The number one thing that sunk Kerry was running against a moral president who took a stand on what he believed.
That and the Democrats fielding a sitting senator against an incumbent president. It has never been successful before, why would it work this time?
I object!
The number one thing that sunk Kerry was Kerry!!!
The country, no the world, is lucky the Dims chose Kerry (or could have been Dean, or really anyone else they had in the primaries) because as close as this was (not that is was really all that close) just imagine how badly Bush would have lost if they actually had someone who was competent in politics. (i.e. Clinton)
I mean everyone knows Kerry was a no-body, no one voted for Kerry, they just voted against Bush. It could have been Bush v.s. Hitler, or Osama, or the mouse my cat killed last night, or even Lucifer himself and Bush would have won by about the same margin. (well, O.K., had Lucifer shown up as his 'Angel of light' self Bush would have lost by a very large margin since only the truly saved would see the truth...)