While the entire world paid close attention to the 2004 U.S. presidential election, few countries were doing so more than Canada. Decisions made in the United States affect Canada more than those made in almost any other country. Over eighty percent of Canadian trade is with the United States, and there are close cultural and personal links as well. Moreover, since almost all Canadians have access to and regularly watch American television, they are easily exposed to both election coverage and advertisements. MP's also monitored the election through Foreign Affairs, which had established links with the Canadian Embassy in Washington, for up-to-the-minute information on the election. Presidential electoral votes by state. ... This article is about television in the United States, specifically its history, art, business and government regulation. ... 38th Parliament Members of the House of Commons in the 38th Parliament of Canada, as of May 17, 2005. ... The Department of Foreign Affairs, also referred to as Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC), is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for foreign policy and diplomacy. ...

About half a million people living in Canada were eligible to vote in the American election. This exceeds the number of eligible voters in several American states. Both parties, but mainly the Democrats, made efforts to win these voters and ensure that they cast ballots. Most notably, John Kerry's sister Diana Kerry visited a number of Canadian cities to bring out the vote. The Democratic Party is one of the two major United States political parties. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ...

Canada was overwhelmingly pro-Kerry. A July 2004 poll by Ipsos-Reid found that 60% of Canadians favoured Kerry and only 22% of them George W. Bush. The remainder were either undecided or supporters of third-party candidates. In the winter of 2004 another poll found that only 15% of Canadians felt that Bush was doing a good job as president. Even Canada's most conservative province, Alberta, was 60% in favour of Kerry. The area with the strongest support for Bush were the Atlantic provinces, which only broke 51% for Kerry. Kerry's strongest support was in Quebec where from 69 to 71% of the population picked him over Bush. Only in New Brunswick did Bush lead, with 51%. An international poll of ten nations conducted in September and October again found 60% of Canadians would vote for Kerry with 20% backing Bush. This was third-highest level of support for John Kerry, behind only France and South Korea. 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December See also: July 2004 in sports Deaths in July • 31 David B. Haight • 29 Francis Crick • 29 Nafisa Joseph • 23 Joe Cahill • 23 Mehmood • 23 Illinois Jacquet • 23 Carlos Paredes • 22 Sacha Distel • 21 Jerry Goldsmith • 21... A poll is either an election or a survey of a particular group. ... Ipsos-Reid is a research company founded in 1975 by Didier Truchot, a Paris-based communications specialist. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States and a former Governor of the State of Texas. ... Motto: Fortis et Liber (Strong and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ralph Klein (PC) Area 661,848 km² (6th) Land 642,317 km² Water 19,531 km² (2. ... Atlantic Canada consists of the four Canadian provinces on the Atlantic Ocean: Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. ... Beginning in 1963, a terrorist group that became known as the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks on government offices and at least two murders by FLQ gunfire and three violent deaths by bombings. ... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope was restored) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Area 72 908 km² (8th) Land 71 450 km² Water 1 458 km² (2. ...

Explanations of Canadian support for John Kerry

Canadian support for Kerry was a product of numerous factors. Since the Second World War, Canada has moved in the direction of Democratic views supporting more social programs, stronger social justice, and a multilateral foreign policy. Canada is largely lacking the base of the Christian Right which provides a significant portion of Bush's support. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Multilateralism is an international relations term that refers to multiple countries working in concert. ... Christian Right is a term collectively referring to a spectrum of conservative Christian political and social movements and organizations characterized by their strong support of traditional social values in the United States and other western countries. ...

Personally, Kerry also had features that were appealing to some Canadians. He plays hockey, speaks French, and is a north-easterner with international experience. Bush is an evangelical Southerner, traits that are less stereotypically Canadian. Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... The term evangelical has several distinct meanings: In its original sense, it means belonging or related to the Gospel (Greek: euangelion - good news) of the New Testament. ...

Under George W. Bush, Canadian-American relations had reached their lowest point in decades. Many analyists credited this to an "ideological clash" between the two nation's governments, due to the fact that two ideologically different parties were in power in the two nations. Such an occurrence has been fairly rare in contemporary Canadian-US history, especially in the last 20 years. During the administration of President Ronald Reagan the American government enjoyed close relations with the administration of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, with both men being conservatives with similar political philosophies. Liberal Party Prime Minister Jean Chrétien likewise enjoyed a close relationship with Democratic President Bill Clinton, again largely due to ideological similarities between the two men. The election of George W. Bush in 2000, during the continued administration of the Liberal Chrétien, thus marked the first time Canadian and American governments had been ideologically different since the early 1980's, when Liberal Pierre Elliot Trudeau co-existed with Reagan. Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney, PC , CC , GOQ , LL.D (born March 20, 1939), was the eighteenth Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993. ... Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ... The Right Honourable Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien, PC , LL.D (born January 11, 1934) was the twentieth Prime Minister of Canada, serving from November 4, 1993, to December 12, 2003. ... William Jefferson Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. ... Name Pierre Elliott Trudeau Number Fifteenth First term April 20, 1968–June 4,1979 Second term March 3, 1980–June 30, 1984 Predecessor Lester Bowles Pearson Successors Joe Clark John Napier Turner Date of birth October 18, 1919 Place of birth Montreal, Quebec Date of death September 28, 2000 Spouse...

Ideological differences between Bush and the Liberal Party of Canada quickly became apparent when Canada refused to participate in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, raise military spending, and follow the Bush administration's lead on drug laws and gay marriage. These factors, and especially the Iraq war, eventually helped turned much of the Canadian population against Bush. There were a number of trade disputes ongoing between the two nations, most notably over softwood lumber and cattle. While neither American party had an official position on these disputes, the Bush administration was seen as being singularly unhelpful, although critics have argued that this is somewhat of a false perception, as the problem lay more within the jurisdiction of the United States Congress than the President himself. Regardless, there was a strong perception in Canada that in regards to trade matters the Bush administration was more concerned with its relationship with Mexico, and while Canada was comparatively ignored. The 2003 Invasion of Iraq was the first military act of the Iraq War, and was launched by the United States and the United Kingdom on March 20, 2003, with support from some other governments, making up what was described as the coalition of the willing. After about three weeks... The prohibition of drugs through legislation or religious law is a common means of controlling the perceived negative consequences of recreational drug use at a society- or world-wide level. ... Same-sex marriage (also called gay marriage, and—less frequently—homosexual marriage) refers to marriage between partners of the same gender (for other forms of same-sex unions that are different from marriages, see the articles linked in that section). ... The topic of softwood lumber exports from Canada to the United States has always been contentious; since 1982 there have been four major disputes. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (called simply cows in vernacular usage) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ...

Many prominent conservatives in Canada, including Andrew Coyne, the National Post and others, explained Bush's unpopularity in Canada on different grounds. Such conservatives blamed the Liberal Party, the CBC, and Canadian media in general for perpetuating negative images of Bush, and using him as a target to rile Canadian anti-Americanism. They argued Bush was being exaggerated as caricature for partisan purposes, in order to potray all conservative politicians as "scary extremists" and thus hurt the electoral future of Conservative Party of Canada by associating them with Bush. Likewise, conservative critics argued that left-wing Canadian critics of the President were attemping to exaggerate Canadian perceptions of a "values gap" between the two countries, and thus foster a belief that it was somehow "wrong" or "un-Canadian" to support Bush. Andrew Coyne, MA , BA is a Canadian journalist and columnist. ... The National Post is a large Canadian English language national newspaper based in Toronto. ... CBC redirects here, as this is the most common use of the abbreviation. ... Cover of Anti-Americanism by French author Jean-Francois Revel. ... Caricature of Alan Greenspan by Jan Op De Beeck. ... The Conservative Party of Canada (French: Parti conservateur du Canada) is a right wing political party in Canada, formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in December 2003. ...

Campaign issues directly affecting Canadians

There were few campaign issues that directly affect Canadians. Kerry advocated a program of buying prescription drugs from Canada. This could make Canadian companies a great deal of money, but it could also lower supply and increase prices in Canada. Kerry has advocated more a protectionist trade stance, something that could have hurt Canada. However, by tradition and due to NAFTA, Canada is rarely affected by such moves. The North American Free Trade Agreement, known usually as NAFTA, is a comprehensive trade agreement linking Canada, the United States, and Mexico in a free trade sphere. ...

Canada was mentioned three times in the debates. John Edwards first mentioned Canada towards the end of the Vice-Presidential debate saying that the Bush administration "blocked allowing prescription drugs into this country from Canada. We're going to allow it." In the second town meeting debate between Bush and Kerry, Bush was directly asked about why he was blocking the importation of Canadian drugs. He responded that "I haven't yet. Just want to make sure they're safe. When a drug comes in from Canada, I want to make sure it cures you and doesn't kill you ... and what my worry is that, you know, it looks like it's from Canada, and it might be from a third world." In the final debate the issue was again drugs from Canada, but in a different context with Bush discussing going to Canada for help to aid with the shortage of flu vaccine in the United States. The 2004 United States Presidential Election Debates were sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) and concluded October 13, nearly three weeks before election scheduled for November 2, 2004. ... This article is about the American politician, former Senator, and 2004 Vice Presidential candidate. ... Town meeting is a form of local government commonly practiced in the U.S. region of New England, but uncommon elsewhere in the United States. ... The flu vaccine is a vaccine to protect against the highly variable Influenza virus. ...

Position of the Canadian government and major political parties

The Canadian government had no official position, as is standard protocol. However, it is widely believed that the governing Liberals would have preferred a Kerry victory. The Liberals are far more ideologically similar to the Democrats than to the Republicans. In August 2004, Carolyn Parrish, a Liberal MP, referred to the United States and its allies as the "Coalition of Idiots," she later appeared in a television comedic skit stomping on a George Bush doll in parody of her own position. While she was censured for the remarks, and they eventually played a role in her being expelled from the party, this was widely seen as expressing the beliefs of a portion of the Liberal Party. Most cabinet ministers refused to disclose their preferences, but there were some exceptions. Joe Volpe said that "intellectually, I'm attracted to Kerry." Environment Minister Stéphane Dion stated his clear support for Kerry, as did former cabinet minister Denis Coderre. The Conservative Party of Canada, which shares advisors as well as ideology with the Republicans, was pleased by a Republican victory. The Liberal Party of Canada (French: Parti libéral du Canada) is Canadas current governing political party. ... Carolyn Parrish, MP (born October 3, 1946 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian teacher and politician. ... 38th Parliament Members of the House of Commons in the 38th Parliament of Canada, as of May 17, 2005. ... The Honourable Giuseppe (Joseph) Volpe (born September 21, 1947) is a Canadian politician and the current Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. ... Stéphane Dion The Hon. ... Denis Coderre (born July 25, 1963) is a Canadian politician. ... The Conservative Party of Canada (French: Parti conservateur du Canada) is a right wing political party in Canada, formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in December 2003. ...

Another important reason the Liberals hoped for a Bush loss is the issue of missile defence. Previously Paul Martin had voiced vague support for missile defence, but a concentrated effort by the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois by the Canadian public made that position politically untenable. Missile defence was an important priority for the Bush administration and they would bring pressure to bear to convince Martin to support it. The Liberals were concerned that a victorious Kerry would ask for Canada's help in Iraq, and that they would have difficulty saying no. The Bush victory meant there will be no expectations of Canadian help in Iraq. Missile defense is a term referring to the ability to intercept missiles in a given context. ... The Right Honourable Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , MP , LL.B , BA (born August 28, 1938 in Windsor, Ontario) is the Prime Minister of Canada. ... The New Democratic Party (French: Nouveau Parti démocratique) is a left wing political party in Canada that advocates varying forms of socialism . ... The Bloc Québécois is a left-wing federal political party in Canada that is devoted to the promotion of sovereignty for Quebec. ...

Post-election

Only weeks after Bush's reelection, on November 30 and December 1, he made an official visit to Canada. Bush's first official visit to the country was seen as an effort to mend relations. On December 5, as announced by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) two days earlier, [1] Paul Martin appeared on CNN with Wolf Blitzer on his Sunday talk show, "Late Edition." [2] [3] November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 31 days remaining, as the final day of November. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... In Canada, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) is one of the most powerful parts of the government. ... The Right Honourable Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , MP , LL.B , BA (born August 28, 1938 in Windsor, Ontario) is the Prime Minister of Canada. ... Cable News Network (CNN) is a cable television network that was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner & Reese Schonfeld [1] [2] (although the latter currently is not recognized in CNNs official history). ... Wolf Blitzer Wolf Blitzer (born March 22, 1948) is an American journalist and author. ... Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer is a United States weekly influential television Sunday morning political show hosted by Wolf Blitzer on CNN. This shows slogan is The last word in Sunday talk and will make each Mondays news headlines. ...

In the wake of Bush's reelection some Americans looked to Canada as a more liberal alternative to the United States under the Bush administration. The New York Times reported that the number of Americans seeking to move to Canada tripled after the election [4], however, these threats were not carried out, as official statistics show fewer people applying to move to Canada in the six months following the 2004 election than before it. A number of people also suggested that the northern blue states should secede and join Canada, most in jest. The Jesusland map showing this new geography became widely circulated on the Internet. The New York Times is a newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... The Jesusland map. ...

References

• Democrats Abroad Canada
• Republicans Abroad Canada
• No contest in Canada: Kerry by a landslide - The Globe and Mail (Must pay to see this article)
• Lawrence Martin "Chatty Liberal ministers prefer - drum roll- Kerry" The Globe and Mail October 21, 2004.