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Bush proved those observers wrong when he began a quick climb in the national opinion polls and opened a strong lead against Vice President Gore. Just prior to the GOP nominating convention in July 2000, Bush chose former defense secretary Richard Cheney as his running mate. Cheney strengthened the GOP ticket by adding what Bush clearly lacked, foreign policy and defense-issues experience. Although widely considered weak and inexperienced in foreign policy, Bush offered an appealing set of policy proposals on the domestic front--the more important area for influencing presidential election outcomes. His social security plan to partially privatize retirement accounts and his education initiatives, including school choice, enabled the GOP presidential nominee to challenge the traditional Democratic advantage on these issues. |
