Democratic Primaries, April-June
Dean
Kerry
Edwards
Daschle
Gephardt
Dean has been strengthening his presumptive nominee status by winning states like Arkansas and Pennsylvania.
However, Gephardt has been winning some states as well, such as West Virginia, Indiana and (gasp) North Carolina!
However, it appears that it's too late. Already, John Kerry dropped out after the month of May ended, and Dean is being treated as the presumptive nominee by everyone except by Gephardites
Democratic Primaries, June
Dean
Kerry
Edwards
Daschle
Gephardt
Dean won every other primary in June, Dick Gephardt dropped out a week after and releashed his delegates to Dean. However, Joe Lieberman (who dropped out after April), has refused to release his delegates to Dean, while Kucinich vows to go all the way to the convention. But then again, they only have 50 delegates combined (32 Lieberman, 18 Kucinich), so he isn't that much of a threat. Tom Daschle stayed on just to see the results in South Dakota. He dropped out after winning South Dakota
Republican Primaries, March-June
Bush
McCain
Brownback
Huckabee
Gingrich
Chafee
By February 29th, Jeb Bush was the presumptive nominee. No doubt about it. Sure, other candidates may win some states, but Jeb Bush was unstopabble. He really did seal the nomination after George Bush's endorsement in March.
Huckabee, McCain and Brownback didn't win any other state after February, while Gingrich won Mississippi
McCain dropped out in April, Huckabee and Brownback in May.
Gingrich stayed on until the last primaries ended
In the end, Bush was the presumptive nominee, as expected.
What About Jobs?
Steve Jobs announcing his candidacy, 5/17/2003
However, a lot of the media was focusing on Steve Jobs, the Apple CEO who said he would be running for the Reform Party nomination. His candidacy was supported by Ross Perot, and there was a very big chance for the Reform party to gain relevance once more.
With little opposition (though Ralph Nader did win DC, Connecticut and Vermont), Steve Jobs won the Reform nomination. At first, he wanted to choose Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak as his running mate, but after that was thrown out of the Window due to them both being from California. After a lot of persuading, Steve Jobs chose Ted Weill, a Mississippi Reform Party activist, to appease the part of the Reform Party not happy with a Technocrat like Jobs in control of the party
Ralph Nader launched an independent run later on
The 2004 Republican Convention
The GOP convention was notable, as Georgia Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) made a fiery speech supporting Bush and attack Dean. Saying stuff like "The Democratic Party I know today has been hijacked by far-left radicals. Now, the people that are most like the Democrats in my time are standing here, in this arena". After the speech, Zell Miller threatened journalist Chris Matthews to a duel after a heated argument. Jeb Bush chose Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas as his running mate
There was also mild protest activity, but it wasn't too big.
"They will lose, and Freedom will win"
-Dick Cheney
"George Bush has protected Americans from terrorism! And Jeb Bush shall do the same!"
-Rudy Giuliani
"I accept your nomination"
-Jeb Bush
The 2004 Democratic convention
On the first day of the Democratic convention they were a bit shaken. After Lieberman lost, he refused to endorse Dean and instead launch an Independent campaign with Former Congressman and 1980 contender John B. Anderson, while Kucinich endorsed Nader. But a day later, they got back to normal.
Howard Dean chose John Edwards as his running mate, after a tough vetting process. The Keynote
"You know, if we had went with our gut, it would had been Dean/Daschle"
-Dean campaign worker Bob Corley, January 12th, 2009 in the documentary The Big Mess: The story of the 2004 Election
"We will take back the House! The Senate! And then we will take back the White House! Yeah!"
-Tom Harkin
"I accept your nomination for president of the United States!
-Howard Dean
POLLING AFTER ALL 3 CONVENTIONS ENDED:
Bush/Huckabee: 37%
Dean/Edwards: 35%
Jobs/Weill: 20%
Lieberman/Anderson: 4%
Nader/Camejo: 2%
Undecided: 2%