Gore 343 Bush 195 in 2000. That's close enough to what would have happened if Gore had more sense (and less arrogance) to:
1) Bring Bill Clinton in to campaign
2) Put more than a halfhearted effort in Ohio and Tennessee
3) Be less of a jerk in that first debate (and other events)
1. Bill clinton was damaged goods due to the lewinsky scandal and gore knew that if he had clinton to campaign with him there would be a guilty by association.
2. Ohio and Tennessee was unlikely to be won by Gore due to the huge drop in support for democrats in rural areas.
3. Theres a video of gore using his height to try to intimidate Bush in one of the debates, gave people a very bad impression of gore.
And just to mention about florida. Gore would of won that state by a couple thousand votes had clinton just pardoned eilan gonzalez and let him stay in the US.
1) Clinton's approval rating in Gallup (July-October 2000) was 57-62; disapproval was 34-38. Damaged goods? The 1998 election knocked that perception out the window (and fortunately, Newt Gingrich was thrown out as well).
2) Gore pulled out of Ohio in late September 2000; he lost 50-47. A little bit of an effort late in the campaign could have made the difference.
3) And how could Clinton have pardoned Elian Gonzalez? He wasn't accused (much less convicted) of a crime...
