Why didn't John Kerry get a post-convention bounce?

[12th Doctor]

1) Most people had already made up their minds about who to vote for (or against, as the case might be).  The 2004 Election probably featured the fewest undecideds at that point in the race than any other election in U.S. history.

2) Did you watch the convention?  Regardless of which side you were for, John Kerry doesn't energize people, and neither did the Democrats.  They really had no message, other than being opposed to Bush, and a crappy messenger to boot.  If so many people had not already decided to oppose Bush, regardless, then the election never would have been close.  At the same token. if the Democrats hadn't fielded someone who was arguably the worst Presidential candidate in history (Mondale and McGovern never had a chance, and at least Goldwater went down fighting for something, and created a movement... no one will remember Kerry for anything in 50 years), Bush never would have made it to a second term.