With the race too close to call, pundits pointed to changes the campaigns could have made.
Gore's attempt to separate himself from Clinton, both by preventing him from campaigning and by underplaying the strong economy, was seen as a tactical error
Although the Democrats gained ground in the Senate and the House, they did not regain the much-vaunted majority that they had lost in the 1994 Gingrich revolution. Some attributed this to the fact that the party lacked a national theme.
Advertisement
But with 20 Republican seats up in 2002 as opposed to only 13 for their own party, Democrats saw the gains they made as progress to the next election. With key victories in New York, Missouri and Michigan, they are already looking to the future.