John F. Kerry in the United States

Republican Party: Bush Reelection

Introduction to John F. Kerry

Bush was reelected in the 2004 presidential contest against Democrat John F. Kerry, and the Republican Party widened its majority in both the House and Senate. Although Bush’s approval ratings fell below 50 percent prior to the election, a high turnout among voters who cited “moral values” as their most important concern apparently was a significant factor in the Republican victories. According to polls conducted for the Associated Press and the major television networks, 22 percent of voters cited “moral values” as the issue that mattered most in deciding how they voted for president, followed by the economy, 20 percent; terrorism, 19 percent; and the Iraq war, 15 percent.

Many political observers credited Karl Rove, Bush’s chief campaign adviser, with a winning strategy that focused on organizing a high voter turnout among evangelical Christians. Eleven state ballot initiatives organized by the Republican Party in largely undecided states, which called for bans on gay marriages, were believed to have brought millions of conservative and evangelical voters to the polls. However, a poll by the Pew Research Center found that when voters were asked open-ended questions about the most important issue, 27 percent chose the Iraq war; 14 percent, the economy; and moral values tied with terrorism at 9 percent.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about John F. Kerry in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to John F. Kerry