It was a great political risk that would please neither conservatives nor liberals—his fellow Republicans in the state legislature defeated the bill. In the end, however, taxes were cut by $1 billion from reforms made from the remnants of his plan, and Bush emerged from the failure relatively intact. In November of 1998, Bush became the first Texas Governor to be elected to consecutive four-year terms, winning by an impressive margin of 65% to 35% and drawing a record number of black and Hispanic voters to the Republican ticket. His success in Texas, especially among minority voters, peaked the interest of the Republican Party’s national organization, which saw the younger Bush as a viable choice to challenge the incumbent Democrats and their anointed candidate, Vice President Al Gore, at the national level.

In June of 1999, George W. Bush officially announced his intention to run for president of the United States, billing himself as a “compassionate conservative.” Basing his campaign on promises to make the Republican Party more inclusive and to restore dignity to what Republicans see as a tarnished White House, Bush has placed a strong emphasis on his desire to improve education—his most passionately felt cause—and his commitment to limited government and welfare and tax reform. Critics point to his relative inexperience in politics and his focus on protecting only wealthy individuals and big business interests, while supporters see him as a much-needed dose of good-natured Middle American reality for the often-nasty realm of Washington politics. Liberals who disbelieve the “compassionate” nature of Bush’s conservatism point to the Texas governor’s support of the current death penalty system (which they see as deeply flawed), his antiabortion stance, and his opposition to hate-crime legislation that would protect homosexuals.

Despite a few early blunders—including his failure to identify several world leaders when asked by a reporter and a primary campaign visit to Bob Jones University, an institution known for its anti-Catholic views—and an unexpectedly strong challenge from Senator John McCain, Bush emerged triumphant on “Super Tuesday” in early March, winning both New York and California among other states. His success forced McCain to suspend his campaign indefinitely (he later formally endorsed Bush).

In July 2000, Bush announced his choice of running mate: Richard B. Cheney, a former congressman from Wyoming who served as defense secretary under Bush's father and is now in the oil business in Texas.