Why couldn't Bush win Long Island outright in 2004?

[Suburbia]

Nassau and Suffolk was devastated by the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks, a lot of workers and firefighters and cops lived there and died on that day, and yet they voted for Kerry-Edwards.

Why?

[Suburbia]

It is ironic, however.

2004:
Nassau: Kerry 52%, Bush 46%
Suffolk: Kerry 49%, Bush 48%

[GregTheGreat657]

They were probably turned off by Bush’s culture war rhetoric

[Smash255]

Nassau and Suffolk was devastated by the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks, a lot of workers and firefighters and cops lived there and died on that day, and yet they voted for Kerry-Edwards.

Why?

Because we all weren't Iraq War cheerleaders?   On a more serious note, Long Island did trend quite a bit to the GOP in 2004, it however wasn't enough to flip the region that became fairly Democratic on the national level during the 90's.  The area has since become a bit more swingy with Nassau being a bit more Democratic, and Suffolk a bit more Republican.

[Calthrina950]

I'd agree that the culture war (i.e. over the wars, gay marriage, abortion, and other issues) probably prevented Bush from winning Long Island outright in 2004. Nevertheless, he improved significantly on Long Island and in New York City itself over 2000, thanks to the 9/11 effect. Kerry won Suffolk County by less than a percentage point, whereas Gore had carried it by 11%. Nassau County went from a 20-pt. Gore victory to a 5.5 pt. margin for Kerry. Staten Island went from a 7-pt. Gore victory to a 13-pt. Bush victory.

Bush got 24% in Brooklyn (compared to 16% in 2000), 27% in Queens (compared to 22% in 2000), and 17% in the Bronx (compared to 12% in 2000). The only NYC borough to swing Democratic was Manhattan, which went for Kerry 82-17% after going for Gore 80-15%. Finally, Bush flipped Rockland County (winning by less than a percentage point while he had lost to Gore there by 17%) and slightly improved in Westchester County (which went from 59-38% Gore to 58-40% Kerry).

[Suburbia]

Bush probably made a lot of mistakes in 2004, despite winning relection.

He got 40% in NY, the last time a Republican has done so...

He should have hired Mike Piazza and John Franco to campaign on LI to get those Mets fans to vote Bush-Cheney.....

[Coldstream]

Even if you assume people in Long Island are more likely to be pro war on terror, it doesn’t make them less Democrat. Ie you could be a hawkish Democrat and still vote for Kerry, it’s not like Kerry was running a particularly dovish campaign.

[UWS]

The moreover that on Election Day a poll said that 49 % of New York voters trusted Bush to handle national security and counterterrorism compared to 42 % for John Kerry

[UWS]

In addition, 75 % of New York voters said they worried about terrorism. And Dubya was advantaged in most personal qualities as he performed strongly among voters who wanted a candidate who emphasizes on religious faith, is honest and trustworthy, is a strong leader, has a clear stance on issues. All those qualities combined together were selected by 45 % of the New York voters.

[UWS]

That increase of support for Dubya in Nassau and Suffolk compared to 2000 is also due to getting 44 % of the national Latino vote which got him to 40 % of the vote in the New York state)

[UWS]

Also, a poll published after the 2004 RNC held in New York City showed that Dubya was polling 44 % and that 25 % of the New York Dems would vote for Dubya. If that was the case Dubya would have won Nassau and Suffolk.

https://web.archive.org/web/20040922015744/http://www.rasmussenreports.com/New%20York_Fall%202004.htm

[King of Kensington]

Nassau and Suffolk was devastated by the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks, a lot of workers and firefighters and cops lived there and died on that day, and yet they voted for Kerry-Edwards.

Why?

"Yet" is an odd way of putting it as Kerry-Edwards weren't responsible for the 9/11 attacks.