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The 2004 Republican National Convention, the presidential
nominating convention of the Republican Party of
the United
States, took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison
Square Garden in New York City, New York. The convention is one of a series of
historic quadrennial
meetings at which the Republican candidate for President of the United
States and party platform
are formally adopted. Attendance included 2,509 delegates and 2,344
alternate delegates from the states, territories and overseas
dependencies. The convention marked the formal end of the active primary
election season.
The theme of the convention was "Fulfilling America's Promise by
Building a Safer World and a More Hopeful America." Defining
moments of the 2004 Republican National Convention include a
featured keynote address by
Zell Miller and the
confirmation of the nomination of incumbent George W. Bush as
the candidate for President and of
incumbent Dick
Cheney as the candidate for Vice President.
Bush and Cheney faced the Democratic Party's ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards in the
2004
presidential election.
The convention faced unprecedented protests in New York City
throughout the week, including a massive march on the Sunday
preceding the convention and repeated infiltration of the
convention by protesters. 1806 people were officially arrested
during the week, the vast majority on minor charges.
Platform
Apart from nominating a candidate for President and Vice
President, the 2004 Republican National Convention was also charged
with crafting an official party platform and political agenda for
the next four years. At the helm of the Platform Committee was United
States Senator and Senate Majority
Leader Bill Frist
of Tennessee, Congresswoman Melissa Hart of Pennsylvania and Colorado
Governor Bill Owens. The
committee worked with the Bush campaign to develop the draft
platform.
The platform adopted by the 2004 Republican National Convention
was the longest in the party's history compared to the mere
1,000-word platform adopted at the first convention in 1856. At
48,000 words, it was twice the length of the one adopted at the 2004 Democratic
National Convention which was only 19,500 words.
The platform was aligned with the social conservatives in the
party. It calls for federal amendments to ban abortion and same-sex
marriage, and further opposes civil unions. In foreign policy, the
platform praised Bush for his actions following September
11 and said that the 2003 invasion of Iraq had made
America safer. Reflecting the shift in political goals, the
platform shifted from the 2000 platform toward Russia and China, no longer challenging them on economic
policy and removing the 2000 platform's rebuke of Russia for the Chechnya conflict.
Venue
Banner on Madison Square Garden
The choice of Madison Square Garden on January 31, 2003 by all
165 members of the Republican National Committee as the venue for
the 2004 Republican National Convention meant that New York City
would host a major Republican nominating convention for the first
time in the nation's history. On July 19, control of Madison Square
Garden was officially handed over to the Republican Party under the
administration of Chief Executive Officer of the Convention Bill
Harris. Mayor Michael Bloomberg thanked the party
for their choice, for which he had vigorously lobbied, noting it as
a significant display of support for the city and an economic
boom.
Security
Like the 2004 Democratic
National Convention in Boston,
Massachusetts, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
officially declared the 2004 Republican National Convention a National Special Security
Event (NSSE). As such, the United States Secret
Service was charged with employing and coordinating all federal
and local agencies including the various bureaus of DHS, the FBI, and the NYPD to secure
the venue from terrorist attacks. Expected security expenditures
reached $70 million, $50 million of which was funded by
the federal government.
The city employed an active beat of 10,000 police officers deployed as Hercules
teams—uniformed in full riot gear and body armor, and equipped
with submachine guns and rifles. Commuter and Amtrak trains
entering and exiting Penn
Station were scoured by bomb-sniffing dogs as uniformed police
officers were attached to buses carrying delegates. All employees
of buildings surrounding Madison Square Garden were subjected to
thorough screening and background checks.
Timing
The convention took place in New York City a week before the
third anniversary of September 11. The attacks were a primary theme
of the convention, from the choice of speakers to repeated
invocations of the attacks.
The decision to hold the convention at such a late date sparked
a controversy in the state of Illinois. Since the incumbent would accept his
nomination on the last day of the convention—a mere sixty-one days
before the November 2 general election—Bush would miss the
certification deadline to have his name listed on the state's
ballot. Illinois statutes require certification of the nomination
acceptance sixty-seven days before the election. [1] To remedy the
problem, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich signed a bill passed by
the Democrat-controlled Illinois General Assembly
allowing Bush's name to appear on the ballot. [2]. Illinois was a
solid blue state for the 2004 election, and it
was seen that adding the President's name to the ballot would not
effect the outcome and distribution of Illinois 21 electoral
votes.
At the convention, there was a performance of "Amazing Grace" by
Daniel Rodriguez, a tribute to those killed
on September 11. Relatives of three of the victims spoke and talked
about how September 11 brought the country together. Also
contributing musically were Brooks & Dunn, Sara Evans, Lee Ann Womack,
Darryl
Worley.
Speakers
Early in the summer leading up to the 2004 Republican National
Convention, Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie
announced the first slate of convention speakers. He added, "It is
an honor to announce the addition of these outstanding Americans to
the 2004 Republican National Convention program. For the past three
and a half years, President Bush has led with strength and
compassion and these speakers reflect that." Chief Executive
Officer of the Convention Bill Harris commented, "These speakers
have seen President Bush's strong, steady leadership and each will
attest to his character from a unique perspective. Their vast
experience and various points of view are a testament to the depth
and breadth of the support for the Republican ticket in 2004."
Zell
Miller
Considered to be one of the most interesting choices for
speakers at the convention was a keynote address by Georgia Senator
Zell Miller, a
conservative Democrat / Dixiecrat. Miller had consistently voted
with Republicans. In a Wall Street
Journal editorial Miller cited that the reason for his
defection was that, "I barely recognize my party anymore." He
continued, "Today, it's the Democratic Party that has mastered the
art of division and diversion. To run for president as a Democrat
these days you have to go from interest group to interest group,
cap in hand, asking for the support of liberal kingmakers." He
finished by saying, "I still believe in hope and opportunity and,
when it comes right down to it, Mr. Bush is the man who represents
hope and opportunity."
His keynote address was a visceral smite to Democrats and an
excoriating attack on John Kerry, blaming him for the divisions in
America. Notably, he mocked Kerry's call for strength in the armed
forces by noting several important military projects that Kerry had
opposed, saying that Kerry wanted "forces armed with what -
spitballs?" Including Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, he claimed "no pair has
been more wrong, more loudly, more often, than the two senators
from Massachusetts: Ted Kennedy and John Kerry."
In his speech, Miller also heaped his praise for 1940 Republican
Presidential nominee Wendell Wilkie for
supporting President Roosevelt's establishment of a military draft,
raising concerns about the intentions of President Bush in this
area.
Zell Miller also delivered the keynote address on behalf of Bill Clinton in 1992
at Madison Square Garden. He remained a Democrat in the Senate
until leaving in 2005 (he was not running for reelection). However,
after this address, his affiliation with the national Democratic
Party was unquestionably over.
Nancy
Reagan's Absence
Absent from the slate of speakers was one of the most respected
Republican elders and wife of the late President Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan. In
early August 2004, The New York Daily
News and several other newspapers reported that Reagan
vehemently declined several invitations to speak at the convention
and had voiced her opposition to the use of quotes and images of
her late husband, who died earlier in the year. Writers reported
that she was disgusted by revelations that the Republican National
Committee had produced, during the week of the presidential funeral, advertisements
implying President Reagan endorsed Bush for a second term. The Bush
campaign and party leaders defended themselves, claiming that they
did not seek to exploit President Reagan's memory. Despite the
published stories, Nancy Reagan's spokesperson countered with an
admission that the former First Lady fully supported President Bush
for the general election. The spokesperson added that while the
former First Lady and her children would be absent from the 2004
Republican National Convention, President Reagan's son with Jane Wyman, Michael Reagan,
had accepted an invitation to address the delegates. Nancy Reagan
appeared in the filmed tribute he introduced. He dedicated the film
to everyone who helped make his father president of the United
States.
During the convention, delegates paid tribute to Reagan in
different ways. Many of the speakers from California and Illinois,
including House Speaker Dennis Hastert, mentioned Reagan in their
speeches and compared Reagan to Bush. Those from Illinois,
including Hastert, compared Bush to both Reagan and Abraham
Lincoln, another native son of their state.
Another of the Reagans' sons, Ron Reagan, spoke at the 2004 Democratic
National Convention.
Chairmen
Monday,
August 30
Principal
Speakers
Featured
Speakers
- George Allen,
United
States Senator from Virginia
- Lindsey Graham, United
States Senator from South Carolina
- Angie
Harmon, Actress
- Bernard
Kerik, Former Commissioner of the New York Police
Department
- Elisabeth
Filarski Hasselbeck, Television
host
- Edward I.
Koch, Former Democratic Mayor of New York
City
- Marc
Racicot, former Governor of
Montana
- Jason
Sehorn, Athlete
- Ron
Silver, Actor
- Bob
Taft, Governor of
Ohio
- Ann
Wagner, Co-chair, Republican National
Committee
Quotations
- "[An] heroic story comes to us from Michigan, where 19-year-old
Rita Arnaout was involved in a four-car pileup that nearly killed
her in March. While doctors were operating, one of her lungs
collapsed. It turns out there was a malignant tumor pressing
against her lung and heart. Despite the debilitating effects of
cancer treatment, Rita insists on continuing her work as a
volunteer for the Bush campaign. Her doctor said he didn't think it
was a good idea. Rita started crying and said, 'But President Bush
needs my help'. She also says if someone like her can spend time
working the phones for President Bush, we all can." —Ann
Wagner
- "We should remember, it wasn't so long ago that confidence in
New York was in short supply. When I took the oath of office nearly
three years ago, we were a city in mourning a city that had, in a
few dreadful hours, lost almost 3,000 of our own husbands, wives,
sons, and daughters from every part of the nation, and every corner
of the globe. There were those who doubted then whether this city
could hold onto the gains made during the 90s under Mayor Giuliani.
A lot of people were wondering what the future held for New York
City, or whether we even had a future. But neither America nor
President Bush ever stopped believing in us. Nearly two years ago,
with the city's fate still a question mark in many minds, our
President decided that this Convention would come to New York. This
was a show of faith that required courage and vision one that all
New Yorkers will not forget. And today it fills me with enormous
pride and gratitude to tell everyone that New York City is back!"
—Michael Bloomberg
- "All of us, despite the differences that enliven our politics,
are united in the one big idea that freedom is our birthright and
its defense is always our first responsibility. All other
responsibilities come second. We must not lose sight of that as we
debate who among us should bear the greatest responsibility for
keeping us safe and free. We must, whatever our disagreements,
stick together in this great challenge of our time. My friends in
the Democratic Party and I'm fortunate to call many of them my
friends assure us they share the conviction that winning the war
against terrorism is our government's most important obligation. I
don't doubt their sincerity. They emphasize that military action
alone won't protect us, that this war has many fronts: in courts,
financial institutions, in the shadowy world of intelligence, and
in diplomacy. They stress that America needs the help of her
friends to combat an evil that threatens us all, that our alliances
are as important to victory as are our armies. We agree."
—John McCain
- "We are Americans first, Americans last, Americans always. Let
us argue our differences. But remember we are not enemies, but
comrades in a war against a real enemy, and take courage from the
knowledge that our military superiority is matched only by the
superiority of our ideals, and our unconquerable love for them. Our
adversaries are weaker than us in arms and men, but weaker still in
causes. They fight to express a hatred for all that is good in
humanity. We fight for love of freedom and justice, a love that is
invincible. Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together.
Stay strong. Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. Stand up with
our President and fight. We're Americans. We're Americans, and
we'll never surrender." —John McCain
- "The years of keeping Saddam in a box were coming to a close.
The international consensus that he be kept isolated and unarmed
had eroded to the point that many critics of military action had
decided the time had come again to do business with Saddam, despite
his near daily attacks on our pilots, and his refusal, until his
last day in power, to allow the unrestricted inspection of his
arsenal. Our choice wasn't between a benign status quo and the
bloodshed of war. It was between war and a graver threat. Don't let
anyone tell you otherwise. Not our critics abroad. Not our
political opponents. And not, and certainly not a disingenuous film
maker who... (at this point, the camera switched to Michael Moore, who
was comforably watching the speech from above in one of the press
box seats. He reacted in friendly laughing manner and waved to
McCain and the crowd. McCain's voice was loudly overshadowed by
boos to Moore, which lasted for about a minute as McCain tried to
gain the crowd's attention. Moore continued to smile, laugh, and
make innocent and humorous gestures to the crowd. After the minute
of loud boos, which included a chant of "4 more years!" from the
crowd, McCain finally gained the crowd's attention and humorously
said), If that line was so good I'll use it again. "Certainly
not a disingenuous filmmaker." (The crowd then erupted with
laughs and cheers, as well as Moore, who applauded, again in a
friendly laughing manner). My friends, who would have us
believe that Saddam's Iraq was an oasis of peace when in fact it
was a place of indescribable cruelty, torture chambers, mass graves
and prisons that destroyed the lives of the small children held
inside their walls." —John McCain
- "From the first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, to
President George W. Bush our party's great contribution is to
expand freedom in our own land and all over the world. And our
party is at its best when it makes certain that we have a powerful
national defense in a still very dangerous world. I don't believe
we're right about everything and Democrats are wrong about
everything. Neither party has a monopoly on virtue. But I do
believe that there are times in our history when our ideas are more
necessary and important for what we are facing." —Rudy
Giuliani
Tuesday,
August 31
Principal
Speakers
Featured
Speakers
Quotations
- "We live in a great country. A nation of good people in pursuit
of great ideals defined by our Founders, defended by
citizen-soldiers, and delivered to us. We inherited a great nation.
So must our children! No nation whatever the size of its armed
forces or economy can sustain greatness unless it educates all, not
just some, of its citizens. No one understands that better than
President Bush. He's always had a compassionate vision for
education: Students challenged by high standards; teachers armed
with proper resources; parents empowered with information and
choices. Young adults with meaningful diplomas in their hands not
despair in their hearts." —Rod Paige
- "Now, many of you out there tonight are Republican like me in
your hearts and in your beliefs. Maybe you're from Guatemala. Maybe
you're from the Philippines. Maybe Europe or the Ivory Coast. Maybe
you live in Ohio, Pennsylvania, or New Mexico. And maybe, just
maybe, you don't agree with this party on every single issue. I say
to you tonight I believe that's not only okay, that's what's great
about this country. Here we can respectfully disagree and still be
patriotic, still be American, and still be good Republicans."
—Arnold Schwarzenegger
- "My fellow Americans, how do you know if you are a Republican?
I'll tell you how. If you believe that government should be
accountable to the people, not the people to the government, then
you are a Republican! If you believe a person should be treated as
an individual, not as a member of an interest group, then you are a
Republican! If you believe your family knows how to spend your
money better than the government does, then you are a Republican!
If you believe our educational system should be held accountable
for the progress of our children, then you are a Republican! If you
believe this country, not the United Nations, is the best hope of
democracy in the world, then you are a Republican! And, ladies and
gentlemen if you believe we must be fierce and relentless and
terminate terrorism, then you are a Republican!" —Arnold
Schwarzenegger
- "There is another way you can tell you're a Republican. You
have faith in free enterprise, faith in the resourcefulness of the
American people ...and faith in the U.S. economy. To those critics
who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: Don't be economic
girlie men!" —Arnold Schwarzenegger
- "We love Arnold. Isn't he awesome? Thanks to him, if one of us
ever decides to marry a Democrat, nobody can complain. Except maybe
our Grandmother, Barbara. And, if she didn't like it, we would
definitely hear about it. We already know she doesn't like some of
our clothes, or music, or most of the TV shows we watch. Granny, we
love you dearly, but you're just not very hip. She thinks Sex
in the City is something married people do, but never talk
about. We spent the last four years trying to stay out of the
spotlight. Sometimes we did a little better than others. We kept
trying to explain to Dad that when we were young and irresponsible,
well, we were young and irresponsible." —Jenna
Bush
- "This time of war has been a time of great hardship for our
military families. The President and I want all our men and women
in uniform and their wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, sons
and daughters to know we appreciate their sacrifice. We know it
will mean a more peaceful future for our children and
grandchildren. No American President ever wants to go to war.
Abraham Lincoln didn't want to go to war, but he knew saving the
union required it. Franklin Roosevelt didn't want to go to war—but
he knew defeating tyranny demanded it. And my husband didn't want
to go to war, but he knew the safety and security of America and
the world depended on it. I remember some very quiet nights at the
dinner table. George was weighing grim scenarios and ominous
intelligence about potentially even more devastating attacks. I
listened many nights as George talked with foreign leaders on the
phone, or in our living room, or at our ranch in Crawford. I
remember an intense weekend at Camp David. George and Prime
Minister Tony Blair were discussing the threat from Saddam Hussein.
And I remember sitting in the window of the White House, watching
as my husband walked on the lawn below. I knew he was wrestling
with these agonizing decisions that would have such profound
consequence for so many lives and for the future of our world. And
I was there when my husband had to decide. Once again, as in our
parents' generation, America had to make the tough choices, the
hard decisions, and lead the world toward greater security and
freedom." —Laura Bush
Wednesday, September 1
Balloting
President Bush was nominated at the end of a
"rolling roll call" that had started the day before.
| Republican National Convention presidential vote,
2004[1] |
| Candidate |
Votes |
Percentage |
| George
W. Bush |
2,508 |
99.96% |
| Abstentions |
1 |
0.04% |
| Totals |
2,509 |
100.00% |
Principal
Speakers
Featured
Speakers
Quotations
- "We step forward by never forgetting that America is a force
for good in the world, fighting for freedom and human rights. On
this, there is no question: George W. Bush is right and the Blame
America First Crowd is wrong! Americans will rise to every
challenge we face." —Mitt Romney
- "Where is the bi-partisanship in this country when we need it
most? Now, while young Americans are dying in the sands of Iraq and
the mountains of Afghanistan, our nation is being torn apart and
made weaker because of the Democrats' manic obsession to bring down
our Commander-in-Chief." —Zell Miller
- "Never in the history of the world has any soldier sacrificed
more for the freedom and liberty of total strangers than the
American soldier. And, our soldiers don't just give freedom abroad,
they preserve it for us here at home. For it has been said so
truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given
us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who
has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the
agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest. It is the
soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin
is draped by the flag who gives that protester the freedom to abuse
and burn that flag. No one should dare to even think about being
the Commander in Chief of this country if he doesn't believe with
all his heart that our soldiers are liberators abroad and defenders
of freedom at home." —Zell Miller
- "And, no pair has been more wrong, more loudly, more often than
the two Senators from Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry.
Together, Kennedy/Kerry have opposed the very weapons system that
won the Cold War and that is now winning the War on Terror. Listing
all the weapon systems that Senator Kerry tried his best to shut
down sounds like an auctioneer selling off our national security
but Americans need to know the facts. The B-1 bomber, that Senator
Kerry opposed, dropped 40% of the bombs in the first six months of
Operation Enduring Freedom. The B-2 bomber, that Senator Kerry
opposed, delivered air strikes against the Taliban in Afghanistan
and Hussein's command post in Iraq. The F-14A Tomcats, that Senator
Kerry opposed, shot down Khadifi's Libyan MIGs over the Gulf of
Sidra. The modernized F-14D, that Senator Kerry opposed, delivered
missile strikes against Tora Bora.The Apache helicopter, that
Senator Kerry opposed, took out those Republican Guard tanks in
Kuwait in the Gulf War. The F-15 Eagles, that Senator Kerry
opposed, flew cover over our Nation's Capital and this very city
after 9/11. I could go on and on and on: Against the Patriot
Missile that shot down Saddam Hussein's scud missiles over Israel,
Against the Aegis air-defense cruiser, Against the Strategic
Defense Initiative, Against the Trident missile, against, against,
against. This is the man who wants to be the Commander in Chief of
our U.S. Armed Forces? U.S. forces armed with what? Spitballs?"
—Zell Miller
- "In the weeks and months after September 11, I had so many
people come up to me and say how glad they were that George Bush
and Dick Cheney were in the White House. I knew exactly what they
meant. These men are strong, they are steadfast, they are exactly
the leaders we need at this moment in our history." —Lynne
Cheney
- "Just as surely as the Nazis during World War Two and the
Soviet communists during the Cold War, the enemy we face today is
bent on our destruction. As in other times, we are in a war we did
not start, and have no choice but to win. Firm in our resolve,
focused on our mission, and led by a superb commander in chief, we
will prevail. The fanatics who killed some 3,000 of our fellow
Americans may have thought they could attack us with impunity
because terrorists had done so previously. But if the killers of
September 11 thought we had lost the will to defend our freedom,
they did not know America and they did not know George W. Bush."
—Dick Cheney
- "I watch him at work every day. I have seen him face some of
the hardest decisions that can come to the Oval Office and make
those decisions with the wisdom and humility Americans expect in
their president. George W. Bush is a man who speaks plainly and
means what he says. He is a person of loyalty and kindness and he
brings out these qualities in those around him. He is a man of
great personal strength and more than that, a man with a heart for
the weak, and the vulnerable, and the afflicted. We all remember
that terrible morning when, in the space of just 102 minutes, more
Americans were killed than we lost at Pearl Harbor. We remember the
President who came to New York City and pledged that the terrorists
would soon hear from all of us. George W. Bush saw this country
through grief and tragedy he has acted with patience, and calm, and
a moral seriousness that calls evil by its name. In the great
divide of our time, he has put this nation where America always
belongs: against the tyrants of this world, and on the side of
every soul on earth who yearns to live in freedom. Fellow citizens,
our nation is reaching the hour of decision, and the choice is
clear. President Bush and I will wage this effort with complete
confidence in the judgment of the American people." —Dick
Cheney
Thursday, September 2
Balloting
Vice President Dick
Cheney was nominated by voice vote for reelection.
Principal
Speakers
Featured
Speakers
Quotations
- "Over forty years ago, my parents sent me, as a young child,
out of a land ruled by a Communist dictator and now, just
forty-eight hours ago, I became the Republican nominee for the
United States Senate from the great State of Florida. Only in
America! Only in America can a fifteen year old boy arrive on our
shores alone, not speaking the language with a suitcase and the
hope of a brighter future and rise to serve in the cabinet of the
President of the United States. And, only in America can that same
young boy, today, stand one step away from making history as the
first Cuban-American to serve in the United States Senate."
—Mel Martinez
- "I'm not a Republican. I'm not a Democrat. But I believe in
democracy. I believe in America. After almost four decades as a
Soldier I've been Independent — some would say very independent.
But, here I stand tonight, endorsing George W. Bush to be the next
President of the United States. America is a land of opportunity
and a land of choice. A great war time President, Franklin
Roosevelt, once said: 'Democracy cannot succeed unless those who
express their choice are prepared to choose wisely.' Delegates and
Friends I am prepared to 'choose wisely.' And I choose George W.
Bush." —Tommy Franks
- "America did not choose this war. But we have a President who
chooses to win it. This is no ordinary time. The stakes could not
be higher. Fate has handed our generation a grave new threat to
freedom. And fortune has given us a leader who will defend that
freedom. This is no ordinary time. And George W. Bush is no
ordinary leader." —George Pataki
- "Mr. Chairman, delegates, fellow citizens: I am honored by your
support, and I accept your nomination for President of the United
States. When I said those words four years ago, none of us could
have envisioned what these years would bring. In the heart of this
great city, we saw tragedy arrive on a quiet morning. We saw the
bravery of rescuers grow with danger. We learned of passengers on a
doomed plane who died with a courage that frightened their killers.
We have seen a shaken economy rise to its feet. And we have seen
Americans in uniform storming mountain strongholds, and charging
through sandstorms, and liberating millions, with acts of valor
that would make the men of Normandy proud. Since 2001, Americans
have been given hills to climb, and found the strength to climb
them. Now, because we have made the hard journey, we can see the
valley below. Now, because we have faced challenges with resolve,
we have historic goals within our reach, and greatness in our
future. We will build a safer world and a more hopeful America and
nothing will hold us back." —George W. Bush
- "Our strategy is succeeding. Four years ago, Afghanistan was
the home base of al-Qaida, Pakistan was a transit point for
terrorist groups, Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for terrorist
fundraising, Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons, Iraq was
a gathering threat, and al-Qaida was largely unchallenged as it
planned attacks. Today, the government of a free Afghanistan is
fighting terror, Pakistan is capturing terrorist leaders, Saudi
Arabia is making raids and arrests, Libya is dismantling its
weapons programs, the army of a free Iraq is fighting for freedom,
and more than three-quarters of al-Qaida's key members and
associates have been detained or killed. We have led, many have
joined, and America and the world are safer." —George W.
Bush
- "This year, we will win one for the Gipper, and they will lose
one with the Flipper" —George Pataki
- "In the last four years, you and I have come to know each
other. Even when we don't agree, at least you know what I believe
and where I stand." —George W. Bush
- "To everything we know there is a season a time for sadness, a
time for struggle, a time for rebuilding. And now we have reached a
time for hope. This young century will be liberty's century. By
promoting liberty abroad, we will build a safer world. By
encouraging liberty at home, we will build a more hopeful America.
Like generations before us, we have a calling from beyond the stars
to stand for freedom. This is the everlasting dream of America and
tonight, in this place, that dream is renewed. Now we go forward
grateful for our freedom, faithful to our cause, and confident in
the future of the greatest nation on earth. God bless you, and may
God continue to bless America." —George W.
Bush
Aftermath
According to Rasmussen weekly tracking polls, Bush led Kerry by
0.3% on the poll released August 26. On September 2, Bush's lead
had increased to 2.5%. On September 9,
the lead had decreased to 1.3%. Bush would maintain his leads
throughout the fall. [3]
Protests
Protesters gather in Union Square for a march
Protest activity included marches, rallies, performances,
demonstrations, exhibits, and acts of civil disobedience in New
York City to protest the 2004 Republican National Convention and
the nomination of President George W. Bush for the 2004 U.S.
presidential election, as well as a much smaller number of people
who marched to support Bush at the convention.
Hundreds of groups organized protests, including United for Peace and
Justice, a coalition of more than 800 anti-war and social
justice groups; One Thousand Coffins, a parade of one thousand
full-scale flag-draped coffins commemorating the fallen; and ANSWER. Over 1800 individuals were arrested
by the authorities, a record for a political convention in the
U.S.[2].
See also
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