And the closeness of the election tightened. It would be like me running for office and getting 50 votes but my opponent only got 5 votes 4 years ago. This year I got 100 votes, but my oppenent got 99 votes and then claiming I was a strong candidate. Frankly, I came closer to being turned out with 100 votes than I did with only 50 votes.
Reagan won in a landslide. Bush won with with a bare plurality.
Oh, it's true that the country was narrowly divided. If the Democrats had only nominated a candidate who promised to raise taxes (like Mondale did in 1984), Bush would have probably gotten a higher percentage. Frankly, given the Clinton recession, the economic hit from 9/11, leadership shown in taking out Saddam which alienated some natural political allies, the rabid opposition by the international elites, the MSM, as well as an energized Democratic left (and a few carping conservatives), the President's increase in both absolute and percentage terms over the 2000 result was impressive.