[joesbucks]

C'mon. I'm gald Bush won. But to take the popular vote by about 2.5% and a modest gain in electorial votes does not equate to blow out, mandate or any other of the superlatives that are bandied here.

Frankly, it would have been a lot higher is the President didn't single handedly blow life back into Kerry during the 1st debate. The Swifty's had dealt Kerry a death blow. Bush played Jesus to Kerry's Lazarus and brought him back to life.

[Faraday]

Please, I never said the election was a blow out. I never said he had a mandate. I said Bush and Kerry were strong candidates as judged by the only metric that matters, votes. In hindsight, could they been stronger. Sure. But we don't get to run elections over because we've perfected our debating points.