I do not know if the Republicans stole the 2004 election, but I think that it was a huge mistake for Kerry to concede so quickly. His concession does not have legal weight, but it has the effect of legitimizing a Bush victory in the eyes of the public. The concession has allowed the GOP and the media whores to start spinning the narrative about a clear and strong mandate for Bush. Kerry could have issued a statement that in view of the numerous irregularities in both Florida and Ohio, he was witholding his concession until the results were thoroughly vetted and certified by officials in those states. Had he taken this approach, the public perception would be that the election is "still too close to call," and even if Bush were ultimately the winner, his victory would be diminished significantly. At the moment, 99% of Americans believe that it's over, that Bush won. If Kerry had refused to concede, the whole nation and the media would be focused on the process of reviewing vote tallies from Florida and Ohio; there would be incredible scrutiny of the numbers, and the inadequacy of our voting system would be exposed for the mess that it is. Now that Bush has been declared the winner, it will be exceedingly difficult to undo what is done, even if conclusive evidence shows that the election was rigged. Kerry rolled over too quickly, and has done a disservice to the 56 million voters who supported him.