If we look to the difference between the Florida margin and the national margin, we see that after 1976, Florida was never less Republican than it was in 2000, neither before, nor after. But it was not enough...
Difference between Florida margin and national margin
1976: D 3.22%
1980: R 7.28%
1984: R 12.44%
1988: R 14.63%
1992: R 7.45%
1996: R 2.82%
2000: R 0.53%
2004: R 2.55%
2008: R 4.45%
2012: R 2.98%
I don't know why.
There is the theory proposed by the far right that many Panhandle voters, who are in other time zone, didn't vote after the state was called to Al Gore.
I compared the variation of the turnout in Santa Rosa County, in the Panhandle, and in Miami, in the South of the state.
Number of voters
Santa Rosa
2000: 50,402
2004: 67,307
growth: 33.5%
Miami
2000: 625,552
2004: 774,726
growth: 23.8%
Looking at these numbers, we see that in a county in Panhandle, we can see lower turnout in 2000.
However, I still do not believe in this theory. It is very strange that many people decided to vote in the last hour, heard the news that the state was called to Gore, and decided not to vote.
Your statistics seem to support the panhandle central time theory. Also the first Jewish VP nominee ever may have energized older Jews in particular, many of whom live in Florida (and more than a few of whom I am convinced accidentally voted for Buchanan).
