2004
George W. Bush and the 2004 map
Bush won re-election over Senator John Kerry by focusing on national security and the War on Terror following 9/11. The 'Swift Boat Veterans for Truth' campaign attacked Kerry's Vietnam War record, despite Kerry being a decorated veteran. Bush's narrow popular vote majority (first since 1988) was built on strong evangelical Christian turnout energized by ballot measures opposing same-sex marriage. Ohio was the decisive state, and Kerry conceded the next morning without legal challenges.
Iraq War; War on Terror; 9/11 security; same-sex marriage ballot measures
First popular vote majority for a Republican since 1988; Swift Boat ads defined opposition research
States · 51 reporting
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