I'm glad someone brought up the Calvinist issue. I am Calvinist in that I was a fan of Calvin MacLeash, a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians in the mid 50's. I thought I was frank in explaining that my predictions are not the same as my preferences. Here's the hostoric skinny.
Polls, in early 2004, had Bush's approval rating at around 40%. He was at his lowest point of popularity and it wasn't, just, Iraq. The economy was tanking, there had been scandals and his Vice President was polling worse than he was. But, without benefit of economic spurt or good news from the front, by the time the Democrats had finished shooting themselves at their convention, Bush was the favorite. A Democrat hasn't won on priciple since Truman. JFK won on charm, alone. LBJ won to honor JFK. Carter won because people were furious about the Nixon pardon and, besides, Ford lost some concervative support when he pardoned the draft resisters. Clinton, the only one who won twice, ran against the sour, dour, depressing Bob Dole. That was the only election, I can remember, where the Republican was more qualified than the Democrat. Well, maybe JFK vs Nixon. But look at the other results.
A brilliant, progressive, experienced Adlai Stevenson is, twice, defeated by an inexperienced war hero. Two well credentialed Democrats were soundly whipped by an reactionary actor. A well liked, sitting president is taken by a former CIA chief and the less said about his son, the better. The question should not be, why do I think the American voters will not turn against the Democrats, once again, but why do you think they won't.

               Mike aka calvin