THE BUSH PRESIDENCY

THE 2000 ELECTION: BUSH V. GORE Extremely close election comes down to a few hundred votes in Florida Hanging chads,

voter intent, butterfly ballot

Ralph Nader: He just keeps trying…

BUSH V. GORE Supreme Court had to step in to resolve Bush declared the

win in Florida by 327 votes

Subsequent recount by the media found Bush official won (conspiracy?)

GORE WINS POPULAR VOTE COUNT BUT LOSES IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE TO BUSH

THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION

Many Americans tired of scandal in the White House Want moral, down

to earth person Like his homey

charm and optimism

PROBLEMS UNDER BUSH Dot com bubble from late

90s burst Tax cuts “for the wealthy”

enacted to help

No Child Left Behind Voucher idea (angers the Left) Requires: testing, accountability,

and school improvement for funding

Seniors Prescription Drug coverage angers the Right

Hurricane Katrina

SEPTEMBER 11TH

4 planes crash Close to 3,000 dead

BUSH’S FOREIGN POLICY Blame for 9/11 is laid

on Bin Laden and the Taliban in Afghanistan

Leads to Patriot Act Department of Homeland

Security Strengthening of the NSA Legally bugging phones

Iraq, Saddam Hussein, WMDs

US AND AFGHANISTAN Invasion triggered by the 9/11 attacks

The Taliban are harboring Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden in Afghanistan Do succeed in removing the Taliban from

power Eventually catch Bin Laden

IRAQ

Overthrow Saddam Hussein and find WMDs The Surge (of forces and ideas)

General David Petraeus Ideas: change in the overall strategy of the war

Biggest – switching from handing over security tasks to the Iraqis to focusing on the protection of the Iraqi people

KATRINA 29 August 2005

Stuck the Gulf Coast of the US (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama) – worst damage: New Orleans

Mayor Ray Nagin issued a mandatory evacuation order in New Orleans Tens of thousands of people ignored it and chose to wait out

the storm

Storm surge – in some places 9 meters high (12 feet) Nearly 80% of New Orleans ended up under water

FALLOUT OF KATRINA Major Problems

Levee breaches that led to flooding Fed gov’t was slow to meet the needs of

the people affected President accused of being racist

Cost $100,000,000,000 worth of damage