I just noticed the popular vote

[muon2]

A lot of credit has to go to the GOP party unity, not just in the election year, but throughout the term. Party divisions are one of the surest sign of incumbent weakness. Bush worked hard in 2002 and built a great deal of support within the Congressional GOP. Frequent fundraising trips that helped local organizations helped create the unity that blocked the kind of primary challenge Bush 41 faced from Buchanan.