How much difference did Bush's DWI make in the end?

[RRusso1982]

I remember during the 2000 election since it was the first election I voted in. From the time of the debates to the end of October, if I recall correctly, Bush had a pretty consistent 2 or 3 point lead over Al Gore in most national polls. Then 10 days before the election, the DWI story broke. In the end, Al Gore won the popular vote and there was the craziness in Florida. I remember that being counter to what everyone was saying. The speculation the weekend before the election was that Bush would probably win the popular but Gore may win the electoral. It is possible the DWI had an impact.

I also think the Bush campaign finished badly. They got a little cocky. They acted like they had it in the bag at the end. Bush wasted time and money campaigning in California and New Jersey the last week. He basically took the last weekend off while Al Gore went on a 7 day death march campaign. The Bush campaign thought they had Florida. They thought they had a pretty good shot at Pennsylvania. If I remember correctly, most final polls actually had Bush up 1 or 2 points in Pennsylvania. They thought they might eke out Michigan. I also think they stretched themselves a little too thin. A lot of inviting targets they went after when they probably should have just focused like a laser beam on Florida, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

[darklordoftech]

Bush’s DUI probably cost him the popular vote and nearly cost him the election. Had Gore won, the narrative would probably be “Bush’s DUI cost him the Presidency”. Without the DUI, Bush probably would have won the popular vote and unambiguosly won the Electoral vote and nobody would claim the election was stolen.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

He made it closer at end but the Lewinsky scandal was still there and it hurt him in NV, NH, FL and OH the margin of the Nadar vote Al Gore