2000 and Beyond
- Thread starter NickCT
- Start date
Day 1: July 26
Ann Richards Campaign Office
Ann Richards was pacing back-and-forth staring out the window at the city of Boston below. As she thought about what was at stake she turned to her staff, “Both Daschle and Richards said no?”
“For the fifth time Governor, yes,” her campaign manager reminded her.
“..and Gore?”
“Still a no.”
She thought about getting here and the physical toll it’d taken, “I’m not staying in past a second ballot. I’ll withdraw if that’s the case.” The news wasn’t entirely shocking to her staff who’d notice that she was leaning towards backing out. The four-day convention was devoted to nominating a candidate.
“Well I don’t think it’ll come to that, and we need to be sure we have a veep in mind.”
“Kerry, done.”
“Ma’me that’s not a good choice, he just got…”
“…my support. Trust me, John’ll do fine.”
Carol Moseley Braun Campaign Office
“Go with Gore, Mom,” her son said.
“I can win this, Matt.”
“Just back out, you had a good run and you can get Vice President! Vice President of the United States!”
“I’m siding with Matt, here,” her Chief Strategist replied.
“If we had two weeks we could’ve…”
“…but we don’t. The first ballot starts in 2 hours.”
Carol sat behind her desk looking over polling figures, “I beat Dole by 1%”
“That poll has Bill Bradley, BILL FUCKING BRADLEY, beating Dole by 8%!”
“Maybe he should run, then.”
“For God’s sakes Mom! Trust me, Vice President is great!”
“No.”
Al Gore Campaign Office
The former Vice President sat in a room with his wife, Hillary Clinton, and Bill Clinton. “We need to make sure that this doesn’t make it to a third ballot,” Al said.
Bill was quick to respond, “This is going to get very ugly…we’ll be killed in the general election!”
“No! No! No!” Gore yelled, “I’m beating Dole by 3%! 3%!”
“That same poll has Bill Bradley winning by 8%, are you really going to trust it?” Hillary chipped-in.
“Yes, I am.”
“Al if it goes to a third ballot, endorse Richards. You can get Vice President.”
“You’re wrong Tipper! Look all bets are off for a second ballot! No one is told who to vote for…”
“He does have a point, we’ll have to see how it goes,” Clinton responded before he left the room.
Tom Daschle Campaign Office
Tom Daschle was alone, to himself, standing in a hotel room. He looked at CNN in front of him, which painted a grim picture. It was an hour and a half until the first ballot began and he was sure that he could win on the second ballot. He was the party establishment and he could promise anyone anything…and win. He was sure he’d be able to do it.
Talking to himself he muttered, “I’m in it until the end.” Then he turned off the television and shut his laptop before entering the bathroom.
The first ballot was conducted quickly and a second ballot was set to begin in three hours. The candidates were in overdrive and working to get delegates to back them – they’d give speeches in twenty minutes. Anyone could announce a floor candidacy at this point and everyone was waiting to see if anyone would, but the news didn’t come until two minutes before speeches were to begin that Senator Bill Bradley, who withdrew his support of Ann Richards months ago, was once again seeking the nomination. He’d won four years ago and was back in the game, giving a commanding and forceful address, Bradley told the delegates that he was the one who was ready to take on Elizabeth Dole in the general election. His speech unified and electrified the delegates. The question remained: who would Bradley take votes from? The answer appeared to be a mix of all three major candidates, with Kucinich’s delegate count expected to go slightly up among strong and fervent liberals.
After Bradley, the last to give his speech finished, voting began and Joe Lieberman stepped to the mike and urged his former delegates to back Bill Bradley for President, calling him the only electable choice. Still, it would be hard for delegates to justify support for a candidate who wasn’t voted on by the people. At the end of the second ballot the results showed…
Delegate Total -- 1727 Needed for Majority
Ann Richards, 911 delegates
Bill Bradley, 909 delegates
Tom Daschle, 711 delegates
Al Gore, 514 delegates
Carol Moseley Braun, 316 delegates
Dennis Kucinich, 9 delegates
This convention was not over.
Ann Richards Campaign Office
Ann Richards was pacing back-and-forth staring out the window at the city of Boston below. As she thought about what was at stake she turned to her staff, “Both Daschle and Richards said no?”
“For the fifth time Governor, yes,” her campaign manager reminded her.
“..and Gore?”
“Still a no.”
She thought about getting here and the physical toll it’d taken, “I’m not staying in past a second ballot. I’ll withdraw if that’s the case.” The news wasn’t entirely shocking to her staff who’d notice that she was leaning towards backing out. The four-day convention was devoted to nominating a candidate.
“Well I don’t think it’ll come to that, and we need to be sure we have a veep in mind.”
“Kerry, done.”
“Ma’me that’s not a good choice, he just got…”
“…my support. Trust me, John’ll do fine.”
Carol Moseley Braun Campaign Office
“Go with Gore, Mom,” her son said.
“I can win this, Matt.”
“Just back out, you had a good run and you can get Vice President! Vice President of the United States!”
“I’m siding with Matt, here,” her Chief Strategist replied.
“If we had two weeks we could’ve…”
“…but we don’t. The first ballot starts in 2 hours.”
Carol sat behind her desk looking over polling figures, “I beat Dole by 1%”
“That poll has Bill Bradley, BILL FUCKING BRADLEY, beating Dole by 8%!”
“Maybe he should run, then.”
“For God’s sakes Mom! Trust me, Vice President is great!”
“No.”
Al Gore Campaign Office
The former Vice President sat in a room with his wife, Hillary Clinton, and Bill Clinton. “We need to make sure that this doesn’t make it to a third ballot,” Al said.
Bill was quick to respond, “This is going to get very ugly…we’ll be killed in the general election!”
“No! No! No!” Gore yelled, “I’m beating Dole by 3%! 3%!”
“That same poll has Bill Bradley winning by 8%, are you really going to trust it?” Hillary chipped-in.
“Yes, I am.”
“Al if it goes to a third ballot, endorse Richards. You can get Vice President.”
“You’re wrong Tipper! Look all bets are off for a second ballot! No one is told who to vote for…”
“He does have a point, we’ll have to see how it goes,” Clinton responded before he left the room.
Tom Daschle Campaign Office
Tom Daschle was alone, to himself, standing in a hotel room. He looked at CNN in front of him, which painted a grim picture. It was an hour and a half until the first ballot began and he was sure that he could win on the second ballot. He was the party establishment and he could promise anyone anything…and win. He was sure he’d be able to do it.
Talking to himself he muttered, “I’m in it until the end.” Then he turned off the television and shut his laptop before entering the bathroom.
DAY 1: JULY 24, 2004 – FIRST BALLOT
The first ballot was conducted quickly and a second ballot was set to begin in three hours. The candidates were in overdrive and working to get delegates to back them – they’d give speeches in twenty minutes. Anyone could announce a floor candidacy at this point and everyone was waiting to see if anyone would, but the news didn’t come until two minutes before speeches were to begin that Senator Bill Bradley, who withdrew his support of Ann Richards months ago, was once again seeking the nomination. He’d won four years ago and was back in the game, giving a commanding and forceful address, Bradley told the delegates that he was the one who was ready to take on Elizabeth Dole in the general election. His speech unified and electrified the delegates. The question remained: who would Bradley take votes from? The answer appeared to be a mix of all three major candidates, with Kucinich’s delegate count expected to go slightly up among strong and fervent liberals.
After Bradley, the last to give his speech finished, voting began and Joe Lieberman stepped to the mike and urged his former delegates to back Bill Bradley for President, calling him the only electable choice. Still, it would be hard for delegates to justify support for a candidate who wasn’t voted on by the people. At the end of the second ballot the results showed…
Delegate Total -- 1727 Needed for Majority
Ann Richards, 911 delegates
Bill Bradley, 909 delegates
Tom Daschle, 711 delegates
Al Gore, 514 delegates
Carol Moseley Braun, 316 delegates
Dennis Kucinich, 9 delegates
This convention was not over.
Day 2: July 25
Once again the convention was opened and candidates were given another opportunity to convince voters they were the right choice for the nomination. In her speech Senator Carol Moseley Braun withdrew her name from contention in the race and freed her delegates. Though Richards, Bradley, and Gore had pursued her endorsement she decided to allow the delegates to choose for themselves. Eventually it was Governor Richards’ turn to speak. Again people openly speculated the Governor would use the opportunity to withdraw from the race as well, but she didn’t and, instead, she promised that the fight would go on. Kucinich was, despite the efforts of the other four candidates, allowed to address the convention. He promised to return the party to its liberal roots and foundation. Gore, Daschle, and Bradley gave convincing speeches but nothing newsworthy occurred. After the third ballot concluded at 2 PM the party hoped to have a nominee, but it appeared that delegates were still deeply divided about who they would vote for. At the end of the second round Bill Bradley had 1,010 delegates, Ann Richards had 984, Tom Daschle had 674, and Al Gore had 673. Dennis Kucinich had 29 delegates.
Party insiders approached Tom Daschle and Al Gore, all but begging them to withdraw their names from consideration. The problem for Al Gore was that he had risked his political future on this election, he couldn’t risk losing again. Daschle, however, decided to withdraw from the race but refused to endorse a candidate. In his mind he’d outperformed expectations and would be a frontrunner in 2008 and for the Vice Presidential nomination. While various Democratic lawmakers addressed the crowd in the next 3 hours, Daschle was the last to take the stage and he withdrew his name at that moment. Instantly his delegates were lost and were forced with deciding the Democratic nominee in the next fifteen minutes. It was 5:30 when voting began again for the fourth and final ballot.
Ann Richards and Bill Bradley were on the floor of the convention all day, meeting with delegates and proving they were ready to take back the White House for their party. Each candidate shook the hands of nearly every delegate from the important delegations. Dennis Kucinich stood on a chair and, in caucus style, told delegates why he was the best choice before moving to another delegation. Al Gore, on the other hand, had his surrogates on the ground has he buried himself in phone calls and secured the endorsement of New York’s Party Chairman. Then voting began.
It appeared, as the delegations were being called, that no one candidate had a distinct edge, but Ann Richards quickly noticed the delegates she’d been relying on, mothers and southerners, were falling for Bradley and Gore and that her support was quickly eroding. As the final states neared momentum had quickly left her favor and it quickly became obvious, when a substantial amount of Texas Delegates supported Bradley, that the momentum against her had made it impossible for her to win. By the end of the ballot the party had reached a nominee and no one could believe who it was. The eventual nominee was someone no one had expected to make such a political rise after the challenges they faced from years before. The nominee had been someone who had stood, in his own words, as the “unwavering liberal giant”, and the party had eventually decided that he could make the cast against President Elizabeth Dole. When the Convention Chairman announced the nominee the crowd below burst in to wild applause, but that applause and the tensions among delegates overshadowed State Senator Barack Obama’s keynote address. Obama’s speech was solid and successful, but no one could focus on it as speculation over the bottom of the ticket mounted.
DAY 2: JULY 25, 2004 - THIRD BALLOT
Once again the convention was opened and candidates were given another opportunity to convince voters they were the right choice for the nomination. In her speech Senator Carol Moseley Braun withdrew her name from contention in the race and freed her delegates. Though Richards, Bradley, and Gore had pursued her endorsement she decided to allow the delegates to choose for themselves. Eventually it was Governor Richards’ turn to speak. Again people openly speculated the Governor would use the opportunity to withdraw from the race as well, but she didn’t and, instead, she promised that the fight would go on. Kucinich was, despite the efforts of the other four candidates, allowed to address the convention. He promised to return the party to its liberal roots and foundation. Gore, Daschle, and Bradley gave convincing speeches but nothing newsworthy occurred. After the third ballot concluded at 2 PM the party hoped to have a nominee, but it appeared that delegates were still deeply divided about who they would vote for. At the end of the second round Bill Bradley had 1,010 delegates, Ann Richards had 984, Tom Daschle had 674, and Al Gore had 673. Dennis Kucinich had 29 delegates.
Party insiders approached Tom Daschle and Al Gore, all but begging them to withdraw their names from consideration. The problem for Al Gore was that he had risked his political future on this election, he couldn’t risk losing again. Daschle, however, decided to withdraw from the race but refused to endorse a candidate. In his mind he’d outperformed expectations and would be a frontrunner in 2008 and for the Vice Presidential nomination. While various Democratic lawmakers addressed the crowd in the next 3 hours, Daschle was the last to take the stage and he withdrew his name at that moment. Instantly his delegates were lost and were forced with deciding the Democratic nominee in the next fifteen minutes. It was 5:30 when voting began again for the fourth and final ballot.
Ann Richards and Bill Bradley were on the floor of the convention all day, meeting with delegates and proving they were ready to take back the White House for their party. Each candidate shook the hands of nearly every delegate from the important delegations. Dennis Kucinich stood on a chair and, in caucus style, told delegates why he was the best choice before moving to another delegation. Al Gore, on the other hand, had his surrogates on the ground has he buried himself in phone calls and secured the endorsement of New York’s Party Chairman. Then voting began.
It appeared, as the delegations were being called, that no one candidate had a distinct edge, but Ann Richards quickly noticed the delegates she’d been relying on, mothers and southerners, were falling for Bradley and Gore and that her support was quickly eroding. As the final states neared momentum had quickly left her favor and it quickly became obvious, when a substantial amount of Texas Delegates supported Bradley, that the momentum against her had made it impossible for her to win. By the end of the ballot the party had reached a nominee and no one could believe who it was. The eventual nominee was someone no one had expected to make such a political rise after the challenges they faced from years before. The nominee had been someone who had stood, in his own words, as the “unwavering liberal giant”, and the party had eventually decided that he could make the cast against President Elizabeth Dole. When the Convention Chairman announced the nominee the crowd below burst in to wild applause, but that applause and the tensions among delegates overshadowed State Senator Barack Obama’s keynote address. Obama’s speech was solid and successful, but no one could focus on it as speculation over the bottom of the ticket mounted.
The Democratic National Convention
The convention was on its feet as the Vice Presidential nominee approached the podium. Hillary Clinton’s endorsement of Al Gore led to an unlikely nomination as the Vice President. In her hastily-written address she promised the country that she would fight for a new kind of leadership and that the Democratic ticket would prevail in November. At the end of her speech she thanked her supporters as the party’s presidential nominee, Bill Bradley, joined Braun in waving to the numerous delegates below. Just winning the necessary delegates required, Bradley had squeaked out a nomination on the fourth ballot. His speech would come the following night and was sure to bring down the house. Luckily for the Democrats polling quickly conducted proved that Bradley was tied, 47-47 with President Dole, but the Democrats were happy to learn that they were still in the game after what they expected to be an unbeneficial election. Finally the fourth day of the convention arrived and it consisted of Congresswoman Glenn Close enthusiastically supporting the presidential nominee, in fact it was arguably the biggest speech of the convention to that moment. As Close talked about ending the partisanship “spewing from Elizabeth Dole’s Administration” she outlined the Democratic plan for the White House.
Senator Bill Bradley, the former legislator from New Jersey, was once again on the stage of the convention as he accepted a nomination for President of the United States. Much like his 2000 address, Bradley had a strong and consistent speech to Americans across the country, but this time he continuously hammered President Dole on her record. “It took our President three years to pass Social Security Reform, if it took her almost one term to pass real legislation what’s her one goal for her second term?” The speech “brought down the house” and Democrats received a large bump from the convention.
The greatest speeches throughout the week came from Glenn Close, John Kerry, John Edwards, and Bill Clinton. Though Barack Obama gave a great speech it was largely overlooked and underrated by the speculation over the Vice Presidential nominee and the immediate aftermath of Bradley’s nomination (which sent shockwaves throughout the convention).
The convention was on its feet as the Vice Presidential nominee approached the podium. Hillary Clinton’s endorsement of Al Gore led to an unlikely nomination as the Vice President. In her hastily-written address she promised the country that she would fight for a new kind of leadership and that the Democratic ticket would prevail in November. At the end of her speech she thanked her supporters as the party’s presidential nominee, Bill Bradley, joined Braun in waving to the numerous delegates below. Just winning the necessary delegates required, Bradley had squeaked out a nomination on the fourth ballot. His speech would come the following night and was sure to bring down the house. Luckily for the Democrats polling quickly conducted proved that Bradley was tied, 47-47 with President Dole, but the Democrats were happy to learn that they were still in the game after what they expected to be an unbeneficial election. Finally the fourth day of the convention arrived and it consisted of Congresswoman Glenn Close enthusiastically supporting the presidential nominee, in fact it was arguably the biggest speech of the convention to that moment. As Close talked about ending the partisanship “spewing from Elizabeth Dole’s Administration” she outlined the Democratic plan for the White House.
Senator Bill Bradley, the former legislator from New Jersey, was once again on the stage of the convention as he accepted a nomination for President of the United States. Much like his 2000 address, Bradley had a strong and consistent speech to Americans across the country, but this time he continuously hammered President Dole on her record. “It took our President three years to pass Social Security Reform, if it took her almost one term to pass real legislation what’s her one goal for her second term?” The speech “brought down the house” and Democrats received a large bump from the convention.
The greatest speeches throughout the week came from Glenn Close, John Kerry, John Edwards, and Bill Clinton. Though Barack Obama gave a great speech it was largely overlooked and underrated by the speculation over the Vice Presidential nominee and the immediate aftermath of Bradley’s nomination (which sent shockwaves throughout the convention).
MORE DNC PHOTOS
The Republican National Convention
Unlike the Democratic Convention, the Republicans demonstrated a clear mastery of the organization aspect that a convention requires. The opening night was spent hammering Bill Bradley on numerous issues ranging from abortion to national defense while promoting the record of President Dole, but the undertone of every address was paying tribute to the recently-fallen president: Ronald Reagan. As delegates remained assembled throughout the course of four days many prominent speakers included George Pataki, Rudy Giuliani, Elisabeth Hasselback, and Senator Bill Frist. The next day, which focused mainly on the accomplishments of Elizabeth Dole and her ability to keep the peace, former Vice President Fred Thompson spoke to the convention, entering to a standing ovation. Shortly after Thompson's speech, Zell Miller, a Democrat Senator from Georgia, addressed the convention where he announced that Senator Bradley was nothing but a do-nothing politician hoping to collect a paycheck. Milller's fiery rhetoric brought the convention to its feet just in time for Texas Senator George W. Bush to give a strong and consistent address to the convention, urging the party to back President Dole once again. Recent polls had shown that Democrats received little-to-no bounce in the days after their convention, but Bush was hoping to assist the Republicans in getting a bounce from a strong keynote address. Bush put aside any rumors that his political career over with one television anchor that, "Bush's career has just begun!"
After Bush's address the second night was basically over and the delegates packed their bags and returned to their hotel room in anticipation for Vice President Santorum's convention speech. The Republican Party hadn't heard from Vice President Santorum in a setting like this and all of the attention was on the unelected-Vice President. When the third day began in New York City protests raged outside, but inside the convention hall there was much to be excited about as Massachusetts Senator Mitt Romney rose to the podium. In the eyes of many Romney had taken down Senator Kerry and in-turn a frontrunner for the Democratic party's nomination. Bradley was a strong candidate, but he was hurt by the fact not a single voter supported him. While boosting Rick Santorum and his "long, distinguished" career, Romney also took several shots at Bradley and the method he became the Presidential Nominee. After Romney spoke Senator John McCain, rumored to be setting the stage for a 2008 campaign, spoke to the convention outlining the need for peace. "Rick has always been one to understand foreign policy; in turn he'll keep our country out of war," the Senator said. Eventually it was time.
Rick Santorum walked on stage to thunderous applause. The delegates were ecstatic and it took eight minutes before the Vice President could speak. In that time he said at least 50 "thank yous". When the applause dimmed Rick Santorum began, "My fellow patriots: my name is Rick Santorum..." immediately he was cut off by another round of applause as the delegates blew air horns, stomped their feet, and clapped until their hands were red. The enthusiasm over a candidate who had never sought the office he was given was shocking and puzzled numerous talking heads. Soon enough it became clear that Santorum's unwavering conservatism and strong leadership were the reasons for such a warm welcome. His speech was somewhat short, lasting 41 minutes, but was interrupted over 75 times for applause -- taking an hour to give. The speech outlined Santorum's ability to attract the base, but also positioned him as viable in the general election. Taking numerous digs at Hillary Clinton and her "lack of experience", Santorum brought the House down. "I may not have lived in the White House for eight years, but I'll sure as hell keep family values in the White House and so will Liddy!" The crowd loved that line more than any other it what was an obvious assault on Bill Clinton's affair. Furthermore Santorum criticized Bradley and Clinton for their senate records and called them "cowards" when America needed leadership. The speech was very well-received by Republicans and Independents.
Delegates soon returned to their rooms as the country remained in awe at the clear unity stemming from the Republican party. Santorum's speech had electrified the delegates and expectations were high for President Dole who would be speaking in roughly 24 hours. When the doors opened for the final day, the platform had been set, the balloons prepared for dropping, and the anticipation high. Around dinner time the serious speakers began with Michael Reagan giving a short speech on his father and then Laura Bush giving a very brief speech about her friendship with Elizabeth Dole. Next on the list was Senator George Allen, rumored to be a Presidential contender in 2008, who gave a fiery anti-abortion, pro-family speech to the crowd of delegates. When Senator Allen concluded, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich gave his remarks on the importance of Dole's presidency. An historian, Gingrich sought to remind the Republicans of the important decision they'd made four years ago in nominating Dole. Finally it was the moment everyone had been waiting for: Bob Dole approached the podium, gave a 15-minute introduction of his wife, and soon the President of the United States approached the podium as "Hail to the Chief" boomed from the loudspeakers. As Dole stood for twelve minutes, waiting for an end to the applause, she couldn't help but reflect on all she'd been through.
Walking the convention through the numerous accomplishments of her presidency, Dole pleaded for four more years. The president was constantly interrupted as delegates shouted "FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!" Followed by, "GO, LIDDY, GO! GO, LIDDY, GO! GO, LIDDY, GO!" Dole couldn't help but crack a smile and laugh as the enthusiastic delegates below stood in awe at the President in front of them. Here was a woman who'd led the country through a terrorist attack, been shot at herself, achieved long-lasting social security reform, worked on numerous other issues, and replaced a power-hungry Vice President... she was one of a kind. Dole stressed the importance of a "unified party", urging the delegates to be with her once again: through thick and thin. Anyone looking in on the convention would've felt Dole had a 15-point lead, but in reality her and Bradley were neck-and-neck and it would likely be a tough fight to the finish. In the conclusion of her speech Dole thanked the delegates numerous times and she thanked the American people for their continued support. Reminding delegates she'd fight to protect the constitution and keep America safe, the President ended her speech to a raucous audience. At the very end Vice President Santorum walked on stage and together the President and Vice President rose their arms and waved as the balloons fell upon them...the 2004 Republican National Convention was over.
AUG. 30 - SEPT. 2 2004: THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION
Unlike the Democratic Convention, the Republicans demonstrated a clear mastery of the organization aspect that a convention requires. The opening night was spent hammering Bill Bradley on numerous issues ranging from abortion to national defense while promoting the record of President Dole, but the undertone of every address was paying tribute to the recently-fallen president: Ronald Reagan. As delegates remained assembled throughout the course of four days many prominent speakers included George Pataki, Rudy Giuliani, Elisabeth Hasselback, and Senator Bill Frist. The next day, which focused mainly on the accomplishments of Elizabeth Dole and her ability to keep the peace, former Vice President Fred Thompson spoke to the convention, entering to a standing ovation. Shortly after Thompson's speech, Zell Miller, a Democrat Senator from Georgia, addressed the convention where he announced that Senator Bradley was nothing but a do-nothing politician hoping to collect a paycheck. Milller's fiery rhetoric brought the convention to its feet just in time for Texas Senator George W. Bush to give a strong and consistent address to the convention, urging the party to back President Dole once again. Recent polls had shown that Democrats received little-to-no bounce in the days after their convention, but Bush was hoping to assist the Republicans in getting a bounce from a strong keynote address. Bush put aside any rumors that his political career over with one television anchor that, "Bush's career has just begun!"
After Bush's address the second night was basically over and the delegates packed their bags and returned to their hotel room in anticipation for Vice President Santorum's convention speech. The Republican Party hadn't heard from Vice President Santorum in a setting like this and all of the attention was on the unelected-Vice President. When the third day began in New York City protests raged outside, but inside the convention hall there was much to be excited about as Massachusetts Senator Mitt Romney rose to the podium. In the eyes of many Romney had taken down Senator Kerry and in-turn a frontrunner for the Democratic party's nomination. Bradley was a strong candidate, but he was hurt by the fact not a single voter supported him. While boosting Rick Santorum and his "long, distinguished" career, Romney also took several shots at Bradley and the method he became the Presidential Nominee. After Romney spoke Senator John McCain, rumored to be setting the stage for a 2008 campaign, spoke to the convention outlining the need for peace. "Rick has always been one to understand foreign policy; in turn he'll keep our country out of war," the Senator said. Eventually it was time.
Rick Santorum walked on stage to thunderous applause. The delegates were ecstatic and it took eight minutes before the Vice President could speak. In that time he said at least 50 "thank yous". When the applause dimmed Rick Santorum began, "My fellow patriots: my name is Rick Santorum..." immediately he was cut off by another round of applause as the delegates blew air horns, stomped their feet, and clapped until their hands were red. The enthusiasm over a candidate who had never sought the office he was given was shocking and puzzled numerous talking heads. Soon enough it became clear that Santorum's unwavering conservatism and strong leadership were the reasons for such a warm welcome. His speech was somewhat short, lasting 41 minutes, but was interrupted over 75 times for applause -- taking an hour to give. The speech outlined Santorum's ability to attract the base, but also positioned him as viable in the general election. Taking numerous digs at Hillary Clinton and her "lack of experience", Santorum brought the House down. "I may not have lived in the White House for eight years, but I'll sure as hell keep family values in the White House and so will Liddy!" The crowd loved that line more than any other it what was an obvious assault on Bill Clinton's affair. Furthermore Santorum criticized Bradley and Clinton for their senate records and called them "cowards" when America needed leadership. The speech was very well-received by Republicans and Independents.
Delegates soon returned to their rooms as the country remained in awe at the clear unity stemming from the Republican party. Santorum's speech had electrified the delegates and expectations were high for President Dole who would be speaking in roughly 24 hours. When the doors opened for the final day, the platform had been set, the balloons prepared for dropping, and the anticipation high. Around dinner time the serious speakers began with Michael Reagan giving a short speech on his father and then Laura Bush giving a very brief speech about her friendship with Elizabeth Dole. Next on the list was Senator George Allen, rumored to be a Presidential contender in 2008, who gave a fiery anti-abortion, pro-family speech to the crowd of delegates. When Senator Allen concluded, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich gave his remarks on the importance of Dole's presidency. An historian, Gingrich sought to remind the Republicans of the important decision they'd made four years ago in nominating Dole. Finally it was the moment everyone had been waiting for: Bob Dole approached the podium, gave a 15-minute introduction of his wife, and soon the President of the United States approached the podium as "Hail to the Chief" boomed from the loudspeakers. As Dole stood for twelve minutes, waiting for an end to the applause, she couldn't help but reflect on all she'd been through.
Walking the convention through the numerous accomplishments of her presidency, Dole pleaded for four more years. The president was constantly interrupted as delegates shouted "FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!" Followed by, "GO, LIDDY, GO! GO, LIDDY, GO! GO, LIDDY, GO!" Dole couldn't help but crack a smile and laugh as the enthusiastic delegates below stood in awe at the President in front of them. Here was a woman who'd led the country through a terrorist attack, been shot at herself, achieved long-lasting social security reform, worked on numerous other issues, and replaced a power-hungry Vice President... she was one of a kind. Dole stressed the importance of a "unified party", urging the delegates to be with her once again: through thick and thin. Anyone looking in on the convention would've felt Dole had a 15-point lead, but in reality her and Bradley were neck-and-neck and it would likely be a tough fight to the finish. In the conclusion of her speech Dole thanked the delegates numerous times and she thanked the American people for their continued support. Reminding delegates she'd fight to protect the constitution and keep America safe, the President ended her speech to a raucous audience. At the very end Vice President Santorum walked on stage and together the President and Vice President rose their arms and waved as the balloons fell upon them...the 2004 Republican National Convention was over.
MORE RNC PHOTOS
Chapter 35
SEPT 4TH: DOLE/SANTORUM GET CONVENTION BOUNCE; LEAD 48-43
SEPT 8TH: CLINTON PROVES TO BE STRONG CANDIDATE, FIGHTS HARD IN FL
SEPT 13TH: BRADLEY, DOLE AGREE TO TWO DEBATES
SEPT 19TH: DOLE APPROVAL AT 46%, BUT SHE GETS 48% OF VOTE IN POLLS
SEPT 21ST: CAROLE HILLARD LEADS SENATOR DASCHLE BY 2%
SEPT 8TH: CLINTON PROVES TO BE STRONG CANDIDATE, FIGHTS HARD IN FL
SEPT 13TH: BRADLEY, DOLE AGREE TO TWO DEBATES
SEPT 19TH: DOLE APPROVAL AT 46%, BUT SHE GETS 48% OF VOTE IN POLLS
SEPT 21ST: CAROLE HILLARD LEADS SENATOR DASCHLE BY 2%
AUG. 30 - SEPT. 2 2004: THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION
Rick Santorum walked on stage to thunderous applause. The delegates were ecstatic and it took eight minutes before the Vice President could speak. In that time he said at least 50 "thank yous". When the applause dimmed Rick Santorum began, "My fellow patriots: my name is Rick Santorum..." immediately he was cut off by another round of applause as the delegates blew air horns, stomped their feet, and clapped until their hands were red. The enthusiasm over a candidate who had never sought the office he was given was shocking and puzzled numerous talking heads. Soon enough it became clear that Santorum's unwavering conservatism and strong leadership were the reasons for such a warm welcome. His speech was somewhat short, lasting 41 minutes, but was interrupted over 75 times for applause -- taking an hour to give. The speech outlined Santorum's ability to attract the base, but also positioned him as viable in the general election. Taking numerous digs at Hillary Clinton and her "lack of experience", Santorum brought the House down. "I may not have lived in the White House for eight years, but I'll sure as hell keep family values in the White House and so will Liddy!" The crowd loved that line more than any other it what was an obvious assault on Bill Clinton's affair. Furthermore Santorum criticized Bradley and Clinton for their senate records and called them "cowards" when America needed leadership. The speech was very well-received by Republicans and Independents.
Delegates soon returned to their rooms as the country remained in awe at the clear unity stemming from the Republican party. Santorum's speech had electrified the delegates and expectations were high for President Dole who would be speaking in roughly 24 hours.
I see you have Santorum pulling an Obama. Making an amazing speech at the party convention, and getting the spotlight. Perhaps we will be seeing more Santorum in the future?
Wishing you well, his majesty,
The Scandinavian Emperor
Chapter 36
On October 6th the candidates met at American University for their first of two debates. Senator Bradley was hoping to do well enough in the debate to revive his campaign while Elizabeth Dole would be relying heavily on her record as President. The debate was viewed by 55 million people, an average amount, and there was open speculation as to who the winner would be. When the debate began Senator Bradley had the first opening statement. Criticizing Dole’s record as getting “little done”, Bradley came across as prepared and able. When Dole had her turn she outlined all that her administration had worked on, ranging from the death of Osama bin Laden, a strong response in the aftermath of 9/11, and her social security reform. “I can only hope to accomplish more,” the president concluded. The statement was strong and soon questions turned to the economy where unemployment had reached 6.4% in September. Dole reminded voters that she was working on a series of tax cuts to prevent further economic decline and also told of her accomplishment in keeping the budget balanced every year of her presidency. Bradley said he “felt for those unemployed” and would lengthen the amount of time someone could collect unemployment benefits. When the time came for closing statements Dole told the voters that she needed their help in continuing prosperity while Bradley asked voters to be with him in changing the country. Most agreed that the debate was a draw and would likely have little effect on national polls.
By the time the calendar reached October 11th little had changed. Hillary Clinton was fighting hard in Florida for the Democrats, Bradley was traveling from Minnesota to Montana back to Michigan as Dole and Santorum focused on Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Surrogates George W. Bush and Mitt Romney teamed up and helped the GOP in Pennsylvania and North Dakota while Glenn Close and Carol Moseley Braun focused efforts on New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Governor Bill Richardson assisted the Democrats in New Mexico. As far as Senate races were concerned: Tom Daschle had caught up to former lieutenant governor Carole Hillard, as they tied 49-49. Though previously believed to be a shoo-in Barack Obama was now facing a serious challenge by Mike Ditka who was running in a longshot bid for U.S. Senate. Ditka trailed Obama by 5 points, but was quickly making ground. In North Carolina John Edwards held a slight lead over Richard Burr while Lisa Murkowski struggled to pull out a lead over Democrat Tony Knowles.
On October 12th Rick Santorum and Hillary Clinton met in Cleveland, Ohio for their only debate. Santorum was quick to attack Clinton for her lack of experience and her lack of a substantial record in the United States Senate. Clinton, however, attacked Santorum for being “too friendly” with terrorist nations. The two went back and forth but in the end, after a debate viewed by roughly 65 million people, Hillary Clinton was declared the winner and gained a small bump for the Democratic ticket of Bradley/Clinton. Santorum licked his wounds and returned to Pennsylvania in hopes of securing the state for his team in November.
Later in the week, October 15th, Dole and Santorum released an attack ad on Bill Bradley, using his own words against him, from a 2000 campaign speech where he declared “So we won’t let our nominee be decided in the backrooms of a bought-and-paid for convention! The Democratic nominee will be chosen in a Democratic way! We won’t let the establishment pick for us, WILL WE?!” The ad played effectively to moderate Democrats and Independents and aired nationwide every day until the end of the election…the ad was detrimental to Bradley and seriously hurt his campaign.
When the candidates met for their final debate on October 22nd in Florida a lot was at stake. The pressure was on Bradley to defend himself from the attacks on Dole. In the past few days Dole’s leads in North Dakota and Montana had put the states back in to the red column and she’d closed the gap with Bradley in Ohio and Florida. An astonishing 75 million people tuned in for the final debate between the candidates to see who would come out on top. While Bradley didn’t have a solid answer for the democracy question, he was successful in linking Dole to her former Vice President Fred Thompson, claiming she had “the blood of innocent people on her hands” and that the United States was “better than that.” Ultimately the debate was a draw. Even though Bradley did nothing to stop attacks on his rise to the nomination, he did raise questions over how the situation was initially treated while Dole was in the hospital after her assassination attempt, but Thompson hit the stump and claimed that his attacks “lessened the blow of 9/11”. No one knew which way the race would go when the people went to the polls in a few days.
On October 6th the candidates met at American University for their first of two debates. Senator Bradley was hoping to do well enough in the debate to revive his campaign while Elizabeth Dole would be relying heavily on her record as President. The debate was viewed by 55 million people, an average amount, and there was open speculation as to who the winner would be. When the debate began Senator Bradley had the first opening statement. Criticizing Dole’s record as getting “little done”, Bradley came across as prepared and able. When Dole had her turn she outlined all that her administration had worked on, ranging from the death of Osama bin Laden, a strong response in the aftermath of 9/11, and her social security reform. “I can only hope to accomplish more,” the president concluded. The statement was strong and soon questions turned to the economy where unemployment had reached 6.4% in September. Dole reminded voters that she was working on a series of tax cuts to prevent further economic decline and also told of her accomplishment in keeping the budget balanced every year of her presidency. Bradley said he “felt for those unemployed” and would lengthen the amount of time someone could collect unemployment benefits. When the time came for closing statements Dole told the voters that she needed their help in continuing prosperity while Bradley asked voters to be with him in changing the country. Most agreed that the debate was a draw and would likely have little effect on national polls.
By the time the calendar reached October 11th little had changed. Hillary Clinton was fighting hard in Florida for the Democrats, Bradley was traveling from Minnesota to Montana back to Michigan as Dole and Santorum focused on Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Surrogates George W. Bush and Mitt Romney teamed up and helped the GOP in Pennsylvania and North Dakota while Glenn Close and Carol Moseley Braun focused efforts on New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Governor Bill Richardson assisted the Democrats in New Mexico. As far as Senate races were concerned: Tom Daschle had caught up to former lieutenant governor Carole Hillard, as they tied 49-49. Though previously believed to be a shoo-in Barack Obama was now facing a serious challenge by Mike Ditka who was running in a longshot bid for U.S. Senate. Ditka trailed Obama by 5 points, but was quickly making ground. In North Carolina John Edwards held a slight lead over Richard Burr while Lisa Murkowski struggled to pull out a lead over Democrat Tony Knowles.
On October 12th Rick Santorum and Hillary Clinton met in Cleveland, Ohio for their only debate. Santorum was quick to attack Clinton for her lack of experience and her lack of a substantial record in the United States Senate. Clinton, however, attacked Santorum for being “too friendly” with terrorist nations. The two went back and forth but in the end, after a debate viewed by roughly 65 million people, Hillary Clinton was declared the winner and gained a small bump for the Democratic ticket of Bradley/Clinton. Santorum licked his wounds and returned to Pennsylvania in hopes of securing the state for his team in November.
Later in the week, October 15th, Dole and Santorum released an attack ad on Bill Bradley, using his own words against him, from a 2000 campaign speech where he declared “So we won’t let our nominee be decided in the backrooms of a bought-and-paid for convention! The Democratic nominee will be chosen in a Democratic way! We won’t let the establishment pick for us, WILL WE?!” The ad played effectively to moderate Democrats and Independents and aired nationwide every day until the end of the election…the ad was detrimental to Bradley and seriously hurt his campaign.
When the candidates met for their final debate on October 22nd in Florida a lot was at stake. The pressure was on Bradley to defend himself from the attacks on Dole. In the past few days Dole’s leads in North Dakota and Montana had put the states back in to the red column and she’d closed the gap with Bradley in Ohio and Florida. An astonishing 75 million people tuned in for the final debate between the candidates to see who would come out on top. While Bradley didn’t have a solid answer for the democracy question, he was successful in linking Dole to her former Vice President Fred Thompson, claiming she had “the blood of innocent people on her hands” and that the United States was “better than that.” Ultimately the debate was a draw. Even though Bradley did nothing to stop attacks on his rise to the nomination, he did raise questions over how the situation was initially treated while Dole was in the hospital after her assassination attempt, but Thompson hit the stump and claimed that his attacks “lessened the blow of 9/11”. No one knew which way the race would go when the people went to the polls in a few days.
2004 Election Night
Hello and welcome to Election Night 2004 as we cover numerous House, Senate, and Gubernatorial races, but of course the biggest race of all – for the U.S Presidency – is well underway tonight because we are now prepared, with polls closing 15 minutes ago, to project Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island for Senator Bill Bradley that gives him 57 electoral votes while President Dole and Vice President Santorum have 0 electoral votes. As the night goes on, however, we expect a lot to change. We’re also ready to call the Connecticut Senate race for Christopher Dodd, the Vermont race for Patrick Leahy, and the New York race for Senator Geraldine Ferraro. Back to the Presidential race, however, we can call New Jersey and Maine for Senators Bradley and Clinton putting their count at 76 votes, less than 200 needed for them to move on to the White House. New Hampshire is still too close to call at this point. On the other hand Indiana and Kentucky are now being called for the Dole/Santorum ticket at this time. That means its 76 to 19. NBC News can now project Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia for Senator Bill Bradley. That puts the count at 92 for the Democrats and 19 for President Dole. Here’s the Electoral Map so far…
As you can tell this is clearly anybody’s race. Polls have now closed in Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia where we can project President Elizabeth Dole to be the winner putting us at 92 (Bradley/Clinton) to 62 (Dole/Santorum) However that is now changing with the states of Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Arkansas being called for President Dole. Also: with 18% in Senator Bradley holds a 1.2% lead over President Dole in the state of Florida, President Dole holds a 2.4% lead in Pennsylvania, and in Ohio Senator Bradley holds a 1.9% lead. We’re also ready to call Tennessee and Louisiana for President Dole putting us at 111 for Dole/Santorum and 92 for Bradley/Clinton. The race is tightening with the President taking a lead for the first time tonight. In New Hampshire Senator Bradley holds a 3% lead over President Dole but with only 39% reporting we cannot call the state at this time. Here is the up-to-date Electoral Map for this stage in the race…
With numerous states closing their polls we can make the following projections for President Dole: West Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. For Senator Bradley we can call the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The current electoral vote count stands at 171 for President Dole and 140 for Senator Bradley. In New Hampshire, with 42% of precincts reporting, Bill Bradley has grown his lead to 4% and we are almost prepared to call the state. We are also ready to call Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming for President Dole while New Hampshire can now be called for Senator Bradley. We are also prepared to call Missouri for President Dole putting the electoral count to 192 for the President and 144 for Senator Bradley. We are almost ready to call the states of Florida and Pennsylvania, but first we have some surprising news: Senator Bradley may have a chance at winning the state of Iowa as it seems his criticism of Dole has begun to work there. Here’s a look at the latest electoral map…
Alright folks: with 51% of polls reporting in Pennsylvania we can call the state for Dole and Santorum while the State of Florida, with 54% in, is being called for Senator Bradley. The win can be attributed to the consistent efforts of Vice Presidential Candidate Clinton and former President Bill Clinton who spent over 50 hours in the state. This means that Bill Bradley has 171 electoral votes and Elizabeth Dole has 213 electoral votes. Bill Bradley is 99 electoral votes from the presidency, but President Dole is only 57 votes away! This is going to be a close night. North Dakota, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona are all being called for the president meaning that Liddy Dole has 245 electoral votes. With polls closing on the West Coast we can call Washington and California for Senator Bradley as well as Alaska for President Dole. It appears we’re also able to call Hawaii for Senator Bradley. Bill Bradley no has 241 electoral votes and Elizabeth Dole has 248. We’re now ready to call the State of Ohio for President Dole! This is a huge victory for the Dole campaign, but she is only at 268 electoral votes. She must win New Mexico, Minnesota, Iowa, or Oregon to be crowned with another term but it appears that she is behind in all but two of those states: Iowa and New Mexico. Here is the current electoral map:
Hello and welcome to Election Night 2004 as we cover numerous House, Senate, and Gubernatorial races, but of course the biggest race of all – for the U.S Presidency – is well underway tonight because we are now prepared, with polls closing 15 minutes ago, to project Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island for Senator Bill Bradley that gives him 57 electoral votes while President Dole and Vice President Santorum have 0 electoral votes. As the night goes on, however, we expect a lot to change. We’re also ready to call the Connecticut Senate race for Christopher Dodd, the Vermont race for Patrick Leahy, and the New York race for Senator Geraldine Ferraro. Back to the Presidential race, however, we can call New Jersey and Maine for Senators Bradley and Clinton putting their count at 76 votes, less than 200 needed for them to move on to the White House. New Hampshire is still too close to call at this point. On the other hand Indiana and Kentucky are now being called for the Dole/Santorum ticket at this time. That means its 76 to 19. NBC News can now project Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia for Senator Bill Bradley. That puts the count at 92 for the Democrats and 19 for President Dole. Here’s the Electoral Map so far…
As you can tell this is clearly anybody’s race. Polls have now closed in Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia where we can project President Elizabeth Dole to be the winner putting us at 92 (Bradley/Clinton) to 62 (Dole/Santorum) However that is now changing with the states of Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Arkansas being called for President Dole. Also: with 18% in Senator Bradley holds a 1.2% lead over President Dole in the state of Florida, President Dole holds a 2.4% lead in Pennsylvania, and in Ohio Senator Bradley holds a 1.9% lead. We’re also ready to call Tennessee and Louisiana for President Dole putting us at 111 for Dole/Santorum and 92 for Bradley/Clinton. The race is tightening with the President taking a lead for the first time tonight. In New Hampshire Senator Bradley holds a 3% lead over President Dole but with only 39% reporting we cannot call the state at this time. Here is the up-to-date Electoral Map for this stage in the race…
With numerous states closing their polls we can make the following projections for President Dole: West Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. For Senator Bradley we can call the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The current electoral vote count stands at 171 for President Dole and 140 for Senator Bradley. In New Hampshire, with 42% of precincts reporting, Bill Bradley has grown his lead to 4% and we are almost prepared to call the state. We are also ready to call Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming for President Dole while New Hampshire can now be called for Senator Bradley. We are also prepared to call Missouri for President Dole putting the electoral count to 192 for the President and 144 for Senator Bradley. We are almost ready to call the states of Florida and Pennsylvania, but first we have some surprising news: Senator Bradley may have a chance at winning the state of Iowa as it seems his criticism of Dole has begun to work there. Here’s a look at the latest electoral map…
Alright folks: with 51% of polls reporting in Pennsylvania we can call the state for Dole and Santorum while the State of Florida, with 54% in, is being called for Senator Bradley. The win can be attributed to the consistent efforts of Vice Presidential Candidate Clinton and former President Bill Clinton who spent over 50 hours in the state. This means that Bill Bradley has 171 electoral votes and Elizabeth Dole has 213 electoral votes. Bill Bradley is 99 electoral votes from the presidency, but President Dole is only 57 votes away! This is going to be a close night. North Dakota, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona are all being called for the president meaning that Liddy Dole has 245 electoral votes. With polls closing on the West Coast we can call Washington and California for Senator Bradley as well as Alaska for President Dole. It appears we’re also able to call Hawaii for Senator Bradley. Bill Bradley no has 241 electoral votes and Elizabeth Dole has 248. We’re now ready to call the State of Ohio for President Dole! This is a huge victory for the Dole campaign, but she is only at 268 electoral votes. She must win New Mexico, Minnesota, Iowa, or Oregon to be crowned with another term but it appears that she is behind in all but two of those states: Iowa and New Mexico. Here is the current electoral map:
2004 Election Night
We can now call the State of Oregon for Senator Bill Bradley! A big win for the Democrats, for sure. In Minnesota we are now ready to call the state for President Elizabeth Dole, and therefore NBC News can now project that Elizabeth Dole will be reelected to a second term. To seal the deal we are also able to call the state of New Mexico for Elizabeth Dole, but Iowa is too close to call. Nonetheless Elizabeth Dole will be welcoming in four more years of the presidency and it is quite an historic moment echoing across the country. In South Dakota we can now confirm that Tom Daschle has won reelection in the State of South Dakota by 2.4%. In Alaska we can also project Lisa Murkowski will win reelection to the U.S. Senate and in Iowa we are ready to call Senator Bradley as the winner by 1.1%. Here is the final electoral map:
The final Senate list:
Alabama – Richard Shelby, R (reelected)
Alaska – Lisa Murkowski, R (reelected)
Arizona – John McCain, R (reelected)
Arkansas – Blanche Lincoln, D (reelected)
California – Barbara Boxer, D (reelected)
Colorado – Ken Salazar, D (Dem gain)
Connecticut – Chris Dodd, D (reelected)
Florida – Betty Castor, D (Dem hold)
Georgia – Johnny Isakson, R (GOP gain)
Hawaii – Daniel Inouye, D (reelected)
Idaho – Mike Crapo, R (reelected)
Illinois – Mike Ditka, R (GOP hold)
Indiana – Evan Bayh, D (reelected)
Iowa – Chuck Grassley, R (reelected)
Kansas – Sam Brownback, R (reelected)
Kentucky – Jim Bunning, R (reelected)
Louisiana – David Vitter, R (GOP gain)
Maryland – Barbara Mikulski, D (reelected)
Missouri – Kit Bond, R (reelected)
Nevada – Harry Reid, D (reelected)
New Hampshire – Judd Gregg, R (reelected)
New York – Geraldine Ferraro, D (reelected)
North Carolina – John Edwards, D (reelected)
North Dakota – Byron Dorgan, D (reelected)
Ohio – George Voinovich, R (reelected)
Oklahoma – Tom Coburn, R (GOP hold)
Oregon – Ron Wyden, D (reelected)
Pennsylvania – Arlen Specter, R (reelected)
South Carolina – Jim DeMint, R (GOP gain)
South Dakota – Tom Daschle, D (reelected)
Utah – Robert Foster Bennett, R (reelected)
Vermont – Patrick Leahy, D (reelected)
Washington – Patty Murray, D (reelected)
Wisconsin – Russ Feingold, D (reelected)
Senate Before Election:
59 Republicans
41 Democrats
Senate After Election:
62 Republicans
38 Democrats
House Before Election:
231 Republicans
204 Democrats
House After Election:
234 Republicans
201 Democrats
The final Governor list:
Delaware – Ruth Ann Miller, D (reelected)
Indiana – Mitch Daniels, R (GOP Gain)
Missouri – Matt Blunt, R (GOP Gain)
Montana – Brian Schweitzer, D (Dem gain)
New Hampshire – Jeanne Shaheen, D (reelected)
North Carolina – Mike Easley, D (reelected)
North Dakota – John Hoeven, R (reelected)
Utah – Jon Huntsman, Jr., R (GOP hold)
Vermont – Jim Douglas, R (reelected)
Washington – Christine Gregoire, D (Dem hold)
West Virginia – Joe Manchin, D (Dem hold)
Governor Makeup Before:
30 Republicans
20 Democrats
Governor Makeup After:
31 Republicans
19 Democrats
We can now call the State of Oregon for Senator Bill Bradley! A big win for the Democrats, for sure. In Minnesota we are now ready to call the state for President Elizabeth Dole, and therefore NBC News can now project that Elizabeth Dole will be reelected to a second term. To seal the deal we are also able to call the state of New Mexico for Elizabeth Dole, but Iowa is too close to call. Nonetheless Elizabeth Dole will be welcoming in four more years of the presidency and it is quite an historic moment echoing across the country. In South Dakota we can now confirm that Tom Daschle has won reelection in the State of South Dakota by 2.4%. In Alaska we can also project Lisa Murkowski will win reelection to the U.S. Senate and in Iowa we are ready to call Senator Bradley as the winner by 1.1%. Here is the final electoral map:
The final Senate list:
Alabama – Richard Shelby, R (reelected)
Alaska – Lisa Murkowski, R (reelected)
Arizona – John McCain, R (reelected)
Arkansas – Blanche Lincoln, D (reelected)
California – Barbara Boxer, D (reelected)
Colorado – Ken Salazar, D (Dem gain)
Connecticut – Chris Dodd, D (reelected)
Florida – Betty Castor, D (Dem hold)
Georgia – Johnny Isakson, R (GOP gain)
Hawaii – Daniel Inouye, D (reelected)
Idaho – Mike Crapo, R (reelected)
Illinois – Mike Ditka, R (GOP hold)
Indiana – Evan Bayh, D (reelected)
Iowa – Chuck Grassley, R (reelected)
Kansas – Sam Brownback, R (reelected)
Kentucky – Jim Bunning, R (reelected)
Louisiana – David Vitter, R (GOP gain)
Maryland – Barbara Mikulski, D (reelected)
Missouri – Kit Bond, R (reelected)
Nevada – Harry Reid, D (reelected)
New Hampshire – Judd Gregg, R (reelected)
New York – Geraldine Ferraro, D (reelected)
North Carolina – John Edwards, D (reelected)
North Dakota – Byron Dorgan, D (reelected)
Ohio – George Voinovich, R (reelected)
Oklahoma – Tom Coburn, R (GOP hold)
Oregon – Ron Wyden, D (reelected)
Pennsylvania – Arlen Specter, R (reelected)
South Carolina – Jim DeMint, R (GOP gain)
South Dakota – Tom Daschle, D (reelected)
Utah – Robert Foster Bennett, R (reelected)
Vermont – Patrick Leahy, D (reelected)
Washington – Patty Murray, D (reelected)
Wisconsin – Russ Feingold, D (reelected)
Senate Before Election:
59 Republicans
41 Democrats
Senate After Election:
62 Republicans
38 Democrats
House Before Election:
231 Republicans
204 Democrats
House After Election:
234 Republicans
201 Democrats
The final Governor list:
Delaware – Ruth Ann Miller, D (reelected)
Indiana – Mitch Daniels, R (GOP Gain)
Missouri – Matt Blunt, R (GOP Gain)
Montana – Brian Schweitzer, D (Dem gain)
New Hampshire – Jeanne Shaheen, D (reelected)
North Carolina – Mike Easley, D (reelected)
North Dakota – John Hoeven, R (reelected)
Utah – Jon Huntsman, Jr., R (GOP hold)
Vermont – Jim Douglas, R (reelected)
Washington – Christine Gregoire, D (Dem hold)
West Virginia – Joe Manchin, D (Dem hold)
Governor Makeup Before:
30 Republicans
20 Democrats
Governor Makeup After:
31 Republicans
19 Democrats