Bill Weld, 42nd President of the United States
Bill Weld served as the 42nd president of the United States from 2005 to 2009. He served with Vice President Rudy Giuliani. He is remembered as a union-busting president.
In 2004, Weld and Giuliani were elected over Democrats Bill Bradley and John Edwards by a margin of 287-251 electoral votes, with a 1.5% edge in the popular vote. The election was notable for Weld's victories in traditionally blue New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
As President, Weld passed several deregulations, massive tax cuts, austerity measures, and supported state and federal "right to work" laws. The economy surged from 2005-2007, but in August of 2007 markets began to fail, with unemployment jumping to 9.3% by the end of the year. The president was seen as slow to react to this failure, and by January of 2008 his approval ratings fell to 35%. He attempted to aid the failing economy through several Public works projects, which angered the Conservative wing of his party.
In the 2008 primaries, he was challenged by Conservative Texas Governor George W. Bush, who called Weld "Chairman of the Republican Democrats council" for his socially liberal stances and his public works spending in response to the economic collapse. Weld narrowly won the primaries, and faced Democrats John Kerry and Gary Locke.
In the end, the combination of his anti-union stances and his bad luck in regards to the economy caused Weld to lose the general election by a 371-367electoral landslide, with a 52-45% defeat in the popular vote.