<P> The Natural Law Party held its national convention in Arlington, Virginia, August 31--September 2, nominating a ticket of Hagelin / Goldhaber via unanimous decision without a roll - call vote . The party was on 38 of the 51 ballots nationally . </P> <P> Although the campaign focused mainly on domestic issues, such as the projected budget surplus, proposed reforms of Social Security and Medicare, health care, and competing plans for tax relief, foreign policy was often an issue . </P> <P> Bush criticized Clinton administration policies in Somalia, where 18 Americans died in 1993 trying to sort out warring factions, and in the Balkans, where United States peacekeeping troops perform a variety of functions . "I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation - building," Bush said in the second presidential debate . Bush also pledged to bridge partisan gaps in the nation's capital, claiming the atmosphere in Washington stood in the way of progress on necessary reforms . Gore, meanwhile, questioned Bush's fitness for the job, pointing to gaffes made by Bush in interviews and speeches and suggesting the Texas governor lacked the necessary experience to be president . </P> <P> Bill Clinton's impeachment and the sex scandal that led up to it cast a shadow on the campaign, particularly on his vice president's run to replace him . Republicans strongly denounced the Clinton scandals, particularly Bush, who made his repeated promise to restore "honor and dignity" to the White House a centerpiece of his campaign . Gore studiously avoided the Clinton scandals, as did Lieberman, even though Lieberman had been the first Democratic senator to denounce Clinton's misbehavior . In fact, some media observers theorized that Gore actually chose Lieberman in an attempt to separate himself from Clinton's past misdeeds, and help blunt the GOP's attempts to link him to his boss . Others pointed to the passionate kiss Gore gave his wife during the Democratic Convention, as a signal that despite the allegations against Clinton, Gore himself was a faithful husband . Gore avoided appearing with Clinton, who was shunted to low visibility appearances in areas where he was popular . Experts have argued that this could have cost Gore votes from some of Clinton's core supporters . </P>

Who did not receive enough votes from the electoral college