Changes

==The Campaign ==

==The Campaign ==

Republicans pointed out that Kerry was [[liberal]], even more so than [[Ted Kennedy]].  Bush's popularity numbers were at a point that most Presidents would not get re-elected.  Indeed, Kerry led in the polls for most of the campaign season, but failed to get a bump from the Democratic convention, especially when confronted with strong allegations from [[Swift Boat Veterans for Truth|Swift Boat veterans]] that his war record was exaggerated and far from heroic.  The Republican convention painted Kerry as a flip-flopper, and the Bush-[[Dick Cheney|Cheney]] ticket did receive a bounce.  Even so, with a campaign to galvanize the young people to his cause with odd slogans such as "vote or die", Kerry still had a slight lead heading into the election and it appeared he would win. On election night, voter turnout was heavy, as the Democrats had hoped, but they underestimated the Republican turnout - which was heavier than expected.  [[Karl Rove]]'s strategy of getting gay marriage amendment propositions on the ballot in key states helped to get out the conservative base.  In the end George W. Bush had won.  At first Kerry and [[John Edwards|Edwards]] refused to concede and, indeed, Edwards wanted to contest the election, but there were no close states like in 2000.  Their best bet, Ohio, was won by Bush with a margin of 120,000 votes.  Kerry conceded the next morning and Bush was re-elected as President.         

Republicans pointed out that Kerry was [[liberal]], even more so than [[Ted Kennedy]].  Bush's popularity numbers were at a point that most Presidents would not get re-elected.  Indeed, Kerry led in the polls for most of the campaign season, but failed to get a bump from the Democratic convention, especially when confronted with strong allegations from [[Swift Boat Veterans for Truth|Swift Boat veterans]] that his war record was exaggerated and far from heroic.  The Republican convention painted Kerry as a flip-flopper, and the Bush-[[Dick Cheney|Cheney]] ticket did receive a bounce.  Even so, with a campaign to galvanize the young people to his cause with odd slogans such as "vote or die", Kerry still had a slight lead heading into the election and it appeared he would win.

 

 

On election night, voter turnout was heavy, as the Democrats had hoped, but they underestimated the Republican turnout - which was heavier than expected.  [[Karl Rove]]'s strategy of getting gay marriage amendment propositions on the ballot in key states helped to get out the conservative base.  [[Exit polling]] was known to be unreliable as more Democrats than Republicans agree to talk afterwards, but this election truly highlighted that.  It began to leak on the internet that Kerry had won as the polling showed that he won Ohio by 5 points.  The networks believed that Kerry was going to be the next President and all they had to do was report it as it unfolded.  In the end George W. Bush won.  At first Kerry and [[John Edwards|Edwards]] refused to concede and, indeed, Edwards wanted to contest the election, but there were no close states like in 2000.  Their best bet, Ohio, was won by Bush with a margin of 120,000 votes.  Kerry conceded the next morning and Bush was re-elected as President.         

In a rare occurrence, it was found afterwards that Kerry hadn't spent all of the money in his war chest, having over $10 million that could have gone to last minute advertising.  The Democratic party was upset and Kerry never did explain why he allowed this to occur.

In a rare occurrence, it was found afterwards that Kerry hadn't spent all of the money in his war chest, having over $10 million that could have gone to last minute advertising.  The Democratic party was upset and Kerry never did explain why he allowed this to occur.