Republicans and Democrats. Was there ever a point...

[J. J.]

In May of 2004, this what I expected:

DNC:  Kerry gets a 4-5 point boost, which erodes to dead even for the RNC.

RNC:  Bush goes up 4-5, which evaporates in mid September, about the time of the first debate.

Debates:  Kerry up by 5 at the end, but this drops to a dead on election day, with Bush taking the EV and barely the popular vote.

When Kerry didn't get the long term and strong post convention bounce, I was pretty sure Bush would win.  I was actually looking at the outside chance of a Bush landslide in early September.

[WilliamSeward]

Late July/early August, I wasn't sure if Bush would win. After the GOP convention I was definitely sure.

[Rin-chan]

Yeah... there definately was...  I think it was in the last few weeks of the election...

All the liberals in my school were wearing anti-Bush things and saying how much they hated him.  We even had a mock election in our school... Bush won by a landslide...  but I sincerely thought Kerry would win that election.

In the real election, I thought the same thing.  I saw more Kerry-Edwards bumpers stickers on cars and alot more Kerry-Edwards signs.  However, a guy who is a member of this board  as well as being my BESTEST best friend and decided that Bush was definately going to win (he doesn't want to be revealed yet... for some strange reason...).  It calmed my fears.

And we, obviously, were right!

Oh, and hello, everyone!  I'm a newbie here!!  YAY!!  Don't worry, I'm not here to ruin your forum.

Rin-chan

[Vasall des Midas]

A guy who is a member of this board  as well as being my BESTEST best friend and decided that Bush was definately going to win (he doesn't want to be revealed yet... for some strange reason...).

Hi NixonNow!

[Harry]

I was sure Kerry would win the whole time, because I'm an optimist and thought America would see the light.  The debates and exit poll numbers made me even more confident.  I made a map on Nov 1 with Kerry winning FL, OH, CO, IA, and WV.  All of that came crashing down on Nov. 2.  On Nov. 3, during academic team practice, I made the whole team stop playing so we could watch Kerry's speech on TV....I was quite sad

[Jake]

Rin-Chin sounds more like a Naso name

[TexasGurl]

Nope.

[PBrunsel]

Nope.

Cobb didn't stand a chance anyway.

[YRABNNRM]

For most of the campaign (From June on...) I expected either Kerry to win or the election to end up a tie and go to the House, where Bush would win. My prediction map reflects this.

I thought that the obstacles and hatred was too much for Bush to overcome, and I'm surprised he did, although he threw away whatever he had and thus now he has 30% approval ratings.

[Smash255]

For most of the campaign (From June on...) I expected either Kerry to win or the election to end up a tie and go to the House, where Bush would win. My prediction map reflects this.

I thought that the obstacles and hatred was too much for Bush to overcome, and I'm surprised he did, although he threw away whatever he had and thus now he has 30% approval ratings.

Wow you dug that one out of the time machine.

I know your not old enough to have voted, but judging by some of your posts you seem pretty typical of that 15% block of voters who voted for Bush in 04, but now is disgusted with the administration, which is shown in his approval #'s.

[YRABNNRM]

I know your not old enough to have voted, but judging by some of your posts you seem pretty typical of that 15% block of voters who voted for Bush in 04, but now is disgusted with the administration, which is shown in his approval #'s.

Yea, that's basically about right. I have supported two things in the Second Bush Administration: Roberts and Alito. Besides that I find no confidence in the decisions made by this administration.

[Republican Michigander]

For Republicans:

Was there ever a point during the 2004 campaign/election were you said to yourself, "Damn, we might lose this thing."

When and Why?

I was concerned about John Edwards or Wes Clark winning the nomination. I thought Dean has a chance.

When John Kerry of all people was the nominee, I wasn't that concerned until the first debates. That's when Bush might have beat himself, but two weeks before the election, I figured we had it. Everyone had enough of the Michael Moore wing of the party. When I see houses after houses put up political signs for the first time, and all of those for Bush, we had it.

Bush was beatable, but not by John Kerry.

[Nym90]

I thought Kerry would win, but then I am probably too optimistic for my own good.

With regards to those thinking that their candidate would lose, I do recall MarkDel predicting a Kerry victory a couple of days or so before the election.

[Soaring Eagle]

I must admit, I thought Kerry was going to win narrowly. I thought that Bush had screwed up just enough to lose reelection. The one time during the actual campaign that I was doubtful was at the Democratic National Convention when Kerry "reported for duty." But then on Election Night, I realized that there would be another four years of Bush.

On a side note, if Kerry had won, I had been planning to dance around singing in the street and celebrating.

[Gustaf]

I expected a Bush win, in fact a larger Bush win than was eventually the case. The only time when I actually thought Kerry would win was on election night when I got news of the exit poll and the surprisingly high turn-out. I thought that would save Kerry. Then I realized that his margins in places like Delaware, Connecticut and New Jersey had been cut in half compared to Gore and that Michigan was too close to call and that the South had gone solidly to Bush and I thought "..." well, I don't know exactly what I thought but I was pretty certain that it was over. My dad misheard something though and told me Kerry was ahead in Ohio and that made me doubt myself a short while. But only a short while.

[adam]

The only thing I said to myself during the 2004 elections was, "What a bunch of dumbasses".

[Reignman]

The weeks after Kerry picked Edwards but before the Dem's convention, after the first debate, and about 5 days before the election before Kerry wasted time on states like Nevada and Flordia instead of focusing on Ohio.

[adam]

The weeks after Kerry picked Edwards but before the Dem's convention, after the first debate, and about 5 days before the election before Kerry wasted time on states like Nevada and Flordia instead of focusing on Ohio.

That's because at the time, Ohio wasn't being looked at as a big swing state. After 2000, the Dems were hell bent on winning Florida. They spent so much time and money there with no result at all. Truly a large mistake on their part.

Granted they might have been able to pull it off if they had spent as much time campaigning as they did trying to throw Nader off the ballot.

[kashifsakhan]

During the Democratic Convention, and right after the first debate, when Kerry was moping the floor with Bush, well not moping the floor, but he was ahead by a few points.

I was still optomistic on election night, but not nearly as optomistic as i was during the summer months.

[dazzleman]

I thought Kerry would win, but then I am probably too optimistic for my own good.

With regards to those thinking that their candidate would lose, I do recall MarkDel predicting a Kerry victory a couple of days or so before the election.

MarkDel tended to put a negative cast on a lot of things.  He predicted a Kerry win because he so dreaded the prospect of it.