WS: I think Bush won because he successfully captured the ABUL (Anybody but an Urban Liberal) vote. Kerry was an incarnation of an Urban Liberal as evidenced by him attracting mainly urban votes. As such he was an icon of what the suburban and rural folks love to hate. Bush operatives knew that and successfully portrayed voting for Bush as a protest vote. A vote for Bush was really a vote against Kerry or rather against the "intellectual liberal elite."
That was a real political mastery - selling a well-connected patrician member of a political dynasty as a "challenger" and voting for him as a protest vote against "business as usual." But Democrats still do not get it - they still think is about "values" and "issues." It ain't. It is about popular myths, icons, "reality" shows, insecurity and making one feeling good about oneself by kicking unpopular scapegoats.
If the Democrats are serious about coming back to power, they should start recruiting all-American looking, tough talking, and ass-kicking celebrities and actors who look more emotional than intellectual to run for president and other important political offices. I am not sufficiently versed in pop-kultur to name any names, but may be others can suggest the names of those who fit the profile.
Wojtek