NationMaster - Encyclopedia: U.S. presidential election, 2004

The U.S. presidential election of 2004 was won by the incumbent President, Republican George W. Bush of Texas, who defeated his main rival, Democratic Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts. One of the main issues was the conduct of the War on Terror. Bush defended the actions of his administration, while Kerry contended that the war had been fought incompetently, and that the Iraq War was a distraction from the War on Terror, not a part of it. Red denotes Bush-Cheney wins. ... Red denotes Bush-Cheney wins. ... The presidential seal was first used by president Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii The President of the United States of America (often abbreviated to POTUS) is the head of state of the United States. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... Official language(s) None. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 44th 10,555 miÂ²; 27,360 kmÂ² 183 mi; 295 km 113 mi; 182 km 13. ... The War on Terrorism or War on Terror (in U.S. foreign policy circles, the global war on terrorism or GWOT ) is a controversial campaign by the United States government and some of its allies with the stated goal of ending worldwide terrorism by stopping terrorist groups and ending state... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ...

The popular vote election took place on Election Day, November 2, but it was not until the next day that the winner was determined. The election hinged on Ohio, a controversial battleground state, but at midday the day after the election, Kerry conceded he had lost the Buckeye State, and the election along with it. The final certified count showed 286 votes for Bush, 251 for Kerry, and 1 for Edwards (due to a faithless elector pledged to Kerry voting for Edwards). Election Day in the United States is the day when polls most often open for the election of elected public officials. ... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 kmÂ² 355 km 355 km 8. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... For other uses, see Ohio (disambiguation). ... The United States Electoral College is the electoral college which chooses the President and Vice President of the United States at the conclusion of each Presidential election. ...

The entire House of Representatives (435 members) and approximately one-third of the Senate (34 of 100 members) were also up for election. The Republican Party increased its majorities in both houses of Congress. The chamber of the United States House of Representatives is located in the south wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C.. This photograph shows a rare glimpse of the four vote tallying boards (the blackish squares across the top), which display each members name and vote as... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Congress in Joint Session. ...

November 2, 2004 has been nicknamed "11/2" by some liberal Democrats, meaning the "sequel" to 9/11 as some believed this day to be comparably depressing to 9/11.

Background

George W. Bush was elected President in 2000 amid bitter disputes over recounts in the state of Florida which had involved interventions by the Supreme Courts of Florida and the United States. Just eight months into his presidency, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 suddenly transformed Bush into a wartime president. Bush's approval ratings surged to near 90%. Within a month, the forces of a coalition led by the United States invaded Afghanistan, which had been sheltering Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the September 11 attacks. By December, the Taliban had been removed as rulers of Afghanistan, although a long occupation would follow. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170 451 kmÂ² 260 km 800 km 17. ... The Florida Supreme Court is the highest court in the State of Florida. ... Huge plume of smoke and fire seen on the North Tower (the first tower to be hit). ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Combatants al-Qaida, Taliban Northern Alliance, United States, United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Canada, Italy Commanders Mohammed Omar Osama bin Laden Tommy Franks Mohammed Fahim Strength Casualties The United States invasion of Afghanistan occurred in October 2001, in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on... Osama bin Laden in a photo from the 1990s UsÄmah bin Muhammad bin `Awad bin LÄdin (born March 10, 1957; Arabic: ), commonly known as Osama bin Laden, or Usama bin Laden, (Arabic: ) is an Islamic fundamentalist and the founder of the militant organization al-Qaeda. ... Flag flown by the Taliban. ...

The next strategic target in the War on Terror became Iraq. The Bush administration argued that the need to remove Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq had now become urgent. The stated premise was that Saddam's regime had tried to acquire nuclear material and had not properly accounted for biological and chemical material it was known to possess, potential weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in violation of U.N. sanctions. This situation escalated to the point that the United States assembled a group of about forty nations, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and Poland, which Bush called the “coalition of the willing” to invade Iraq. The war on terrorism or war on terror (abbreviated in U.S. policy circles as GWOT for Global War on Terror) is an effort by the governments of the United States and its principal allies to destroy groups deemed to be terrorist (primarily radical Islamist organizations such as al-Qaeda... Wikinews has news related to this article: Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein in a Suit Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, (Arabic ), born April 28, 1937 , was President of Iraq from 1979 until his removal and capture following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Nuclear materail consists of materials used in nuclear systems. ... Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the use of any organism (bacteria, virus or other disease_causing organism) or toxin found in nature, as a weapon of war. ... Early detection of chemical agents Sociopolitical climate of chemical warfare While the study of chemicals and their military uses was widespread in China, the use of toxic materials has historically been viewed with mixed emotions and some disdain in the West (especially when the enemy were doing it). ... Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) generally include nuclear, biological, chemical and, increasingly, radiological weapons. ... United Nations sanctions against Iraq were imposed by the United Nations in 1991 following Iraqs invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and continued until the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with multinational force in Iraq. ...

The coalition invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003. The invasion was swift, with the collapse of the Iraq government and the military of Iraq in about three weeks. The oil infrastructure of Iraq was rapidly secured with limited damage in that time. On May 1, George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in a Lockheed S-3 Viking, where he gave a speech announcing the end of major combat operations in the Iraq war. Bush's approval rating in the month of May rode at 66%, according to a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll. [1] However, Bush's high approval ratings did not last. March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Iraqi soldiers from the 2nd Iraqi Army Brigade, train on cordon and search procedures at Diyala Regional Training Facility in August 2005. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... The second USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), nicknamed Abe, is the fifth Nimitz-class supercarrier in the United States Navy. ... The Lockheed SR-71, remarkably advanced for its time and unsurpassed in many areas of performance The Lockheed U-2 first flew in 1955 providing much needed intelligence on Soviet bloc countries Lockheed Corporation was an aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta in 1995 to form... The Lockheed S-3 Viking is a United States Navy jet aircraft used to hunt and destroy enemy submarines and provide surveillance of surface shipping. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wikisource. ... See also: Gulf War (1991) and Iraq war (disambiguation) The Iraq War or War in Iraq, is both an informal and a formal American term for the military conflict in Iraq including the 2003 Invasion of Iraq by the United States and United Kingdom, overthrow of the governing dictatorship, occupation...

Nominations

Republican nomination

Main articles: George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2004 and U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination, 2004 The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Standing at his desk in the Oval Office, President George W. Bush receives a phone call from Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in which the senator conceded defeat in the 2004 presidential election Wednesday, Nov. ... Standing at his desk in the Oval Office, President George W. Bush receives a phone call from Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in which the senator conceded defeat in the 2004 presidential election Wednesday, Nov. ... This article is about the presidential campaign of George W. Bush, the incumbent President of the United States and victor of the 2004 Presidential Election. ... The U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination, 2004 was the series of primaries and caucuses that determined who was to be chosen at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City as the Republican Partys candidate in the U.S. presidential election, 2004. ...

Bush's popularity as a wartime president helped consolidate his base, and ward off any serious challenge to the nomination. On March 10, 2004, Bush officially clinched the number of delegates needed to be nominated at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City. Bush accepted the nomination on September 2, 2004, and selected Vice President Dick Cheney as his running mate. (In New York, the ticket was also on the ballot as candidates of the Conservative Party of New York State.) March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in Leap years). ... 2004 Republican National Convention Logo President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney accepted their partys nomination to run for second terms. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Motto: Official website: City of New York Location Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (246th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest executive official of the United States government, the person who, in the words of Adlai Stevenson, is a heartbeat from the presidency, and in the calculation of Vice President John Nance Garner, not worth a bucket of warm piss. ... A running mate is a person running for a subordinate position on a joint ticket during an election. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 kmÂ² 455 km 530 km 13. ... The Conservative Party of New York is a minor political party active only in New York State. ...

Democratic nomination

Main articles: John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004 and U.S. Democratic Party presidential nomination, 2004 The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... This article is about the presidential campaign of John Kerry, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and the nominee of the Democratic Party to challenge Republican incumbent President George W. Bush in the U.S. presidential election on November 2, 2004. ... The 2004 U.S. Democratic Party presidential nomination process was a series of primaries and caucuses culminating in the Democratic National Convention that decided which pair of candidates would represent the Democrats in the 2004 election for President and Vice President of the United States. ...

By the end of February 2003, the following field of candidates had formed exploratory committees and were actively campaigning to be the Democratic nominee:

Notable in his absence was former Vice President and 2000 Presidential candidate Al Gore, who announced he would not run in December 2002. Carol Moseley Braun Carol Moseley Braun (born August 16, 1947), American politician and lawyer, was the first (and to date only) black woman elected to the United States Senate (representing Illinois). ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 25th 149,998 kmÂ² 340 km 629 km 4. ... US General insignia General is the most senior rank currently used in the United States Army, United States Air Force and United States Marine Corps. ... Wesley Clark Wesley Kanne Clark (born December 23, 1944) is a retired four-star general in the U.S. Army. ... Official language(s) None Capital Montpelier Largest city Burlington Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 43th 24,923 kmÂ² 130 km 260 km 3. ... Howard Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948) is an American physician and politician from the U.S. state of Vermont. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 28th 139,509 kmÂ² 805 km 240 km 9. ... The chamber of the United States House of Representatives is located in the south wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C.. This photograph shows a rare glimpse of the four vote tallying boards (the blackish squares across the top), which display each members name and vote as... The Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives acts as the leader of the party that has a majority control of the seats in the house (currently at least 218 of the 435 seats). ... The Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives serves as floor leader of the opposition party, and is the minority counterpart to the Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives. ... Richard Andrew Gephardt (born January 31, 1941) is a prominent American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Missouri from January 3, 1977, until January 3, 2005. ... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 21st 69,709 miÂ²; 180,693 kmÂ² 240 mi; 385 km 300 mi; 480 km 1. ... This article is about the American politician. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170 451 kmÂ² 260 km 800 km 17. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943, Aurora, Colorado) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 44th 10,555 miÂ²; 27,360 kmÂ² 183 mi; 295 km 113 mi; 182 km 13. ... Dennis John Kucinich (born October 8, 1946) is an American politician of the Democratic party. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 kmÂ² 355 km 355 km 8. ... Joseph Isadore Lieberman, (born February 24, 1942) is a Democratic U.S. senator from Connecticut, most well-known as Al Gores running mate on the Democratic ticket in 2000. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 48th 14,371 kmÂ² 113 km 177 km 12. ... The Reverend Al Sharpton The Reverend Alfred Charles Al Sharpton Jr. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 kmÂ² 455 km 530 km 13. ... Dick Cheney 46th and current Vice President (2001- ) The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest executive official of the United States government, the person who is a heartbeat from the presidency. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ...

By summer of 2003, Dean had become the apparent frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, performing strongly in most polls and leading the pack in fundraising. Dean's strength as a fundraiser was attributed mainly to his innovative embrace of the Internet for campaigning. The majority of his donations came from individual Dean supporters, who came to be known as Deanites, or, more commonly, Deaniacs. Generally regarded as a pragmatic centrist during his time as governor, Dean emerged during his presidential campaign as something of a left-wing populist, denouncing the policies of the Bush administration (especially the 2003 invasion of Iraq) as well as fellow Democrats, who, in his view, failed to strongly oppose them. Senator Lieberman, a liberal on domestic issues but a pro-war on terror hawk, failed to gain traction with the ultraliberal democratic primary voters. Intense supporters of 2004 Democratic candidate, Howard Dean. ... In politics, centrism usually refers to the political ideal of promoting moderate policies which land in the middle ground between different political extremes. ... Populism is a political ideology or rhetorical style that holds that the common person is oppressed by the elite in society, which exists only to serve its own interests, and therefore, the instruments of the State need to be grasped from this self-serving elite and instead used for the... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ...

In September 2003, retired four-star general Wesley Clark announced his intention to run in the presidential primary election for the Democratic Party nomination. His campaign focused on themes of leadership and patriotism; early campaign ads relied heavily on biography. His late start left him with relatively few detailed policy proposals. This weakness was apparent in his first few debates, although he soon presented a range of position papers, including a major tax-relief plan. Nevertheless, many Democrats flocked to his campaign. Wesley Clark Wesley Kanne Clark (born December 23, 1944) is a retired four-star general in the U.S. Army. ... The 2004 U.S. Democratic Party presidential nomination process was a series of primaries and caucuses culminating in the Democratic National Convention that decided which pair of candidates would represent the Democrats in the 2004 election for President and Vice President of the United States. ...

By October 2003, the field had dwindled down to nine candidates, as Bob Graham dropped out of the race. Leading up to the Iowa caucuses, Howard Dean was a strong front-runner. However, the Iowa caucuses yielded unexpectedly strong results for Democratic candidates John Kerry, who earned 38% of the state's delegates and John Edwards, who took 32%. Former front-runner Howard Dean slipped to 18% and third place, and Richard Gephardt finished fourth (11%). What hurt Dean even more than his poor performance, was a post-caucus rally in which he frantically yelled out the names of states and culminated with a yelp which has entered popular culture and is known as the dean scream. On January 27 Kerry triumphed again, earning first place in the New Hampshire primary. Clark took third place in New Hampshire, behind New Englanders Kerry and Dean. Since 1976, the Iowa caucus has been the first indication of which candidate for President of the United States would win the nomination of his or her political party at that partys national convention. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 26th 145,743 kmÂ² 320 km 500 km 0. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943, Aurora, Colorado) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Howard Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948) is an American physician and politician from the U.S. state of Vermont. ... Richard Andrew Gephardt (born January 31, 1941) served as a U.S. Representative from Missouri from 1977 until January 3, 2005. ... Howard Dean during the Dean Scream Speech The Dean Scream refers to a speech on Monday, January 19, 2004, following Howard Deans third place loss in the Iowa caucuses despite a advantages in fundraising , volunteer recruitment, and public opinion polls. ... January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New Hampshire primary is the opening gun of the quadrennial U.S. presidential election. ...

The following week, John Edwards won the South Carolina primary and finished a strong second in Oklahoma. After Howard Dean's withdrawal from the contest, Edwards became the only major challenger to Kerry for the Democratic nomination. However, Kerry continued to dominate, taking in a string of wins in Michigan, Washington, Maine, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., Nevada, Wisconsin, Utah, Hawaii, and Idaho. Many other candidates dropped out during this time, leaving only Sharpton, Kucinich, and Edwards in the running. Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 20th 181,196 kmÂ² 355 km 645 km 1. ... Official language(s) English de-facto Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 11th 96,889 miÂ² 250,941 kmÂ² 239 miles 385 km 491 miles 790 km 41. ... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 18th 184,824 kmÂ² 385 km 580 km 6. ... Official language(s) None Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 39th 86,542 kmÂ² 305 km 515 km 13. ... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 36th 109,247 kmÂ² 195 km 710 km 2. ... Nickname: the District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Official website: http://www. ... Official language(s) None Capital Carson City Largest city Las Vegas Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 7th 286,367 kmÂ² 519 km 788 km 0. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 23rd 169,790 kmÂ² 420 km 500 km 17 42Â°30N to 47Â°3N 86Â°49W to 92Â°54W Population - Total (2000) - Density Ranked 18th 5,453,896 38. ... Official language(s) English Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 13th 219,887 kmÂ² 435 km 565 km 3. ... Official language(s) Hawaiian and English Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 43rd 28,337 kmÂ² n/a km 2,450 km 41. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boise Largest city Boise Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 14th 216,632 kmÂ² 491 km 771 km 0. ...

In March's Super Tuesday, Kerry won decisive victories in the California, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island primaries and the Minnesota caucuses. Dean, despite having withdrawn from the race two weeks earlier, won his home state of Vermont. Edwards finished only slightly behind Kerry in Georgia, but, failing to win a single state, chose to withdraw from the presidential race. In the United States, Super Tuesday commonly refers to a Tuesday in early March of a presidential election year. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 kmÂ² 402. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 48th 14,371 kmÂ² 113 km 177 km 12. ... Official language(s) None Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 42nd 32,160 kmÂ² 145 km 400 km 21 37Â°53N to 39Â°43N 75Â°4W to 79Â°33W Population - Total (2000) - Density Ranked 19th 5,296,486 165... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 44th 10,555 miÂ²; 27,360 kmÂ² 183 mi; 295 km 113 mi; 182 km 13. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 kmÂ² 455 km 530 km 13. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 kmÂ² 355 km 355 km 8. ... Official language(s) None Capital Providence Largest city Providence Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 50th 4,005 kmÂ² 50 km 65 km 32. ... Official language(s) None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 12th 225,365 kmÂ² 400 km 645 km 8. ...

On July 6, John Kerry selected John Edwards as his running mate, shortly before the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts, held later that month. Kerry made his Vietnam War experience a prominent theme of the convention. In accepting the nomination, he began his speech with, “I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty.” July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 2004 Democratic National Convention logo The 2004 Democratic National Convention culminated in the arrival of John Kerry on July 29 to address the delegates. ... Nickname: City on a Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Solar System), Athens of America Motto: Official website: www. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) United States of America South Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand the Philippines Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) Commanders Strength ~1,200,000 (1968) ~420,000 (1968) Casualties South Vietnamese dead: 1,250,000+ US dead: 58,226 US...

Other nominations

Five other pairs of candidates appeared on the ballots in many states: The following is an incomplete list of Candidates in the U.S. presidential election, 2004 (for a full list, see here). ...

Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (born February 27, 1934) is an American activist lawyer who opposes the power of large corporations and has worked for decades on environmental, consumer rights, and pro-democracy issues. ... Peter Miguel Camejo (born December 31, 1939) is a financier, businessman, political activist, environmentalist, author, and one of the founders of the socially responsible investment movement. ... The Reform Party of the United States of America (abbreviated Reform Party USA or RPUSA) is a political party in the United States, founded by Ross Perot in 1995 under the belief that Americans were disillusioned with the state of politics--as being corrupt and unable to deal with vital... Badnarik accepting the presidential nomination in May 2004 at the Libertarian National Convention in Atlanta. ... Richard Campagna, on the left, with Michael Badnarik Richard V. Campagna of Iowa City, Iowa was the vice-presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. ... The Libertarian Party is a United States political party created in 1971. ... Michael Peroutka Michael Anthony Peroutka (born 1952) is a Maryland lawyer, the founder of the Institute On The Constitution and once held a position in the United States Department of Health and Human Services. ... Chuck Baldwin (born May 3, 1952, La Porte, Indiana) is an American political figure, activist within the Constitution Party, and Baptist minister. ... The Constitution Party is a conservative third party in the United States, founded as the U.S. Taxpayers Party in 1992. ... For the 18th & 19th century U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts, see David Cobb (Massachusetts). ... Pat LaMarche Patricia Helen LaMarche (born 26 November 1960) is an American political figure and activist with the Green Party; she was the partys vice-presidential candidate in the 2004 U.S. presidential election, with David Cobb as its presidential candidate, and is one of seven co-chairs of... In United States politics, the Green Party has been active as a third party since the 1980s. ... Walter Frederick Brown (born July 28, 1926) was the presidential candidate of the Socialist Party USA in 2004. ... Mary Alice Mal Herbert (born February 28, 1935) ran for Vice President as the candidate for the Socialist Party USA in 2004. ... Socialist Party is the name of several different political parties around the world that are explicitly called Socialist though some are Social Democratic and some are not. ...

General election: campaign

Campaign issues

President Bush attempted to focus the campaign on national security, presenting himself as a decisive leader and Kerry as a “flip-flopper”. His point was that Americans could trust him to be tough on terrorism while Kerry would be “uncertain in the face of danger”. Kerry's slogan was, “Stronger at home, respected in the world.” This seemed to indicate that he would pay more attention to domestic concerns; it also encapsulated Kerry's contention that Bush had alienated American allies by his foreign policy.

Americans who based their vote on the issues of terrorism or moral values tended to support President Bush. Those who focused on the war in Iraq or economic issues like jobs and health care more often backed Kerry.

Over the course of the Bush's first term in office, his extremely high approval ratings immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks steadily dwindled, peaking only during combat operations in Iraq in early 2003, and again following the capture of Saddam Hussein in December the same year [2]. Kerry supporters attempted to capitalize on the dwindling popularity to rally anti-war sentiment, symbolized by the box-office success of Fahrenheit 9/11 in the summer of 2004. September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Wikinews has news related to this article: Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein in a Suit Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, (Arabic ), born April 28, 1937 , was President of Iraq from 1979 until his removal and capture following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Fahrenheit 9/11 is a high-grossing, award-winning documentary film by American filmmaker and liberal activist Michael Moore, which had a general release in the United States and Canada on June 25, 2004 in the run up to the presidential election. ...

However, there was also a surprising focus on events that occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This scrutiny was most intense in August and September of 2004. Bush was accused in the Killian documents of failing to fulfill his required service in the Texas Air National Guard, but the focus rapidly became the conduct of CBS News when the documents were revealed to be forgeries. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... One of the Killian documents. ... A CBS News Special Report ident card CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. Its current president is Sean McManus who is also head of CBS Sports. ...

Meanwhile, Kerry was accused by the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, who averred that “phony war crimes charges, his exaggerated claims about his own service in Vietnam, and his deliberate misrepresentation of the nature and effectiveness of Swift boat operations compels [sic] us to step forward.” The group challenged the legitimacy of each of the combat medals awarded to Kerry by the U.S. Navy, and the disposition of his discharge. Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, formerly known as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT), is an organization of American Swift boat veterans and former prisoners of war of the Vietnam War, formed during the 2004 presidential election campaign for the purpose of discrediting John Kerrys military service... A war crime is a punishable offense, under international law, for violations of the law of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ...

In the begining of September, the succesful Republican National Convention along with the allegations by Kerry's former mates gave President Bush his first comfortable margin since Kerry had won the nomination. A post-convention Gallup poll showed the President leading the Senator by 14 points. [3] [4]

Debates

Three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate were organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, and held in autumn of 2004. As expected, these debates set the agenda for the final leg of the political contest. 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. ... The Commission on Presidential Debates was created by the Democratic and Republican parties in 1987 to moderate the U.S. presidential election debates. ...

The first debate was held on September 30 at the University of Miami, moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS. Though originally intended to focus on domestic policy, the War on Terror, questions are asked on the War in Iraq and America's international relations. [5]. During the debate John Kerry accused Bush of having failed to gain international support for the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, saying the only countries assisting the USA during the invasion were the United Kingdom and Australia. Bush replied to this by saying, “Well, actually, he forgot Poland.” Later, a consensus formed among mainstream pollsters and pundits that Kerry won the debate decisively, strengthening what had come to be seen as a weak and troubled campaign. [6] After the debate, pictures of what appeared to be a small square-shaped bump on George Bush's back lead to speculation that he was wearing a radio receiver and being fed answers. [7] Kerry was also suspected of misconduct, allegedly violating debate rules by removing a pen from his jacket. This is an article about the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. ... Jim Lehrer James Charles Lehrer (born May 19, 1934) is the news anchor for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS. // Lehrer was born in Wichita, Kansas and attended middle school in Beaumont, Texas. ... The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States. ... The war on terrorism or war on terror (abbreviated in U.S. policy circles as GWOT for Global War on Terror) is an effort by the governments of the United States and its principal allies to destroy groups deemed to be terrorist (primarily radical Islamist organizations such as al-Qaeda... There have been three conflicts in the late 20th century and early 21st century called Gulf War, all of which refer to conflicts in the Persian Gulf region: Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) (aka First Gulf War). ... International relations (IR), a branch of political science, is the study of foreign affairs of and relations among states within the international system, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MNCs). ...

On October 5, the Vice Presidential debate was held between Dick Cheney and John Edwards at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and was moderated by Gwen Ifill of PBS. It again focussed on Iraq and the War on Terror. An initial poll by ABC indicated a victory for Cheney, while polls by CNN and MSNBC gave it to Edwards.[8] (BBC), (SF Chronicle) (ABC) Richard Bruce Cheney (born January 30, 1941), widely known as Dick Cheney, is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States under President George W. Bush. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. It was formed in 1967 by the federation of Case Institute of Technology (founded in 1880 by philanthropist Leonard Case Jr. ... Nickname: The Forest City Motto: Progress and Prosperity Official website: http://www. ... Gwen Ifill Gwen Ifill (born September 29, 1955) is a journalist for PBS. She graduated at Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. ... The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is a television and radio network in the United States. ... The Cable News Network, usually referred to as CNN, is a cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld [1] [2] (although the latter is not currently recognized in CNNs official history). ... MSNBC (a grammatical blend of MSN and NBC) is a 24-hour cable news channel in the United States. ...

The second presidential debate was held at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri on October 8, moderated by Charles Gibson of ABC. Conducted in a “town meeting” format, less formal than the first Presidential debate, this debate saw President Bush and Senator Kerry taking questions on a variety of subjects from a local audience. [9] Bush attempted to deflect criticism of what was described as his scowling demeanor during the first debate, joking at one point about one of Kerry's remarks, “That answer made me want to scowl.” [10] Washington University in St. ... The Gateway Arch, shown here behind the Old Courthouse, is the most recognizable part of the St. ... Charles Gibson Charles (Charlie) Gibson (born March 9, 1943) is an American television journalist, best known as co-host of Good Morning America on ABC from January 1987 to May 1998 and from January 1999 to the present. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is a television and radio network in the United States. ...

Bush and Kerry met for the third and final debate at Arizona State University on October 13. Transcript and Video 51 million viewers watched the debate, while only 15.2 million viewers tune in to watch the Major League Baseball championship games broadcast simultaneously. Arizona State University (ASU) is currently (as of Fall 2005) the largest university, in terms of student enrollment, in the United States, with a main-campus student body of 51,612. ... Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in the world. ...

Election results

The members of the Electoral College formally voted on December 13, 2004. On January 6, 2005, when Congress met for the official counting of the electoral votes, Democratic Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Senator Barbara Boxer made an official objection to the counting of Ohio's electoral votes. As a result, the House and Senate separately debated the inclusion of Ohio's votes. Within four hours of the objection, however, the last effective challenge to the election results ended, when the Senate voted 74–1 [11] and the House voted 267–31 [12] to reject the challenge to Ohio's votes. The counting process is detailed in the United States Code (specifically 3 USC §§ 15, 16, 17, and 18). U.S. presidential election, 2004 detailed results. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The chamber of the United States House of Representatives is located in the south wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C.. This photograph shows a rare glimpse of the four vote tallying boards (the blackish squares across the top), which display each members name and vote as... Stephanie Tubbs Jones (born September 10, 1949) is a Democratic politician from Ohio. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Barbara Levy Boxer (born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and the current junior U.S. Senator from the State of California. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 kmÂ² 355 km 355 km 8. ... The United States Code (U.S.C.) is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal Law of the United States. ...

In the final accepted count, Bush received 286 electoral votes, and Kerry received 251. One vote went to Kerry's running mate, John Edwards, when one of the electors pledged to Kerry voted for John Ewards (sic) instead. It was the first time in U.S. history that an elector had voted the same person for president and vice president. For Vice President, 286 votes went to Bush's running mate, Dick Cheney, and 252 to Edwards. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest executive official of the United States government, the person who, in the words of Adlai Stevenson, is a heartbeat from the presidency, and in the calculation of Vice President John Nance Garner, not worth a bucket of warm piss. ... Richard Bruce Cheney (born January 30, 1941), widely known as Dick Cheney, is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States under President George W. Bush. ...

Even if Congress had voted to reject Ohio's 20 electoral votes, the outcome would have been the same. With 518 valid votes cast (instead of 538), the majority necessary for election by the Electoral College under the Twelfth Amendment would have been 260 votes, which Bush and Cheney, each with 266, would have reached. If Ohio's votes had been deemed to have been cast, but not counted, so that no candidate had a majority, Bush and Cheney would have almost certainly been chosen by the House and Senate, respectively, under the Twelfth Amendment's procedures. Only a complete reversal of Ohio's vote count and a new certification for Kerry could have changed the result.
The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution altered Article II pertaining to presidential elections. ...

Source (Popular Vote): Leip, David. 2004 Presidential Election Results. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections (May 28, 2005). George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Official language(s) None. ... Richard Bruce Cheney (born January 30, 1941), widely known as Dick Cheney, is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States under President George W. Bush. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 10th 253,554 kmÂ² 450 km 580 km 0. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943, Aurora, Colorado) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 44th 10,555 miÂ²; 27,360 kmÂ² 183 mi; 295 km 113 mi; 182 km 13. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 28th 139,509 kmÂ² 805 km 240 km 9. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 28th 139,509 kmÂ² 805 km 240 km 9. ... Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (born February 27, 1934) is an American activist lawyer who opposes the power of large corporations and has worked for decades on environmental, consumer rights, and pro-democracy issues. ... The Reform Party of the United States of America (abbreviated Reform Party USA or RPUSA) is a political party in the United States, founded by Ross Perot in 1995 under the belief that Americans were disillusioned with the state of politics--as being corrupt and unable to deal with vital... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 48th 14,371 kmÂ² 113 km 177 km 12. ... Peter Miguel Camejo (born December 31, 1939) is a financier, businessman, political activist, environmentalist, author, and one of the founders of the socially responsible investment movement. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 kmÂ² 402. ... Badnarik accepting the presidential nomination in May 2004 at the Libertarian National Convention in Atlanta. ... The Libertarian Party is a United States political party created in 1971. ... Official language(s) None. ... Richard Campagna, on the left, with Michael Badnarik Richard V. Campagna of Iowa City, Iowa was the vice-presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 26th 145,743 kmÂ² 320 km 500 km 0. ... Michael Peroutka Michael Anthony Peroutka (born 1952) is a Maryland lawyer, the founder of the Institute On The Constitution and once held a position in the United States Department of Health and Human Services. ... Official language(s) None Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 42nd 32,160 kmÂ² 145 km 400 km 21 37Â°53N to 39Â°43N 75Â°4W to 79Â°33W Population - Total (2000) - Density Ranked 19th 5,296,486 165... Chuck Baldwin (born May 3, 1952, La Porte, Indiana) is an American political figure, activist within the Constitution Party, and Baptist minister. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170 451 kmÂ² 260 km 800 km 17. ... For the 18th & 19th century U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts, see David Cobb (Massachusetts). ... This article specifically discusses the national committee of the Green Party in the United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 kmÂ² 402. ... Pat LaMarche Patricia Helen LaMarche (born 26 November 1960) is an American political figure and activist with the Green Party; she was the partys vice-presidential candidate in the 2004 U.S. presidential election, with David Cobb as its presidential candidate, and is one of seven co-chairs of... Official language(s) None Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 39th 86,542 kmÂ² 305 km 515 km 13. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

^(a) In New York, Bush vote was the fusion of Republican and Conservative parties. There, Bush obtained 2,806,993 votes on the Republican ticket and 155,574 on the Conservative ticket.
^(b) In New York, Kerry vote was the fusion of Democratic and Working Families parties. There, Kerry obtained 4,180,755 votes on the Democratic ticket and 133,525 votes on the Working Families ticket.
^(c) See “‘Faithless elector’ in Minnesota” below.
^(d) Candidates receiving less than 1/2000 of the total popular vote. Presidential election results map. ...

Finance

Members of the 2004 United States Electoral College

The United States Electoral College is the electoral college that chooses the President and Vice President of the United States at the conclusion of each Presidential election. ... 2004 U.S. presidential electors, by state: Alabama - Republican - http://www. ...

Ballot access

Ballot access rules regulate the conditions under which a candidate or political party is entitled to appear on voters ballots. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...

“Faithless elector” in Minnesota

One elector in Minnesota cast a ballot for president with the name of “John Ewards” [sic] written on it. The Electoral College officials certified this ballot as a vote for John Edwards for president. The remaining nine electors cast ballots for John Kerry. All ten electors in the state cast ballots for John Edwards for Vice President. (John Edwards' name was spelled correctly on all ballots for Vice President.) This was the first time in U.S. history that an elector had voted for the same person for both President and Vice President.

Electoral balloting in Minnesota was performed by secret ballot, and none of the electors admitted to casting the Edwards vote for President, so it may never be known who the “faithless elector” was. It is not even known whether the vote for Edwards was deliberate or unintentional, although the Republican Secretary of State and several of the Democratic electors have expressed the opinion that this was an accident. It is worth noting that an Independence Party straw poll, which was published in lieu of an endorsement from that party, selected John Edwards for President, though there is no evidence to suggest that this is related to the Edwards electoral vote for President. The United States Electoral College is the electoral college which chooses the President and Vice President of the United States at the conclusion of each Presidential election. ... The Independence Party of Minnesota (often abbreviated IP or IPM), formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) and Republican Party. ...

Electoral vote error in New York

New York's initial electoral vote certificate indicated that all of its 31 electoral votes for president were cast for “John L. Kerry of Massachusetts” instead of John F. Kerry, who won the popular vote in the state. This was apparently the result of a typographical error, and an amended electoral vote certificate with the correct middle initial was transmitted to the President of the Senate prior to the official electoral vote count. The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest executive official of the United States government, the person who, in the words of Adlai Stevenson, is a heartbeat from the presidency, and in the calculation of Vice President John Nance Garner, not worth a bucket of warm piss. ...

Presidential Results by Congressional District

In his successful bid for reelection in 2004, Republican George W. Bush won the popular vote in 255 of the nation's 435 congressional districts, a 75-seat edge over Democrat John Kerry’s 180. At 255, the President won 27 more districts than the 228 he carried in the 2000 election.

There were 59 “turnover” or “split” districts, i.e., those represented in the U.S. House by a member of a party other than the winner of the presidential vote in the district. Following the 2004 election, 41 districts of the 109th Congress were carried by Bush yet represented by a Democrat; 18 districts were carried by John Kerry yet represented by a Republican. This represents a continued decrease over recent presidential elections. In 2000 there were 86 turnover districts. In 1996, there were 110 turnover districts. The 2004 presidential election was the first following the 2001–2002 redistricting phase of congressional apportionment.

Caveats: only a handful of states report the results by district. These numbers are estimates based upon results collected from the 400 counties that contain a portion of more than one district. They may include an allocation of absentee/early votes which were not tabulated by district. (Polidata, 2005)

Analysis and trivia

The results produced many interesting features. A partial list is given below, but it is by no means complete.

George Herbert Walker Bush, GCB, (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States (1989â€“1993). ... The election was held on November 8, 1988. ... A majority is a subset of a group that is more than half of the entire group. ... Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 â€“ February 3, 1924) was the 28th President of the United States (1913â€“1921). ... For other people named Harry Truman, see Harry Truman (disambiguation). ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Map of Alaska boroughs and census areas The U.S. State of Alaska is not completely divided into counties as other states in the country are. ... The United States Census of year 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 26th 145,743 kmÂ² 320 km 500 km 0. ... Official language(s) None, English and Spanish de facto Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 5th 315,194 kmÂ² 550 km 595 km 0. ... Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ... Official language(s) English Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 46th 24,239 kmÂ² 110 km 305 km 3. ... In general, the term West Coast is a nickname for the coastal states of the Western United States, comprising California, Oregon and Washington, and sometimes Alaska and Hawaii (see Pacific States). ... The U.S. Northeast is a region of the United States of America defined by the US Census Bureau. ... The Great Lakes states are colored red in this map. ... The U.S. Southern states or the South, also known colloquially as Dixie, constitute a distinctive region covering a large portion of the United States, with its own unique heritage, historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... The Great Plains is the broad expanse of prairie which lies east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States of America and Canada, covering all or parts of the U.S. states of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota and the... The Mountain States form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States which are officially recognized by that countrys census bureau. ... The phrase Solid South describes the reliable electoral support of the Southern United States for Democratic Party candidates for almost a century after the Reconstruction era. ... Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (born February 27, 1934) is an American activist lawyer who opposes the power of large corporations and has worked for decades on environmental, consumer rights, and pro-democracy issues. ... The Reform Party of the United States of America (abbreviated Reform Party USA or RPUSA) is a political party in the United States, founded by Ross Perot in 1995 who said Americans were disillusioned with the state of politics--as being corrupt and unable to deal with vital issues--and... Pat Buchanan Patrick Joseph Buchanan (born November 2, 1938), is an American author, syndicated columnist, and television commentator. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... The name Mckinley redirects here. ... Summary The election was held on November 6, 1900. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Thomas Dale DeLay (born April 8, 1947) is an American politician from Sugar Land, Texas and a prominent Republican. ... The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California and distributed throughout the western United States. ... Badnarik accepting the presidential nomination in May 2004 at the Libertarian National Convention in Atlanta. ... For the 18th & 19th century U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts, see David Cobb (Massachusetts). ... Nickname: Gateway City, Gateway to the West, or Mound City Motto: Official website: http://stlouis. ... October 8 is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943, Aurora, Colorado) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ...

Timeline

The following is a timeline of events during the 2004 U.S. presidential election: 2002 May 31 - Vermont Governor Howard B. Dean III forms a presidential exploratory committee. ...

Newspaper endorsements

The online edition of Editor & Publisher, a journal covering the North American newspaper industry, tabulated newspaper endorsements for the two major candidates. As of November 1, 2004, their tally showed the following: Editor & Publisher (E&P) is a now-monthly journal covering the North American newspaper industry. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A more complete breakdown is also available, including changes between 2000 and 2004. The online edition of Editor & Publisher, a journal covering the North American newspaper industry, tabulates newspaper endorsements for the two major candidates, Republican incumbent George W. Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry, in the 2004 United States presidential election. ...

Electoral College changes from 2000

The U.S. population is continuously shifting, and some states grow in population faster than others. With the completion of the 2000 census, Congressional reapportionment took place, moving some representative districts from the slowest growing states to the fastest growing. As a result, several states had a different number of electors in the U.S. Electoral College in 2004 than in 2000, since the number of electors allotted to each state is equal to the sum of the number of Senators and Representatives from that state. Congress in Joint Session. ... The membership of the United States House of Representatives changes each decade following the decennial United States Census. ... The United States Electoral College is the electoral college that chooses the President and Vice President of the United States at the conclusion of each Presidential election. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... The chamber of the United States House of Representatives is located in the south wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C.. This photograph shows a rare glimpse of the four vote tallying boards (the blackish squares across the top), which display each members name and vote as...

The following table shows the change in electors from the 2000 election. Red states represent those won by Bush; and Blue states, those won by both Gore and Kerry. All states, except Nebraska and Maine, use a winner-take-all allocation of electors. Each of these states was won by the same party in 2004 that had won it in 2000; thus, George W. Bush received a net gain of seven electoral votes due to reapportionment. Presidential electoral votes by state. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943, Aurora, Colorado) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... The first-past-the-post electoral system is a voting system for single-member districts, variously called first-past-the-post (FPTP or FPP), winner-take-all, plurality voting, or relative majority. ...

(This table uses the currently common Red->Republican, Blue->Democratic color association, as do the maps on this page. Some older party-affiliation maps on Wikipedia use the opposite color coding, for historical reasons.)

Vote splitting concerns

Some supporters of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry were concerned that the independent candidacy of Ralph Nader would split the vote against the incumbent, thus allowing the Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush to win the 2004 election. Many Democrats blame Ralph Nader for splitting the vote in the 2000 presidential election when he ran as the candidate of the Green Party. The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943, Aurora, Colorado) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (born February 27, 1934) is an American activist lawyer who opposes the power of large corporations and has worked for decades on environmental, consumer rights, and pro-democracy issues. ... This article or section should be merged with Spoiler effect A split vote, or vote splitting, occurs in an election when the existence of two or more candidates that represent relatively similar viewpoints among voters reduces the votes received by each of them, reducing the chances of any one of... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... In American politics, the Green Party is a third party which has been active in some areas since the 1980s, but first gained widespread public attention for Ralph Naders presidential runs in 1996 and 2000. ...

Such splits are of particular concern because most states assign the presidential electors they send to the Electoral College, to the candidate with the most votes (a plurality), even if those votes are less than 50 percent of the total votes cast—in such a situation, a relatively small number of votes can make a very big difference. For instance, a candidate who won narrow pluralities in a significant number of states could win a majority in the Electoral College even though they did not win a majority or even a plurality of the national popular vote. While Ralph Nader and the Green Party ultimately support replacing the Electoral College with direct popular elections, both have also suggested that states instead use instant-runoff voting to select their presidential electors, which would partially address the issue of vote splitting. The United States Electoral College is the electoral college that chooses the President and Vice President of the United States at the conclusion of each Presidential election. ... A plurality (or relative majority) is the largest share of something, which may or may not be a majority. ... This article is about the political process. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Opponents of Ralph Nader's candidacy often referred to vote splitting as the spoiler effect. Some voters who preferred Ralph Nader's positions over John Kerry's voted for John Kerry to avoid splitting the vote against the incumbent, claiming to be choosing the “lesser of two evils”. These voters used slogans such as, “Anybody but Bush,” and, “A vote for Nader is a vote for Bush.” A group of people who supported Nader in 2000 released a statement entitled Vote to Stop Bush, urging support for Kerry/Edwards in swing states. Whether due to this campaign or other factors, the impact of Nader on the election's outcome ultimately proved inconsequential, as he received less than 1 percent of the national vote. The spoiler effect is a term to describe the effect a candidate can have on a close election, in which their candidacy results in the election being won by a candidate dissimilar to them, rather than a candidate similar to them. ... Vote to Stop Bush is a statement endorsed by prominent Ralph Nader supporters from his 2000 campaign who in 2004 urge[d] support for Kerry/Edwards in all swing states, even while [they] strongly disagree with Kerrys policies on Iraq and other issues. Most of the signers were members...

Battleground states

During the campaign and as the results came in on the night of the election there was much focus on Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania. These three “swing” states were seen as evenly divided, and with each casting 20 electoral votes or more, they had the power to decide the election. As the final results came in, Kerry took Pennsylvania and then Bush took Florida, focusing all attention on Ohio. Presidential popular votes by county. ... Presidential popular votes by county. ... In United States presidential politics, a swing state (also, battleground state) is a state in which no candidate has overwhelming support, meaning that any of the major candidates have a reasonable chance of winning the states electoral college votes. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 kmÂ² 355 km 355 km 8. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170 451 kmÂ² 260 km 800 km 17. ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 33rd 119,283 kmÂ² 255 km 455 km 2. ...

The morning after the election both candidates were virtually neck and neck and it was clear that the result in Ohio, which along with two other states (New Mexico and Iowa) had still not declared, would decide the winner. Bush had established a lead of around 130,000 votes but the Democrats pointed to provisional ballots that had yet to be counted, initially reported to number as high as 200,000. Bush had preliminary leads of less than 5 percent of the vote in only four states, but even if Iowa, Nevada and New Mexico had all eventually gone to Kerry, a Bush win in Ohio would have created a 269–269 tie in the Electoral College, resulting in the House of Representatives voting to decide the winner, with each state, regardless of its population, casting one vote. That scenario would almost certainly have resulted in a Bush victory, because Republicans control more House delegations. Therefore, the outcome of the election hinged solely on the result in Ohio, regardless of the final totals elsewhere. In the afternoon Ohio's Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell, announced that it was statistically impossible for the Democrats to make up enough valid votes in the provisional ballots, now reportedly numbering 140,000 (and later still estimated to be only 135,000), to win, and John Kerry conceded defeat. Official language(s) None, English and Spanish de facto Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 5th 315,194 kmÂ² 550 km 595 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 26th 145,743 kmÂ² 320 km 500 km 0. ... In U.S. elections, when someone shows up at a polling place to cast a vote, but is not on the list of people who may vote there (is not registered in that precinct, or his registation is otherwise invalid or inaccurate), he may be allowed to cast a provisional... Official language(s) None Capital Carson City Largest city Las Vegas Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 7th 286,367 kmÂ² 519 km 788 km 0. ... The United States Electoral College is the electoral college that chooses the President and Vice President of the United States at the conclusion of each Presidential election. ... John Kenneth Blackwell (born February 28, 1942) is an American politician of the Republican party, who currently (as of 2005) serves as the secretary of state for the U.S. state of Ohio. ...

The upper Midwest bloc of Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin is also notable, casting a sum of 27 electoral votes. However, all the swing states are important. The following is list of the states considered swing states in the 2004 election by most news organizations and which candidate they eventually went for. The two major parties chose to focus their advertising on these states: Presidential popular votes cartogram, in which the sizes of counties have been rescaled according to their population. ... Presidential popular votes cartogram, in which the sizes of counties have been rescaled according to their population. ... Cartogram for the U.S. presidential election, 2004. ... Official language(s) None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 12th 225,365 kmÂ² 400 km 645 km 8. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 26th 145,743 kmÂ² 320 km 500 km 0. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 23rd 169,790 kmÂ² 420 km 500 km 17 42Â°30N to 47Â°3N 86Â°49W to 92Â°54W Population - Total (2000) - Density Ranked 18th 5,453,896 38. ...

Kerry: Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 8th 269,837 kmÂ² 451 km 612 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170 451 kmÂ² 260 km 800 km 17. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 26th 145,743 kmÂ² 320 km 500 km 0. ... Official language(s) None, English and Spanish de facto Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 5th 315,194 kmÂ² 550 km 595 km 0. ... Official language(s) None Capital Carson City Largest city Las Vegas Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 7th 286,367 kmÂ² 519 km 788 km 0. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 kmÂ² 355 km 355 km 8. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 41st 62,809 kmÂ² 210 km 385 km 0. ...

Official language(s) None Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 39th 86,542 kmÂ² 305 km 515 km 13. ... Official language(s) English de-facto Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 11th 96,889 miÂ² 250,941 kmÂ² 239 miles 385 km 491 miles 790 km 41. ... Official language(s) None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 12th 225,365 kmÂ² 400 km 645 km 8. ... Official language(s) English Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 46th 24,239 kmÂ² 110 km 305 km 3. ... Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 9th 255,026 kmÂ² 420 km 580 km 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 33rd 119,283 kmÂ² 255 km 455 km 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 23rd 169,790 kmÂ² 420 km 500 km 17 42Â°30N to 47Â°3N 86Â°49W to 92Â°54W Population - Total (2000) - Density Ranked 18th 5,453,896 38. ...

New during this campaign

International observers

At the request of the United States government, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) sent a team of observers to monitor the presidential elections in 2004. It was the first time the OSCE had sent observers to a U.S. presidential election, although they had been invited in the past [13]. In September 2004 the OSCE issued a report (PDF 168K) on US electoral processes.[14] The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... September 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December See also: September 2004 in sports Events Deaths in September â€¢ 27 Tsai Wan-lin â€¢ 24 FranÃ§oise Sagan â€¢ 20 Brian Clough â€¢ 18 Russ Meyer â€¢ 15 Johnny Ramone â€¢ 12 Fred Ebb â€¢ 11 Peter VII of Alexandria â€¢ 8...

Earlier, some 13 U.S. Representatives from the Democratic Party had sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan asking for the UN to monitor the elections. The UN responded that such a request could only come from the official national executive. The move was met by considerable opposition from Republican lawmakers [15]. The OSCE is not affiliated with the United Nations. The chamber of the United States House of Representatives is located in the south wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C.. This photograph shows a rare glimpse of the four vote tallying boards (the blackish squares across the top), which display each members name and vote as... The Democratic Party is one of the two major United States political parties. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization that describes itself as a global association of governments facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat and the seventh and current Secretary-General of the United Nations. ...

International observers faced a number of hurdles. Because U.S. electoral law is largely state law, individual U.S. states could refuse to allow them to observe the elections on various grounds; for instance, a state law may require observers to be registered voters from the area. [16]

Electronic voting

Some states rushed to have new electronic voting systems operational for the 2004 election. Many security analysts warned that computer voting terminals had a significant possibility of voter fraud or data corruption by a software attack. Others said that recounts would be nearly impossible with the machines and criticized the lack of a “paper trail”, which is included in many other trivial events such as grocery shopping or using an ATM. Machines which do not use a paper trail are called Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) systems. One of the largest manufacturers of DRE voting systems is Diebold Election Systems, whose parent company also manufacturers ATMs. Author Bev Harris, in her book Black Box Voting, describes in detail her opinion of the potential problems created by DRE systems. Electronic voting machine used in all Brazilian elections and plebiscites. ... Electoral fraud is the deliberate intentional interference with the process of an election. ... Outdoor ATMs may be free-standing, like this kiosk, or built into the side of banks or other buildings An automatic teller machine, automated teller machine (ATM) or cash machine is an electronic device that allows a banks customers to make cash withdrawals and check their account balances without... Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines are computerized voting machines that tally the vote internally. ... Diebold Elections Systems is a subsidiary of Diebold that makes and sells Voting machines. ... Outdoor ATMs may be free-standing, like this kiosk, or built into the side of banks or other buildings An automatic teller machine, automated teller machine (ATM) or cash machine is an electronic device that allows a banks customers to make cash withdrawals and check their account balances without... Bev Harris is an activist and writer who has led the charge against Diebold electronic voting systems in the United States. ... Black Box Voting is voting on electronic machines which dont print paper ballots. ...

Proponents of computer voting say that the intent of the voter can be recorded with greater certainty and accuracy than using paper ballots.

Campaign law changes

The 2004 election was the first to be affected by the campaign finance reforms mandated by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (also known as the McCain-Feingold Bill for its sponsors in the United States Senate). Because of the Act's restrictions on candidates' and parties' fundraising, a large number of so-called 527 groups emerged. Named for a section of the Internal Revenue Code, these groups were able to raise large amounts of money for various political causes as long as they do not coordinate their activities with political campaigns. Examples of 527s include Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, MoveOn.org, the Media Fund, and America Coming Together. Many such groups were active throughout the campaign season. (There was some similar activity, although on a much lesser scale, during the 2000 campaign.) Campaign finance reform is the common term for the political effort in the United States to change the involvement of money in politics, primarily in political campaigns. ... The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) is U.S. Congressional legislation which regulates the financing of political campaigns. ... John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) is an American politician. ... Russell Dana Feingold (born March 2, 1953) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... A 527 group, is a type of tax-exempt organization, named after a section of the United States tax code, that is created primarily to influence the nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates for public office. ... The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the United States government agency that collects taxes and enforces the tax laws. ... Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, formerly known as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT), is an organization of American Swift boat veterans and former prisoners of war of the Vietnam War, formed during the 2004 presidential election campaign. ... A group of MoveOn volunteers helped the get-out-the-vote drive in Cincinnati in the run-up to the 2004 U.S. presidential election. ... The Media Fund is a 527 Group, active in U.S. politics, which was supporting John Kerrys campaign for President. ... America Coming Together, commonly abbreviated ACT, is a 527 committee dedicated to get-out-the-vote activities. ...

To distinguish official campaigning from independent campaigning, political advertisements on television were required to include a verbal disclaimer identifying the organization responsible for the advertisement. Advertisements produced by political campaigns usually included the statement, “I'm [candidate's name], and I approve this message.” Advertisements produced by independent organizations usually included the statement, “[Organization name] is responsible for the content of this advertisement,” and from September 3 (60 days before the general election), such organizations' ads were prohibited from mentioning any candidate by name. Previously, television advertisements only required a written “paid for by” disclaimer on the screen. September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years). ...

This law was not well known or widely publicized at the beginning of the Democratic primary season, which led to some early misperception of Howard Dean, who was the first candidate to buy television advertising in this election cycle. Not realizing that the law required the phrasing, some people viewing the ads reportedly questioned why Dean might say such a thing—such questions were easier to ask because of the maverick nature of Dean's campaign in general.

Colorado's Amendment 36

A ballot initiative in Colorado, known as Amendment 36, would have changed the way in which the state apportions its electoral votes. Rather than assigning all 9 of the state's electors to the candidate with a plurality of popular votes, under the amendment Colorado would have assigned presidential electors proportionally to the statewide vote count, which would be a unique system (Nebraska and Maine assign electoral votes based on vote totals within each congressional district). Detractors claimed that this splitting would diminish Colorado's influence in the Electoral College, and the amendment ultimately failed, receiving only 34% of the vote. In the November 2004 United States election, one of the issues up for a vote in the state of Colorado was known as Amendment 36. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 8th 269,837 kmÂ² 451 km 612 km 0. ... In the November 2004 United States election, one of the issues up for a vote in the state of Colorado was known as Amendment 36. ... A plurality (or relative majority) is the largest share of something, which may or may not be a majority. ... Official language(s) English Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 16th 200,520 kmÂ² 340 km 690 km 0. ... Official language(s) None Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 39th 86,542 kmÂ² 305 km 515 km 13. ...

Legal challenges

Election watchers and political analysts forecast a number of contested election results in a manner similar to the Florida voting recount of 2000. Various states grappled with their own legal issues that could have affected the outcome of the vote, while both of the major political parties and a number of independent groups like the ACLU marshaled numbers of lawyers. Presidential electoral votes by state. ... The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, is a non_governmental organization devoted to defending civil rights and civil liberties in the United States. ...

In several states including Ohio, Colorado, Florida, and Nevada, there were lawsuits or other disputes about such issues as “voter challenging”, voter registration, and absentee ballots. These were considered unlikely to change the Electoral College result. In Florida, for example, multiple lawsuits were filed even before the election, but few observers expected any of them to change the official result that Bush had outpolled Kerry by roughly 400,000 votes. As of the morning of November 3rd, the deciding state in the electoral vote count was Ohio, where Bush held a 136,000 vote lead. Democrats' hopes rested on the approximately 135,000 provisional ballots that had yet to be counted. Nevertheless, after concluding that a recount would not change the election results, Kerry conceded defeat at about 11:00 EST that morning, and George W. Bush declared victory the afternoon of the same day. Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 kmÂ² 355 km 355 km 8. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 8th 269,837 kmÂ² 451 km 612 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170 451 kmÂ² 260 km 800 km 17. ... Official language(s) None Capital Carson City Largest city Las Vegas Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 7th 286,367 kmÂ² 519 km 788 km 0. ... The Eastern Standard Time Zone is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting five hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). ...

Two of the third-party candidates, Badnarik and Cobb, cooperated in requesting a recount of the Ohio vote (although Cobb led the effort). After announcing their intention and soliciting donations, they quickly raised $150,000 to cover the state's required fee and other costs. A statewide recount of the presidential vote was completed; however, some observers claim that the recount was conducted improperly, and illegally, and have filed a new lawsuit, which is currently pending. The Congressional Democrats who objected to the counting of Ohio's electoral votes relied on part on information about voting irregularities provided by observers working for the Cobb campaign.

Anybody but Bush

“Anybody but Bush” was an informal political movement during the 2004 US Presidential election. It was a group of voters who would vote for “anybody” before they voted for President George W. Bush. The driving force behind the movement was anger at the policies of the Bush Administration. These voters believe that anyone put into the Oval Office would do a better job as President than George W. Bush without regard to the person's record or political views. Another permutation of this was “Anybody but Bush, Except for Kerry”, which gained popularity among disenchanted or secular Republicans, who were unwilling to vote for John Kerry. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... The Bush administration is a group of people that includes President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, Bushs Cabinet, and other select officials and advisors. ... The Oval Office is the official office of the President of the United States, in the West Wing of the White House, built in 1909. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943, Aurora, Colorado) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ...

Election controversy

Main articles: 2004 U.S. election voting controversies and 2004 U.S. presidential election controversy and irregularities After the November 2, 2004 election in the United States, concerns were raised, by some democrats, about various aspects of the voting process, including whether voting had been made accessible to all those entitled to vote (and no one else), and whether the votes cast had been correctly counted. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

After the election, some sources reported indications of possible data irregularities and systematic flaws during the voting process, which are covered in detail by the election controversy articles.

Although the overall result of the election was not challenged by the Kerry campaign, third-party presidential candidates David Cobb and Michael Badnarik obtained a recount in Ohio. This recount was completed December 28, 2004, amid allegations of illegal recount procedures in many counties. Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 kmÂ² 355 km 355 km 8. ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

At the official counting of the electoral votes on January 6, a motion was made contesting Ohio's electoral votes. Because the motion was supported by at least one member of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, election law mandated that each house retire to debate and vote on the motion. In the House of Representatives, the motion was supported by 31 Democrats. It was opposed by 178 Republicans, 88 Democrats and one independent. Not voting were 52 Republicans and 80 Democrats. [17] Four people elected to the House had not yet taken office, and one seat was vacant. In the Senate, it was supported only by its maker, Senator Boxer, with 74 Senators opposed and 25 not voting. During the debate, not one Senator, either Democrat or Republican, argued that the outcome of the election should be changed by either court challenge or revote. Senator Boxer claimed that she had made the motion not to challenge the outcome, but to “shed the light of truth on these irregularities.” January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Barbara Levy Boxer (born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and the current junior U.S. Senator from the State of California. ...

Contents

Background

Nominations

Republican nomination

Democratic nomination

Other nominations

General election: campaign

Campaign issues

Debates

Election results

Finance

Members of the 2004 United States Electoral College

Ballot access

“Faithless elector” in Minnesota

Electoral vote error in New York

Presidential Results by Congressional District

Analysis and trivia

Timeline

Newspaper endorsements

Electoral College changes from 2000

Vote splitting concerns

Battleground states

New during this campaign

International observers

Electronic voting

Campaign law changes

Colorado's Amendment 36

Legal challenges

Anybody but Bush

Election controversy

See also

Other elections

Sources

External links

Contents

Background GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Nominations

Republican nomination

Democratic nomination

Other nominations

General election: campaign

Campaign issues

Debates

Election results

Finance

Members of the 2004 United States Electoral College

Ballot access

“Faithless elector” in Minnesota

Electoral vote error in New York

Presidential Results by Congressional District

Analysis and trivia

Timeline

Newspaper endorsements

Electoral College changes from 2000

Vote splitting concerns

Battleground states

New during this campaign

International observers

Electronic voting

Campaign law changes

Colorado's Amendment 36

Legal challenges

Anybody but Bush

Election controversy

See also

Other elections

Sources

External links

Background