How did Gore not win comfortably?

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

Most people didn't think the election really mattered that much, isn't wasn't such a life or death thing like 2004 and 2008. Most people just voted on who they liked or disliked more, which split the country between those who liked Bush and those who disliked Gore. Gore was perceived as being an enviromental extremist, exaggerator, stuck-up politician, while Bush was perceived as an honest, down to earth, Christian family man. Clinton's personals outweighed his job approvals because, once again, people really didn't think the election's result would have any real impact on the country or their lives. Had it not been for 9/11 it would probably still be this way. 9/11 not only re-created the national security issue, but it helped make the election more serious, and with a significant percentage of the religious base now believing we are living in the end times, makes them take other social issues, abortion, gay marriage ect, all the more seriously.

And the evangelical base was much more motivated then before, I remember the entire fundamentalist side of my family being fired up about Bush being born again, and the teachers in my school were very ecstatic about it as well. I believe Rove said that 4 million of them didn't vote in 2000, but it was probably still up from the previous two elections.