George W. Bush

=== 2004 presidential candidacy ===
{{Main|George W. Bush 2004 presidential campaign|2004 United States presidential election}}
[[File:ElectoralCollege2004.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|2004 electoral vote results]]
[[File:George W. Bush 30 Oct 2004.jpg|thumb|right|George W. Bush re-election campaign stop in [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]]]]

In his 2004 bid for re-election, Bush commanded broad support in the Republican Party and did not encounter a primary challenge. He appointed [[Ken Mehlman]] as campaign manager, and [[Karl Rove]] devised a political strategy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec04/rove_9-01.html |title=An Interview With Karl Rove |access-date=September 1, 2008 |date=August 1, 2004 |work=NewsHour with Jim Lehrer |publisher=PBS |archive-date=May 26, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526202131/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec04/rove_9-01.html }}</ref> Bush and the Republican platform emphasized a strong commitment to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,<ref name=platform04 /> support for the [[Patriot Act|USA PATRIOT Act]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ontheissues.org/Archive/2004_GOP_Platform_Civil_Rights.htm |title=2004 Republican Party Platform: on Civil Rights |access-date=August 20, 2008 |publisher=OnTheIssues.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515081611/http://www.ontheissues.org/Archive/2004_GOP_Platform_Civil_Rights.htm |archive-date=May 15, 2006 }}</ref> a renewed shift in policy for constitutional amendments banning abortion and [[same-sex marriage]],<ref name=platform04 /><ref>After initial comments made in March, there was no statement on the latter issue until June. {{cite news |last=Rosenberg |first=Debra |title=A Gay-Marriage Wedge |work=Newsweek |volume=143 |issue=26 |date=June 28, 2004 |page=8}}</ref> reforming [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]] to create private investment accounts,<ref name=platform04 /> creation of an [[ownership society]],<ref name=platform04 /> and opposing mandatory carbon emissions controls.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=OntheIssues.org |title=2004 Republican Party Platform: on Energy & Oil |access-date=August 20, 2008 |url=http://www.ontheissues.org/Archive/2004_GOP_Platform_Energy_+_Oil.htm |archive-date=February 18, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060218063748/http://ontheissues.org/Archive/2004_GOP_Platform_Energy_+_Oil.htm }}</ref> Bush also called for the implementation of a [[guest worker program]] for immigrants,<ref name="platform04">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/25/us/2004-campaign-republican-agenda-draft-gop-platform-backs-bush-security-gay.html |title=The 2004 Campaign: The Republican Agenda; Draft GOP Platform Backs Bush on Security, Gay Marriage, and Immigration |access-date=June 23, 2009 |date=August 25, 2004 |work=The New York Times |last=Kirkpatrick |first=David D |archive-date=May 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513191301/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/25/us/2004-campaign-republican-agenda-draft-gop-platform-backs-bush-security-gay.html }}</ref> which was criticized by conservatives.<ref>{{cite news |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 23, 2009 |date=August 26, 2004 |last=Kirkpatrick |first=David D |title=The 2004 Campaign: The Platform; Conservatives Mount Stem Cell and Immigration Challenges |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/26/us/2004-campaign-platform-conservatives-mount-stem-cell-immigration-challenges.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515081611/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/26/us/2004-campaign-platform-conservatives-mount-stem-cell-immigration-challenges.html |archive-date=May 15, 2006 }}</ref>

The Bush campaign advertised across the U.S. against Democratic candidates, including Bush's emerging opponent, Massachusetts Senator [[John Kerry]]. Kerry and other Democrats attacked Bush on the [[Iraq War]], and accused him of failing to stimulate the economy and job growth. The Bush campaign portrayed Kerry as a staunch [[liberalism in the United States|liberal]] who would raise taxes and increase the size of government. The Bush campaign continuously criticized Kerry's seemingly contradictory statements on the war in Iraq,<ref name=msn /> and argued that Kerry lacked the decisiveness and vision necessary for success in the War on Terror.

Following the resignation of CIA director [[George Tenet]] in 2004, Bush nominated [[Porter Goss]] to head the agency. The White House ordered Goss to purge agency officers who were disloyal to the administration.<ref name="salon">{{cite news|url=https://www.salon.com/2004/11/15/cia_13/|title=Purging the disloyal at the CIA|last1=Sealey|first1=Geraldine|date=November 15, 2004|newspaper=Salon|access-date=April 4, 2017|archive-date=January 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104173258/https://www.salon.com/2004/11/15/cia_13/|url-status=live}}</ref> After Goss' appointment, many of the CIA's senior agents were fired or quit. The CIA has been accused of deliberately leaking classified information to undermine the 2004 election.<ref name="wapo">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45940-2005Jan3.html|title=Dubious Purge at the CIA|last1=Smith|first1=Haviland|date=January 4, 2005|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=April 4, 2017|archive-date=February 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204231329/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45940-2005Jan3.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the election, Bush carried 31 of 50 states, receiving 286 [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral votes]]. He won an absolute majority of the popular vote (50.7 percent to his opponent's 48.3 percent).<ref name="16 years">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/nov/04/uselections2004.usa16 |title=And now ... four more years |access-date=September 1, 2008 |date=November 4, 2004 |work=The Guardian |location=London |first=Julian |last=Borger |archive-date=May 15, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515081611/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/nov/04/uselections2004.usa16 }}</ref>