In No More than 5 Sentences Describe the 2004 Election

[Gabu]

John Kerry, the Democratic junior senator from Massachussets, and George W. Bush, the Republican president of the United States, were both nominated by their respective parties with minimal opposition in the primaries.  While the lead fluctuated between Kerry and Bush in the spring, Bush began to pull ahead in the summer when a group known as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ran ads that brought into question the validity of the medals - three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and a Silver Star - that were awarded to Kerry during his military service in Vietnam.  Both the Democratic National Convention in July and the Republican National Convention in August were carried out with neither any serious faults nor any knockout punches for either side.  As the race entered the fall, Bush was still ahead, but Kerry was widely regarded to have outperformed Bush in the first debate, gaining Kerry some momentum in the race.  However, it proved not to be enough for Kerry, as Bush was beginning to regain his stride by late October and went on to win both the pivotal state of Ohio in the general election and the electoral college itself, 286-251.

NOTE: I realize that I didn't mention Kerry's selection of a running mate, but I'm at five sentences and I can't see either a sentence that I could delete or a sentence in which I could fit that information.