Okay, G. W. Bush wasn't on the ballot, but it would be naive to try and say that the election wasn't considered by almost everyone as a referendum on his administration.

Almost everywhere G. W. Bush went during the election, Republicans picked up points. Almost everywhere Clinton and Gore went during the election, Democrats lost points. Not the whole reason for Republican victories, but it didn't hurt.

MONEY kicked ass in 2002. Negative ads, run for months and months funded by wealthy powerful interests, as well as the cynical fear fostered by this Administration (will we ever get tired of the "warnings" designed to make Rs seem like Saviors?) in the majority of Americans raised to trust their government.

No, no, no. You're not getting it right. The Official Democratic Excuse is "low voter turnout." Isn't your fax machine working? ;)

No, George Bush wasn't on the ballot. But Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris were, in Florida, and the vast majority of the DNC resources were bent on their defeat, declaring to the Florida Democratic voters that this was their Big Chance to take revenge for 2000.

Bush and Harris annihilated their Democratic opponents in a state where Democrats had had their noses thoroughly rubbed in the fact that every single last Democratic vote counts.

How would YOU interpret this? If this is just due to campaign commercials, I want to hire the ad agency. If it was voter turnout, then what DOES it take to get a Democrat to the polls if not the election of 2000?