Florida erases trauma of 2000

PRESIDENT BUSH won a convincing victory in Florida, erasing the trauma of four years ago when the outcome of the presidential election remained in limbo for 36 days while election officials scrambled to recount ballots.

This time, Bush's margin was far larger than the 537-vote edge he got in 2000 after the Supreme Court stepped in to stop the recount.

Bush and John Kerry were virtually tied in the polls for weeks leading up to Tuesday's election, and the huge turnout during 15 days of early voting gave Kerry confidence he would carry the biggest prize of the battleground states.