A lot of people are surprised that the Democrats didn't hold the WH in 2000, considering how high Clinton's approvals were. But most people gave him high marks on his job performance and low marks on favorability due to his scandals. So in 2000 there was a strong desire among conservatives and moderates to restore morality to the Presidency and George Bush fit the bill very well. He seemed to be a devoted husband with no rumors of infidelity as well as a born again Christian who preached compassionate conservatism. This is why the revelation of his DUI conviction was feared to be so damaging at first because it shattered his clean image.
And in a relatively stable period like 2000, where domestic and foreign issues were put on the back burner, character and personality became the most important issues for voters. Gore was boring and was associated with the scandals of the Clinton years while Bush represented a clean slate.
This. The 2000 election probably came entirely down to who the average person thought was more normal.
