter was adopted from Bangladesh), that his wife Cindy was a drug addict, that he was a homosexual, and that he was a "Manchurian Candidate" who was either a traitor or mentally unstable from his North Vietnam POW days. The Bush campaign strongly denied any involvement with the attacks. Incensed, McCain ran ads accusing Bush of lying and comparing the governor to Bill Clinton, which Bush said was "about as low a blow as you can give in a Republican primary". McCain pulled an upset by defeating Bush in the South Carolina primary by the razor thin margin of 47 percent to 46 percent. After the South Carolina primaries all candidates except Bush and McCain had either dropped out of the race or suspended their campaigns, and by March all had endorsed one of the two remaining candidates. After a long series of hard fought contests George W. Bush suspended his campaign on March 4 due to Super Tuesday loses in February. Three days later he endorsed John McCain.

With no challengers remaining John McCain declared that he would be the Republican Nominee for President of the United States. General Election John McCain delivers his acceptance speech at the Repubican National Convention in Philadelphia on August 3, 2000. Although the campaign was focused mainly on domestic issues, such as the projected budget surplus, proposed reforms of Social Security and Medicare, health care, and competing plans for tax relief, foreign policy was often at issue. On April 17, 2000, with the general election campaign between McCain and Vice President Al Gore heating up, McCain surprised some observers by announcing that George W. Bush would be his running mate. Reason for doing this was that Bush was popular among evangelical voters, who were crucial for a Republican victory. In response to Senator McCain's vice presidential choice, Gore choose Joe Lieberman as his running mate on April 23. McCain continued to campaign across the country with the Straight Talk Express, touting his record as Senator, sponsorship of major lobbying and campaign finance reform initiatives and his military service and experience as a POW.

During a rally in Akron, Ohio on May 20, McCain announced that he would impose a tax cut on 97% of Americans and that he would create a plan to break America's dependence on foreign oil. McCain also accused Gore of being soft on foreign policy and said that Gore's fiscal policy was filled with taxation. Gore was slow to respond and thus suffered a slide in the polls. Bill Clinton's impeachment and the sex scandal that led up to it cast a shadow on the campaign, particularly on his vice president's run to replace him. Republicans, who typically have an advantage with voters on moral issues, strongly denounced the Clinton scandals, particularly Vice Presidential Nominee George W. Bush, who made his repeated promise to restore "honor and dignity" to the White House (a none-too-subtle jab at Clinton) a centerpiece of his campaign. Gore studiously avoided the Clinton scandals, as did Lieberman, even though Lieberman had been the first Democratic senator to denounce Clinton's misbehavior. In fact, some media observers theorized that Gore actually chose Lieberman in an attempt to separate himself from Clinton's past misdeeds, and help blunt the GOP's attempts to link him to his boss.

Others pointed to the passionate kiss Gore gave his wife during the Democratic Convention, as a signal that despite the allegations against Clinton, Gore himself was a faithful husband. Gore avoided appearing with Clinton, who was shunted to low visibility appearances in areas where he was popular. Both vice presidential candidates George W. Bush and Joe Lieberman campaigned aggressively in the 2000 presidential election. Both camps made numerous campaign stops nationwide, often just missing each other such as when Bush, Hadassah Lieberman, and Tipper Gore attended Chicago's Taste of Polonium over Labor Day Weekend. At the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between July 31 - August 3, McCain was nominated as the Presidential Nominee while Bush was nominated as the Vice Presidential Nominee. At the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, California between August 14 - August 17, Gore was nominated as the Presidential Nominee while Lieberman was nominated as the Vice Presidential Nominee.

In the first presidential debate at the University of Massachusetts on October 3, 2000, McCain criticized the Clinton administration's handling of foreign policy targeting the failure of the administration in Somalia in 1993 and the administrations failure to do anything about the Rwandan genocide, saying his now famous line "there is no way that could happen if I was president". After a strong performance in the final two debates and the vice presidential debate by the McCain/Bush ticket, the race looked tight with both McCain and Gore at 48% and independent Ralph Nader carrying 4% nationally. Third party candidates Ralph Nader was the most successful of third-party candidates, drawing 2.74% of the popular vote. His campaign was marked by a traveling tour of "super-rallies"; large rallies held in sports arenas like Madison Square Garden, with retired talk show host Phil Donahue as master of ceremonies.

After initially ignoring Nader, the Gore campaign made a big publicity pitch to (potential) Nader supporters in the final weeks of the campaign, downplaying Gore's differences with Nader on the issues and claiming that Gore's ideas were more similar to Nader's than McCain's were, noting that Gore had a better chance of winning than Nader. On the other side, the Republican Leadership Council ran pro-Nader ads in a few states in an effort to split the "liberal" vote. In the aftermath of the campaign, many Gore supporters claimed that many of Nader's voters would have supported Gore, thus siphoning off enough would-be Gore votes to throw the election to McCain. Nader dismissed such concerns, claiming his objective in the campaign was to pass the 5% threshold so his party would be eligible for matching funds in future races. The election John McCain delivers his presidential acceptance speech on November 2, 2000. On election day, November 7, 2000, Senator McCain and Governor Bush held a joint rally in Miami, Florida.

With the exception of Florida, McCain carried the Southern states by comfortable margins and also secured wins in Ohio, Indiana, most of the rural Midwestern farming states, most of the Rocky Mountain states, and Alaska. Gore balanced McCain by sweeping the Northeastern United States (with the sole exception of New Hampshire, which McCain won with a good margin), most of the Upper Midwest, and all of the Pacific Coast states of Washington, Oregon, and California, and carried Hawaii, as well. As the election returns came in on November 7, McCain had by 11:30 PM EST won twenty-eight states. As the night wore on, the returns in a handful of small-to-medium sized states, including Wisconsin and Iowa, were extremely close; however it was the State of Florida that would decide the winner of the election. As the final national results were tallied the following morning, McCain had clearly won a total of 251 electoral votes, while Gore had won 255 votes. 270 votes were needed to win. One small state - Oregon (7 electoral votes) - were still too close to call. It was Florida (25 electoral votes), however, that the news media focused their attention on.

Mathematically, Florida's 25 electoral votes became the key to an election win for either candidate. After a long night of results the fate of the election came down to a close race in the final state of Florida. After several hours of vote counting, John McCain was announced the winner of the election and the forty third President of the United States of America at 3:17 AM EST. The McCain/Bush ticket received 277 electoral votes to Gore's 262. Grand total Presidential Running Mates - When Are They Chosen Related Story: 10 Potential Running Mates for Hillary Clinton in 2016 Presidential nominees often announce their choice of running mates in the days and weeks leading up to the nominating conventions. Only twice in modern history have the presidential nominees waited until the conventions to break the news to the public and their parties. The party’s presidential nominee has typically chosen his running mate in July or August of a presidential election years. The 2016 Republican National Convention is being held in Cleveland, Ohio, beginning on July 18. The 2016 Democratic National Convention is being held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, beginning on July 25.

Here are some examples of when presidential running mates are chosen. Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images Romney Picks Ryan The 2012 Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney , announced he had chosen his vice presidential running mate on Aug. 11, 2012. He was U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Romney's announcement came about two weeks before that year's Republican National Convention. More » Getty Images McCain Picks Palin The 2008 Republican presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. John McCain , announced he had chosen his vice presidential running mate on Aug. 29, 2008. She was Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin . McCain's decision came just days before that year's Republican National Convention, held during the first week of September. More » Getty Images Obama Picks Biden The 2008 Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama , announced he had chosen his vice presidential running mate on Aug. 23, 2008. He was U.S. Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware. Obama made the announcement just two days before that year's Democratic National Convention. More » Former Vice President Dick Cheney served under Republican President George W. Bush.

Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images Entertainment Bush Picks Cheney The 2000 Republican presidential nominee, George W. Bush , announced he had chosen his vice presidential running mate on July 25, 2000. He was Dick Cheney, who had served as White House chief of staff to President Gerald Ford , congressman and Secretary of Defense. Bush made the announcement about one week before that year's Republican National Convention, held in late July and early August of 2000. Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards was the Democratic Party's 2004 vice presidential nominee. Sara D. Davis/Getty Images News Kerry Picks Edwards The 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, announced he had chosen his vice presidential running mate on July 6, 2004. He was U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. Kerry made the announcement just short of three weeks before the start of that year's Democratic National Convention. U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut was the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee in 2000.

Win McNamee/Getty Images News Gore Picks Lieberman The 2000 Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Al Gore, announced he had chosen his vice presidential running mate on Aug. 8, 2000. He was U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. Gore's choice was announced less than a week before the start of that year's Democratic National Convention. Jack Kemp is a former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and congressman who was the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee in 1996. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News Dole Picks Kemp The 1996 Republican presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas, announced he had chosen his vice presidential running mate on Aug. 10, 1996. He was Jack Kemp , a former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and congressman. Dole announced his pick just two days before that year's Republican National Convention. Former vice presidential nominee Al Gore. Andy Kropa/Getty Images Entertainment Clinton Picks Gore The 1992 Democratic presidential nominee, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton , announced he had chosen his vice presidential nominee on July 9, 1992. He was U.S.

Sen. Al Gore of Tennessee. Clinton made his choice of running mate public four days before that year's Democratic National Convention. Former Vice President Dan Quayle. Dan Callister/Getty Images Entertainment Bush Picks Quayle The 1988 Republican presidential nominee, Vice President George H.W. Bush , announced he had selected his vice presidential running mate on Aug. 16, 1988. He was U.S. Sen. Dan Quayle of Indiana. Bush is one of the few modern presidential nominees who announced his running mate at the party convention, not beforehand. Former U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas. United States Congress Dukakis Picks Bentsen The 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, announced he had chosen his vice presidential running mate on July 12, 1988. He was U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas. The choice was announced six days before the party convention that year. Former Democratic vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro. Mark Wilson/Getty Images News Mondale Picks Ferraro The 1984 Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President and U.S. Sen.

Walter Mondale of Minnesota, announced he had chosen his vice presidential running mate on July 12, 1984. She was U.S. Rep. Geraldine Ferraro of New York. The announcement came four days before that year's party convention. Former Vice President and President George H.W. Bush. Jason Hirschfeld/Getty Images News Reagan Picks Bush The 1980 Republican presidential nominee, former California Gov. Ronald Reagan , announced he had chosen his vice presidential running mate on July 16, 1980. He was George H.W. Bush . Reagan announced his choice of running mate at that year's Republican National Convention, not beforehand. THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: THE VICE PRESIDENT; Gore Takes Tough Stand on Violent Entertainment - The New York Times The New York Times U.S. |THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: THE VICE PRESIDENT; Gore Takes Tough Stand on Violent Entertainment Search U.S.

| THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: THE VICE PRESIDENT THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: THE VICE PRESIDENT; Gore Takes Tough Stand on Violent Entertainment Continue reading the main story Vice President Al Gore and his running mate, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, said today that if the entertainment industry did not stop marketing violent films, recordings and video games to children they would propose legislation or new regulatory authority allowing the federal government to sanction the industry. In an extended interview on the veranda of the vice president's residence, Mr. Gore said he would give industry officials six months to ''clean up their act.'' If they do not, and if he and Mr. Lieberman win the November election, the vice president said he would encourage the Federal Trade Commission to move against the industry by using its power to prohibit false and deceptive advertising. The position taken today by the Democratic candidates is not particularly new for Mr. Lieberman, who warned last year that entertainment industry leaders would ''invite legal restrictions on their freedom'' if they did not address public concerns about children's access to media violence. But it is quite new for Mr.

Gore, who has always stopped short of suggesting government-imposed restrictions on media marketing, even during his wife's crusade against explicit rock lyrics. Mr. Gore said he understood that care would have to be taken to ensure that any enforcement did not violate First Amendment protections of speech. And he acknowledged that there had been no constitutional tests of the use of deceptive advertising laws to challenge marketing strategies, as opposed to advertising content. But in a clear appeal to voters concerned about moral issues, and particularly to women with children, Mr. Gore said he was determined to use the presidency to give parents more control over the cultural influences that bombard their children. Advertisement Continue reading the main story ''If I'm entrusted with the presidency,'' he said, his voice rising, ''I am going to do something about this.'' As in past elections, the Democrats have collected millions of dollars in campaign contributions this year from the entertainment industry. But Mr. Gore, who has chastised the industry even as he solicited its wealthy leaders, suggested that he was not concerned about alienating his backers in Hollywood and New York City. ''Those who don't like it, well, they don't like it,'' he said.

Today's interview, which was requested by The New York Times, came on the eve of the release of an trade commission report that is expected to harshly criticize the entertainment industry for marketing violent, adult-rated entertainment to young people. Several people familiar with the report said it concludes that, despite voluntary rating and labeling systems adopted over the years, the makers of films, recordings and video games routinely use marketing strategies to entice young consumers into buying products that the manufacturers themselves deem inappropriate. The commission study, which relies on internal marketing documents provided by the industry, found that the companies did this largely by placing advertising in publications and television broadcasts that appeal to young people. The report will be released by the commission's chairman, Robert Pitofsky, on Monday, and will be discussed at a Senate hearing on Wednesday at which Mr. Lieberman plans to testify. Because Mr. Lieberman has been known in the Senate as a crusader against media violence, the Gore campaign has been eager to demonstrate that there is little distance between the two running mates on the issue. Mr. Gore, whose wife, Tipper, was among the first to call for warning labels on recordings with explicit lyrics, has also taken active stands on the topic.

But several published reports over the years have suggested that Mr. Gore has taken strong anti-industry positions in public while backing away from them in private meetings with entertainment executives and contributors. While the F.T.C. report recommends that the entertainment industry better regulate the behavior of its companies, it pointedly does not propose the kind of legislation or new regulatory authority threatened by Mr. Gore and Mr. Lieberman. Advertisement Continue reading the main story ''The commission's position is that self-regulation should be the primary approach in this area,'' said Eric London, a commission spokesman. ''However, if it doesn't work, there would be a need to take further action, possibly in the form of legislation.'' Mr. London said the commission had no legal opinion on whether deceptive advertising laws could be used to sanction the industry. Jack Valenti, the president of the Motion Picture Association of America, said today that Mr. Gore and Mr. Lieberman were ''very wise people'' who understood that ''the reason the F.T.C. did not recommend government intervention -- in a nonexistent problem, I might add -- is that they know such legislation would be dead on arrival in the first federal court that reviews it.'' Mr.

Valenti dismissed the Democrats' proposal as carefully calibrated political posturing. ''Frankly,'' he said, ''if I were running for office I'd be trashing the movie industry myself.'' Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy Hilary Rosen, the president of the Recording Industry Association of America, said that Mr. Gore's threat of government action could be counterproductive. Several weeks ago, Ms. Rosen said, her industry voluntarily adopted guidelines against marketing recordings with explicit lyrics in publications that were read primarily by children under 16. ''This just proves that no good deed goes unpunished,'' she said, ''because these voluntary guidelines, if suddenly subjected to criminal sanctions, would be withdrawn immediately and you would create a disincentive in the marketplace for people to try and do the right thing.'' First Amendment experts said that regulating the marketing of violence through deceptive advertising laws was a plausible legal theory, but would not necessarily pass constitutional scrutiny. ''Congress could readily enlarge its jurisdiction to embrace this territory of what might constitute false and misleading advertising,'' said William Van Alstyne, a law professor at Duke University.

''But that would just set up the constitutional question.'' Mr. Gore said he was convinced it could be done in cases where companies seem to be undermining their own rating and labeling standards by marketing inappropriate material to children. ''If the industry violates its own rules and actively misleads parents with advertising, then the industry should be held accountable,'' he said. ''If the industry promises parents that it will not market violent material to children and then proceeds to do so, then the industry's practices could constitute false and deceptive advertising.'' Mr. Lieberman joined Mr. Gore in calling the F.T.C.'s findings troubling. ''It obviously makes a mockery of their own rating system,'' he said of the entertainment industry. ''They've rated their own content and then not lived by their own rating.'' Advertisement Continue reading the main story Both Mr. Gore and Mr. Lieberman have made a campaign tactic of attacking cultural influences. Mr. Gore, in his nomination speech, spoke of challenging ''a culture with too much meanness, and not enough meaning.'' Mr.

Lieberman speaks of helping families ''win the competition against the popular culture.'' Those are lines that play particularly well with female voters, who are shown by polls to be more concerned than men about moral issues. And they are designed to help change the impression found in some polling that Republicans in general and the party's presidential nominee, Gov. George W. Bush, in particular, would be better at upholding moral values than the Democrats and Mr. Gore. Ray Sullivan, a spokesman for Mr. Bush, said the Republican nominee ''believes there clearly needs to be greater responsibility'' shown by the entertainment industry. He said that Mr. Bush prefers that the industry impose its own restrictions rather than be regulated by the federal government. But the notion of regulating the entertainment industry is politically perilous for the Democratic ticket because of the party's longtime reliance on the industry as a source of campaign funds. As it is, some Hollywood figures have said they are uneasy with Mr. Gore's choice of Mr. Lieberman and have encouraged Democratic contributors to pocket their wallets.

During the 2000 election cycle, Democratic committees have received $13.6 million from individuals, companies and political action committees associated with the television, film and music industries, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington group that monitors campaign financing. Republican committees have received $8.6 million, the center found. In addition, the Gore-Lieberman campaign has received $928,000 from the industry, compared to $725,000 for the Bush campaign. On Thursday, Mr. Gore is to appear at a $5 million fund-raiser for the Democratic National Committee at Radio City Music Hall in New York City featuring a long list of entertainers, ranging from Bette Midler to Paul Simon to Ben Affleck. The following week, he is scheduled to attend another party fund-raiser, in Los Angeles, that is expected to generate contributions from Hollywood. Republicans have long maintained that the industry's financial clout with Democrats has compromised the Clinton administration's ability to use its bully pulpit to persuade entertainment executives to change their practices. A Gore administration, they say, would be no different.

''What I fear with the Gore-Lieberman ticket,'' said Senator Sam Brownback, a Kansas Republican, ''is that you'll hear words but see no action or real push to deal with the products produced by these billion-dollar companies because of the money they put into their campaigns.'' Al Gore concedes presidential election - Dec 13, 2000 - HISTORY.com This Day in History: 12/13/2003 - Saddam Hussein Captured After the decision in Bush v. Gore, Vice President Al Gore conceded the presidential election on December 13, 2000, making George W. Bush the President. It was also on this same day, in the year 1642, that the country of New Zealand was discovered, and in 1978, the Susan B. Anthony silver dollar was entered into the currency. This was the first time a coin had honored a woman in United State's history. Lastly, it was on December 13, 1918, that a President first traveled to Europe during his term in office. This President was none other than Woodrow Wilson, and he visited France.

To learn what else occurred in history on December 13th, watch the This Day in History video. Lead Story Al Gore concedes presidential election Share this: Al Gore concedes presidential election Author Al Gore concedes presidential election URL Publisher A+E Networks Vice President Al Gore reluctantly concedes defeat to Texas Governor George W. Bush in his bid for the presidency, following weeks of legal battles over the recounting of votes in Florida, on this day in 2000. In a televised speech from his ceremonial office next to the White House, Gore said that while he was deeply disappointed and sharply disagreed with the Supreme Court verdict that ended his campaign, ”partisan rancor must now be put aside.” “I accept the finality of the outcome, which will be ratified next Monday in the Electoral College” he said. “And tonight, for the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession.” Gore had won the national popular vote by more than 500,000 votes, but narrowly lost Florida, giving the Electoral College to Bush 271 to 266.

Gore said he had telephoned Bush to offer his congratulations, honoring him, for the first time, with the title ”president-elect.” ”I promised that I wouldn’t call him back this time” Gore said, referring to the moment on election night when he had called Bush to tell him he was going to concede, then called back a half hour later to retract that concession. Gore only hinted at what he might do in the future. ”I’ve seen America in this campaign and I like what I see. It’s worth fighting for—and that’s a fight I’ll never stop.” Among the friends and family beside Gore were his wife, Tipper, and his running mate, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, and his wife, Hadassah. A little more than an hour later, Bush addressed the nation for the first time as president-elect, declaring that the “nation must rise above a house divided.” Speaking from the podium of the Texas House of Representatives, Bush devoted his speech to themes of reconciliation following one of the closest and most disputed presidential elections in U.S. history. ”I was not elected to serve one party, but to serve one nation,” Bush said.

Bush and his running mate, Dick Cheney, took office onJanuary 20, 2001. They were re-elected in 2004 over Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards. Related Videos Lieberman accepts, takes aim at rivals - tribunedigital-baltimoresun Lieberman accepts, takes aim at rivals Gore's VP choice gives speech filled with faith, family Bid for moral high ground Democratic ticket endorsed by auto workers union Election 2000 August 09, 2000|By Jonathan Weisman | Jonathan Weisman,SUN NATIONAL STAFF NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Vice President Al Gore formally named Joseph I. Lieberman as his running mate yesterday, proclaiming that the Connecticut senator's nomination at next week's Democratic National Convention will "make real the great ideal that we are one country, with a common destiny." Under a blazing sun, before an enthusiastic, placard-waving crowd at Nashville's War Memorial, Lieberman, 58, accepted with pride, prayer and a speech filled with exaltations of family and faith.

Lieberman, the first Jewish person to secure a place on a major party ticket, also took a few swipes at the Democrats' rivals for the White House, Texas Gov. George W. Bush and former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney. Lieberman's speech signaled that the Democrats will contest their Republican opponents for the moral high ground that Bush believes will win him the presidency. The senator's remarks were saturated with religion as he sought to project his reputation for integrity onto Gore, a reputation grounded in his denunciations of sex and violence in popular culture and cemented in 1998 by his stinging condemnation of President Clinton's behavior in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. The senator vowed that he and Gore will "help renew the moral center of this nation." Far from playing down his Judaism, Lieberman pushed his religion front and center, praising Gore for the "chutzpah," a Yiddish word for audacity, that he showed by breaking down a historical barrier. The selection "shows Al's faith in the tolerance of this diverse nation, in the basic fairness of the American people," Lieberman said.

"And I want to say to the people of America, Al Gore trusts you, which is one good reason for you to place your trust in him." Last night, in his first interview as Gore's running mate, Lieberman took pains to answer an age-old and somewhat loaded question about Jewish loyalty, emphasizing to talk show host Larry King, "My first and primary loyalty is to the United States of America." The statement was reminiscent of John F. Kennedy's efforts in 1960 to reassure voters that the nation's first Roman Catholic president would not be beholden to the pope. Republican damage control Bush moved yesterday to blunt any resurgence Gore might enjoy as a result of his selection of Lieberman. The governor tried to use Lieberman's centrist voting record and reputation for moral probity against the vice president, saying he respects Lieberman's convictions, strong faith and record on Social Security, missile defense and education. "This selection now presents the vice president with an interesting test of whether he will continue attacking positions his running mate shares or whether he will lift up our nation by elevating the tone of his presidential campaign," Bush said.

The Gore campaign, which has lagged behind Bush's in the polls and languished for much of the summer, appeared newly confident yesterday. Lieberman's selection has been warmly greeted by politicians and prognosticators in both parties. An overnight Gallup poll, taken for CNN and USA Today, showed Gore virtually erasing Bush's significant lead. That poll, however, surveyed registered voters. Likely voters were questioned in the polls that showed Bush with far wider leads. Long-sought endorsement Also yesterday, Gore secured the long-sought endorsement of the United Auto Workers union, which, along with the Teamsters, had withheld its support for months. "As president, Al Gore will work day and night to make sure that every American is lifted by the rising tide of economic growth," UAW President Stephen P. Yokich said. "In contrast, George W.

Bush offers nothing more or less than a replay of the voodoo economics of the 1980s, a trillion-dollar-plus tax cut that would make the rich richer at the expense of working families." Hugs and laughter Lieberman and Gore laughed together on the podium, hugged and exchanged high-fives after the senator repeated a line used in 1988 by that year's GOP presidential candidate, George Bush: "If you have to change horses in midstream, doesn't it make sense to get on the one that's going in the right direction?" Just as Bush has signaled that he would fight for the presidency on traditionally Democratic issues, such as Social Security and education, Gore, Lieberman and their wives, Tipper and Hadassah, fired back that they would not cede to the GOP its traditional advantage on the issues of religion and values. They sought to reclaim some of the ground that Bush has tried to seize, appealing to the immigrants the Texas governor has assiduously courted.

Tipper Gore spoke emotionally of Hadassah Lieberman's mother, who survived the Nazi death camps of Dachau and Auschwitz, and her father, who organized an escape from a Nazi labor camp, then turned his attention to caring for Jewish orphans after World War II. "This country is our country," Hadassah Lieberman said. "This land is your land, and anything is possible for us."

Question: Who was Al Gore's running mate in their bid for the 2000 US Presidency?
Answer: Joseph Lieberman