In No More than 5 Sentences Describe the 2004 Election

[Platypus]

Incumbent Republican President George W. Bush won the 2004 election with 286 electoral votes of a possible 538. His Democrat competitor, Vietnam purple-heart winner and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, won his nomination decisively despite tough early competition. Kerry and Bush were both polling well throughout the summer, as the Iraq war emerged at the biggest issue, dividing the electorate; along with economic concerns and social issues including gay marriage and abortion. Bush, helped by anti-Kerry ads that portrayed him as a 'flip-flopper' and a small boost from the Republican Convention, took a slight lead into election day, when he won the key state of Ohio in an election that saw the highest turnout and most involved citizenry since the 1960s. Bush, who had reached approval ratings of 90% immediately following the September 11 terrorist attacks, won primarily due to a mixture of perceived patriotic duty to a wartime leader and a strong turnout by Christian Conservatives.