March 30, 1999
By
Tom Cronin
CyberCaucus 2000 News Service
Drake University
One thing in common in the 1988 and 2000 presidential campaigns is Bush and Dole as two top candidates from the Republican party.
Although the last names of these candidates mirror the names from 12 years ago, the candidates carrying the Bush and Dole names are quite different this time around. But they're related. Gov. George W. Bush, R-Texas, is the son of former President George Bush, who was elected in the 1988 presidential election. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., is the wife of Bob Dole, who was the Republican candidate in the 1996 election and runner-up to the Republican presidential nomination in 1988.
George W. Bush, 52, has somewhat shorter and different politcal record than his father's.
Former President Bush, according to his profile at www.whitehouse.gov, served two terms as representative to Congress from Texas, ussuccessfully ran twice for U.S. Senate and was appointed to several high-level political positions before being elected vice-president in 1980 and president in 1988. His high-level positions include ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee, chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China, and director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Although George W. Bush has less experience in international politics than his father, he helped with his father's campaign in 1988 and was elected governor of Texas in 1994. According to his official campaign web site, George W. Bush was the first Texas governor to be elected to consecutive four year terms, winning 68.6 percent of the vote in 1998.
Unlike her husband, Elizabeth Dole has never held an elective position, but has held a variety of different political positions. According to the Politics 1 Web site on the 2000 presidency, Elizabeth Dole has served in the Nixon-Ford administrations, the Reagan Cabinet as secretary of transportation, the Bush Cabinet as secretary of labor and is the immediate past president of the American Red Cross.
The Politics 1 Web site said: "Dole impressed many voters with her performance from the floor of the 1996 GOP convention. She exuded considerably more charisma than did her husband Bob, the presidential nominee."
Most early polls show Bush and Dole to be the top candidates in both Iowa and New Hampshire. Regardless of the outcome of the Iowa caucus, Bush and Dole - like in 1988 - will be two candidates as the 2000 Iowa caucus approaches.