"One Tough Cookie"
The votes were being calculated on Election Night 2004. George W. Bush sat comfortably in the White House Residence, watching election returns come in. He turned to his wife, Laura, and remarked, "It's odd...watching yourself being replaced on national television." Bush's decision not to seek reelection was made public in January 2003 when he decided it would be better for a new era of leadership to be ushered in. Bush's popularity had begun a gradual decline after several major political setbacks on issues like Social Security Reform and border security. "He can't even do the job with congress on his side," remarked Bob Beckel. As critics laid it on Bush he decided to focus on national security rather than a reelection bid. This is where a new chapter began in the story of Elizabeth Dole. Having come off the success of a landslide win (she garnered 57.2% of the vote) and a former presidential candidate, Liddy Dole was the favorite heading in to the race for the Republican Nomination. The field consisted of five members: Dole, Bill Frist, George Allen, John McCain, and Duncan Hunter. Quickly the field was shrunk to Allen, McCain, and Dole. Dole finished two close seconds, one in Iowa and another in New Hampshire, but carried a respectable number of states as the race continued. In the end the Republicans nominated the first woman for President and she chose as her running mate. Dole and Ridge faced off against Kerry and Edwards in an exciting general election spectacle. Described as "one tough cookie", Dole struggled to gain a lead in the popular vote for much of the campaign, but in August the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (coupled with Kerry's lack of response) left Dole with all that she needed to successfully win in 2004. Soundly defeating Kerry in the popular vote (52.5% to 44.9%) and by a healthy margin electorally (286-252) the Republicans proved that this was not another 2000.
Following her victory on Election Night 2004, Dole and Ridge immediately assembled a transition team to find people to fill key cabinet positions. Dole reminded those in her transition team that she would have the final say in all nominees, but did hope to see a diverse cabinet. "I don't mind recycling Bush appointees, but I want people loyal to me...not George," she reminded her staff. As the transition phase continued one key choice needed to be made: her Chief of Staff. The Chief of Staff was an interesting position and one that demanded a lot of the office holder. After careful consideration Liddy decided to appoint Paul Wolfowitz, former Secretary of Defense, to the position. Dole hoped that this pick would solidify her standing as a foreign policy president. Women were always viewed as weak on National Security and the new President wasn't ready to let this trend continue.
Next she politely informed Donald Rumsfeld she would not be appointing him again to the position of Secretary of Defense. In his place she put White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card. In her view the White House Chief of Staff was the President behind-the-scenes and she knew Card's experience would be valuable. With Wolfowitz in as Chief of Staff and Card in as Defense Secretary Elizabeth Dole tackled the appointment for Attorney General. Attorney General had the potential to be an influential position and so she wanted to be able to trust whoever she put up for the job, but she wanted her choice to be semi-symbolic. The President-elect chose another Bush-era official: Harriet Miers. With Miers at the Justice Department it was time to focus on state. Hoping to break the trend of recycling Bush Cabinet Members, Dole considered a wide variety of candidates for the position. Liddy chose Indiana Senator and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Dick Lugar, as her Secretary of State. The only other prominent cabinet spot was Treasury Secretary. The transition team remained divided. Roughly half wanted Texas Congressman Kevin Brady and the other half wanted Connecticut Businessman and Economist Peter Schiff. Eventually Dole selected Brady, but appointed Schiff to an influential adviser post. In her mind she was prepared to handle the Presidency on all fronts.
As January drew near the President-elect met with the President frequently to discuss matters when it came to the transition. Bush had been taking by surprise at how effectively Dole legitimized herself and earned her way to the White House, but he wasn't disappointed. He offered a helpful hand to make the change of powers as smooth and peaceful as possible. The major issue on Dole's plate was the inaugural address. It would be difficult to find the perfect tone. Bush's approval rating stood at 49%, but she was unsure whether that was a reason to offer a clear new leadership. Another fact remained: should Dole highlight the historical significance of her presidency? The latter was a go, but the speech-writing staff remained undecided on how to approach Bush. Finally, on January 18th, they scrapped any mention of Bush besides the ceremonial "Thank you." With Inauguration Day on the horizon, the President-elect was excited about the prospect of getting down to business. Already beginning to plan her "100 Day Agenda", Dole hoped to quickly pass key, conservative legislation while she still had control of congress. Excited to get things done, Liddy relied heavily on input from her husband, the 1996 Presidential Nominee. Bob's advice was always weighed heavily, but it was important to prove to the people she was not her husband. Dole's voting record was more conservative and her and her husband were qualified for President for very different reasons. Bob had spent his years in the military and in elected office. Dole was a 2-time Cabinet Secretary and former President of the American Red Cross. Furthermore, she had spent less than two years in the United States Senate (demonstrated by her weak win in the state in the general election). Nevertheless, Dole was ready to get to work.