The Republican Party
By James Dickman

The Republican Party chose George W. Bush and Dick Cheney as their representatives in the 2000 presidential race.  Bush currently holds the office of Governor in Texas. He earned degrees at both Yale and Harvard, and went on to become a successful oil industry businessman, as well as a managing partner of the Texas Rangers baseball team. He now lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife Laura, and his twin daughters Barbara and Jenna.

Dick Cheney, Bush's running partner, graduated from the University of Wyoming. Early in his political career Cheney held positions in the Nixon and Ford administrations. He represented Wyoming in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 1989, until taking the position of Secretary of Defense, where he directed U.S. military operations in Panama and Desert Storm in the Middle East. Cheney currently resides with his wife Lynne and his two daughters, Liz and Mary.

Bush and Cheney offer a conservative platform and complementary views. Cheney's military and foreign policy experience support Bush's strong economic and domestic policies.

George W. Bush supports a pro-life agenda, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. He proposes multiple restrictions on abortions, allowing no tax dollars to fund abortions, and banning partial birth abortions. Bush advocates adoptions and a healthy family life for children. He believes that strong families and solid education create the best opportunity for the positive development of our children. Bush plans to implement this belief, in part, by reforming the Head Start Program for preschool age children. He proposes that education be the main focus of the program, by making the development of reading and math skills its top priority.

Bush's stance on the economy holds technology as the most important factor. Bush plans on stimulating technological advances in the economy and providing an economic atmosphere that caters to this new industry. He believes that the success of the economy relies on an unrestricted market and a technologically sound educational system. Bush asserts that our technological economy can greatly benefit from universal free trade. He estimates that accomplishing a state of worldwide free trade requires stricter enforcement of trade laws, expanding NAFTA throughout North and South America, admitting China to the World Trade Organization, and revising our export controls to safeguard military technology and ease restrictions on commercial technology.

Bush holds his most conservative stance on crime issues. He supports strong deterrents for sexual predators, namely a "two strikes" mandatory prison time policy and public registration of all sexual predators. Bush also advocates swift and just use of the death penalty as a deterrent against violence. He takes a more liberal approach to the nation's drug problem, supporting better education and treatment polices that provide a balance with law enforcement.

Bush supports similar agendas regarding the environment and education. Bush reasons that the federal government's role is too large in both of these areas. Bush aims to return power over these issues back to the states. With regards to the environment, Bush proposes that the federal government should abandon their current policy of overloaded regulations and endless litigation, and opt for a more realistic role of setting standards and giving specific policy and regulation control back to states and local communities. His similar approach to education offers states freedom from federal regulations, and holds schools accountable for results. Bush supports measuring each school's performance annually.

Bush's environmental record constitutes his only major weakness as a presidential candidate. Bush, as Governor of Texas, experienced problems enforcing environmental laws regarding commercial environment standards, and handling pollution from large concentrations of industrial factories. However, Texas did show signs of environmental improvement over the last year. In addition, Bush's policy of deregulation and transferring federal control of environmental policy to states and communities may prove to be a refreshing change from the last 30 years of unsuccessful Environmental Protection Agency regulation.

Bush holds a very strong educational position. The strict regulations and complex litigation enacted by the Department of Education have a detrimental effect on the educational system, bogging down schools with rules, paperwork, and mandatory operations. Bush proposes to raise standards for schools, and give them the freedom to achieve those standards, by giving states control over accountability and flexible curriculum programs. He also offers incentives for schools and states to meet and exceed federal education standards, providing 500 million dollars for schools and states that improve student performance, as well as removing funds when performance falls below par.

Bush's view on the economy constitutes his strongest argument. Our current economic success can be traced to a strong showing by the technology industry. Internet and computer related companies represent the fastest growing sector of our economy, and Bush's policies will definitely provide ample opportunity for this budding industry to continue its exponential growth rate.

The Bush and Cheney ticket supports many traditional conservative remedies, as well as some more liberal policies. They should appeal most to conservative and moderate voters who oppose "big government" and overloaded federal regulations and bureaucracies.