At the turn of the 21st century, a popular governor of a populous Republican stronghold sought promotion to the presidency on the grounds that he was, in his words, “a uniter, not a divider”.
George W Bush’s hope to be a leader who brought America together took a significant hit after the 2000 presidential election ended in a monthlong stalemate that took a 5-4 Supreme Court decision to resolve by handing him Florida’s electoral votes and the presidency, leaving the country he wanted to unite divided into what the press began calling “red states” and “blue states,” after the colours used by television networks’ election night maps.
