USA: FIRST HURDLE OF THE 2000 US PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, THE IOWA CAUCUSES, END WITH VICTORIES FOR AL GORE AND GEORGE W. BUSH

Record ID: 347404

  • Title: USA: FIRST HURDLE OF THE 2000 US PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, THE IOWA CAUCUSES, END WITH VICTORIES FOR AL GORE AND GEORGE W. BUSH
  • Date: 24th January 2000
  • Summary: DES MOINES, IOWA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 24, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. TRACK: REPUBLICAN VOTERS ENTERING IOWA PRECINCT CAUCUS 0.09 2. PAN: REPUBLICAN CAUCUS 0.19 3. SCU: REPRESENTATIVE SPEAKING FOR CANDIDATE ORRIN HATCH 0.24 4. SCU: PEOPLE LISTENING TO SPEECHES 0.31 5. SCU/SV: SPEAKER; BALLOTS HANDED OUT (3 SHOTS) 0.47
  • Embargoed: 8th February 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: DES MOINES, IOWA, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA16N2QKZWIJIB92P1USUN1H9WM
  • Story Text: The first hurdle of the 2000 U.S.Presidential
    campaign, the Iowa caucuses, have ended with victories for
    Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W.Bush.

    Hundreds of thousands of Iowans braved chilly winter
    weather on Monday night (January 24) to vote for their
    parties' presidential nominees in the Iowa state caucuses.

    The caucuses are community meetings where local citizens
    speak out for their favoured candidates and vote for local
    party election officials.

    In the state capital of Des Moines, Republicans and
    Democrats met in elementary school canteens and churches to
    choose their candidates.

    Vice President Al Gore emphatically defeated former New
    Jersey Senator Bill Bradley by 63 per cent to 35, giving the
    victor a strong momentum for the next crucial vote in the
    campaign -- the New Hampshire primary on February 1.

    A victory there would put Gore firmly on the path to the
    Democratic presidential nomination and deal a serious blow to
    Bradley's White House hopes.

    Gore, once criticised as a wooden Washington insider,
    showed he has overcome many of the problems that plagued the
    early part of his campaign.

    Frequently hailed as one of the most successful vice
    presidents in U.S.history, the 51-year-old Gore started his
    campaign with a series of blunders and found himself far
    behind Republican front-runner George W.Bush in the polls.

    Even more alarming for Gore, he found himself in an
    unexpectedly tough battle for the Democratic Party nomination
    with Bradley.

    Challenged to make changes in his campaign style and
    become more aggressive, Gore responded.

    A Gore victory in New Hampshire would complete the
    political comeback of a candidate whose campaign only last
    summer seemed to be headed for disaster.

    Gore has been forced to take radical measures.In October
    1999, he abruptly moved his campaign headquarters from
    Washington to Nashville, Tennessee, hoping to turn a sluggish
    effort overladen with expensive consultants into a more
    credible campaign.

    Firing several advisers, Gore adopted more casual clothing
    and began holding open-ended town hall meetings with voters
    instead of his previously scripted sessions.

    He launched a ferocious series of attacks on Bradley and
    held a series of hard-hitting debates with his opponent.

    At the Republican party headquarters at Drake University
    in Iowa on Monday, the mood was calm as the caucus results
    were tallied and shown on a giant video screen.Party
    supporters said there was no surprise in the Bush victory, but
    were impressed with support for both publishing magnate Steve
    Forbes and conservative firebrand Alan Keyes.

    Bush captured 41 per cent of the Republican vote, followed
    by publisher Forbes at 30 per cent.

    Keyes, a radio talk show host and former diplomat, was at
    14 per cent; conservative activist Gary Bauer had nine per
    cent, Arizona Senator John McCain five per cent and Utah
    Senator Orrin Hatch one per cent.

    McCain, who is leading Bush by a small margin in polls
    ahead of the New Hampshire primary, did not actively campaign
    in the Iowa caucuses, but had hoped to surprise people with a
    higher placing.

    George Bush greeted supporters at a hotel in downtown Des
    Moines before boarding a flight to New Hampshire.

    Iowa Republican party chairman Kayne Robinson said his
    party will fight to keep its position as the first campaign
    battleground every four years.He told Reuters that Iowa's
    focus on grassroots organisation and personal politics were
    important in preparing the candidates for the larger campaigns
    to follow.


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