<P> Bush was seen as the early favorite for the Republican nomination and, despite a contentious primary battle with Senator John McCain and other candidates, secured the nomination by Super Tuesday . Bush chose former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney as his running mate, while Gore chose Senator Joe Lieberman as his . The left - wing Green Party nominated a ticket consisting of political activists Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke . </P> <P> Both major party candidates focused primarily on domestic issues, such as the budget, tax relief, and reforms for federal social insurance programs, although foreign policy was not ignored . Due to Clinton's sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky and subsequent impeachment, Gore avoided campaigning with Clinton . Republicans denounced Clinton's indiscretions, while Gore criticized Bush's alleged lack of experience . </P> <P> On election night, it was unclear who had won, with the electoral votes of the state of Florida still undecided . The returns showed that Bush had won Florida by such a close margin that state law required a recount . A month - long series of legal battles led to the contentious, 5--4 Supreme Court decision of Bush v. Gore, which ended the recount . </P> <P> With the end of the recount, Bush won Florida by a margin of . 009%, or 537 votes . The Florida recount and subsequent litigation resulted in a major post-election controversy, and various individuals and organizations have speculated about who would have won the election in various scenarios . Ultimately, Bush won 271 electoral votes, one more than was necessary for the majority, despite Gore receiving 543,895 more votes (0.51% of all votes cast). </P>

Who decided the outcome of the 2000 election
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