Compare 2004 Presidential Candidates: Bush vs. Kerry

1. DEMOCRATIC PARTY REPUBLICAN PARTY Election 2004

2. George W. Bush's Resume Son of former President George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush graduated from Yale University in 1968 and received his M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1975. He worked as a businessman in various industries, primarily oil, from 1968 to 1989. He served as managing general partner of Texas Rangers from 1989 to 1994. In 1994 he was elected governor of Texas. He won reelection in 1998. Bush narrowly won the 2000 election against Democrat Al Gore, who captured a slim majority of the popular vote but lost to Bush on the state-by-state electoral race.

3. John Kerry's Resume John F. Kerry was born in Denver and resides in Boston. He received a bachelor's degree in 1966 from Yale University and a law degree from Boston College in 1976. Kerry served in Vietnam, where he won three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star. On his return from Vietnam as a military hero, Kerry helped found Vietnam Veterans Against the War and became its leading spokesman. He was a prosecutor in Middlesex County, Mass., and also practiced law. He was elected lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1982. Two years later, he was elected senator. Kerry won re-election to the seat in 1992, 1996 and 2002.

4. Where They Stand on the Issues CANDIDATEB CANDIDATEA 1. Abortion Would not appoint judges who will outlaw abortions  Believes it’s a woman’s right to chose whether or not to have an abortion.   Does not want to make parental notification for minors under 18 mandatory Would appoint judges who will outlaw abortions  Believes abortions should be outlawed except for rape/incest  Wants to make parental notification for minors under 18 mandatory

5. Where They Stand on the Issues CANDIDATEA 2. Gun Control CANDIDATEB Wants to Require Safety Devices on All New Guns and Background Checks on Gun Show Purchases  Would like to Require a Safety Course and License Before Gun Purchase and to Allow Lawsuits Against Gun Manufacturers  Opposes the Requirement of Safety Devices on All New Guns and Requiring a Safety Course, and a License Before a Gun Can Be Purchased  Against Background Checks on Gun Show Purchases and Allowing Lawsuits Against Gun Manufacturers 

6. Where They Stand on the Issues CANDIDATEA CANDIDATEB 3. Iraq Is Against The War in Iraq Would like to Turn Over More Political Authority to U.N.  Opposes Immediate Withdrawal of U.S. Troops Is in Favor of The War in Iraq Opposes Turning Over More Political Authority to U.N.  Opposes Immediate Withdrawal of U.S. Troops

7. Where They Stand on the Issues CANDIDATEA CANDIDATEB 4. Health Care Opposes Universal Government-Supervised Health Care  Strongly Favors Medicare Prescription Drugs Coverage By Private Insurers  Strongly Favors Limited Malpractice Suits Against Doctors, Insurers  Somewhat Opposes Universal Government-Supervised Health Care  Strongly Opposes Medicare Prescription Drugs Coverage By Private Insurers  Strongly Favors Expanding Medicaid to Cover More Uninsured Americans 

8. Where They Stand on the Issues CANDIDATEA CANDIDATEB 5. Tax Cuts Strongly Favors Rolling Back Cuts for People Making Over $100,000  Strongly Opposes Additional Tax Cuts for Businesses  Strongly Opposes Rolling Back Cuts for People Making Over $100,000  Strongly Favor Additional Tax Cuts for Businesses 

9. Where They Stand on the Issues CANDIDATEA Environment CANDIDATEB Strongly Opposes Oil Drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge  Strongly Favors Mandatory Clean Air Emissions Standards  Strongly Favors Tougher Fuel Efficiency Standards  Strongly Favors Oil Drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge  Somewhat Opposes Mandatory Clean Air Emissions Standards  Strongly Opposes Tougher Fuel Efficiency Standards 

10. Where They Stand on the Issues CANDIDATEA Religion in Government CANDIDATEB Strongly Opposes Organized Prayer in Public Schools  Strongly Opposes 10 Commandments Displayed in Federal Buildings  Strongly Opposes Federal Funding of Religious Charities  Strongly Favors Organized Prayer in Public Schools  Strongly Favors 10 Commandments Displayed in Federal Buildings  Strongly Favor Federal Funding of Religious Charities 

11. Where They Stand on the Issues CANDIDATEA CANDIDATEB Jobs Strongly Opposes Raising the Minimum Wage  Strongly Opposes Extending Unemployment Benefits  Strongly Favors Raising the Minimum Wage  Strongly Favors Extending Unemployment Benefits 

12. Add up your totals. Which candidate did you vote for based on where he stood on the issues?

13. Debate Highlights KERRY: "Unfortunately, (Osama bin Laden) escaped in the mountains of Tora Bora. We had him surrounded. But we didn't use American forces, the best-trained in the world, to go kill him. The president relied on Afghan warlords, and he outsourced that job too. That's wrong." BUSH: "My opponent says help is on the way, but what kind of message does it say to our troops in harm's way: 'Wrong war, wrong place, wrong time'? Not a message a commander in chief gives."

14. Debate Highlights KERRY: "Iraq was not even close to the centre of the war on terror before the president invaded it." BUSH: "Of course we're doing everything we can to protect America. I wake up every day thinking about how best to protect America. That's my job."

15. Debate Highlights KERRY: I've had one position, one consistent position [on Iraq]: That Saddam Hussein was a threat, there was a right way to disarm him and the wrong way, and the president chose the wrong way. Bush: The only thing consistent about my opponent's position is that he's been inconsistent. He changes positions. And you cannot change positions in this war on terror if you expect to win.

16. How many votes does a candidate need to be elected President? The answer is 270--the number of Electoral College votes needed to win.

17. The Electoral College is not a school. It is a system established by the U.S. Constitution. Each state has electors, the people who officially elect the U.S. President and Vice President. The number of electors in each state is equal to the number of its U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives. Each state has two Senators. The number of Representatives depends on the state's population. For example, Texas has 2 Senators and 32 Representatives, so it has 34 electors.

18. On Election Day (November 2), U.S. citizens will vote by ballot. This is called the popular vote. In each state, except Maine and Nebraska, the candidate who receives the most popular votes wins all of the state's electoral votes. This is called the "winner-take-all" rule. The winner is usually known by the next morning, although it's not official until electors cast their votes in December.

19. A candidate can win the nation's popular vote but still lose the Electoral College. In most states, if one candidate gets more popular votes than the other candidates, he or she gets all of that state's electoral votes. This happened in 2000, when Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote to George W. Bush. The candidate who wins at least 270 out of 538 electoral votes is declared President.