"squeaker re-election"
WHAT ..?? So how many votes over 3.7 million do you require before it's not a "squeaker"??
It was too close for comfort. The bright side is that even with most of the media and almost all of the culture leaders in favor of Kerry, he couldn't raise enough support to get elected.
3% perecentage points is close. He also had the most votes against him than any candidate in history. He won, but "squeaker" is accurate.
You can't spin math.