WASHINGTON (AP) – The US presidential race of 2004 lumbered into history as the longest and the most expensive, a wartime election promising a nail-biter of a finish and a bitter residue of political division and polarisation.

The country was split down the middle between President George W Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry, and American politics were so polarised that it seemed unlikely the winner would find common ground with opponents

anytime soon.

A surge in voter registration and the biggest voter mobilisation campaign ever added an element of uncertainty.

There were many ways to describe the presidential contest. It was a competition of two men of wealth and privilege, both graduates of Yale University and members of the same secret society, Skull and Bones.

It was the first White House election since the nation was shaken by its worst-ever terrorist attack, the first since the American-led invasion of Iraq, and the first in wartime since Vietnam.

Voters had a choice between a wartime president and a wartime hero, and the dominant issues were Iraq and terrorism.

Osama bin Laden edged into the race with a videotaped appearance that reminded Americans of the September 11 attacks, underscoring the terrorism theme at the heart of Bush’s campaign. Late polls showed impact from the tape.

Iraq towered over the election with grisly scenes of beheadings, bombings and massacres, reminding

Americans of the steep price of war.

The nation has lost more than 1,100 troops in Iraq, and voters were split on whether the United States should have invaded.

While incumbents often delegate negative campaigning to their vice-presidents, Bush did not shrink from the task, branding Kerry weak and indecisive and the kind of leader who would put the nation at risk.

“This president has been the bad cop in chief,” said Norman Ornstein, a political analyst at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. He described the race as “the nastiest in our lifetimes. It doesn’t maybe equal the 19th century but it’s hard to watch this without getting an upset stomach if you care about politics.”

In terms of policy, the two candidates offered some of the sharpest differences in many years on issues such as taxes, health care, social security, abortion, gay marriage, gun control, embryonic stem cell research, energy, the environment and America’s place in the world.

In Congress, Democrats and Republicans regarded each other with suspicion and hostility. Bush fuelled the partisanship by refusing to compromise with Democrats on issues from taxes to judicial appointments.

Rather than trim his sails after the disputed election of 2000, Bush behaved like he had a mandate and turned to his Republican base rather than try to attract supporters on the other side.

Republicans retain control of Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans renewed their grip on the Senate and reached out for more, capturing Democratic seats across the south. Democratic leader Tom Daschle faced a strong challenge in South Dakota.

Republican victories for Democratic-held seats in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia assured the Republicans of at least 50 seats in the Senate that convenes on January 3.

Under complicated rules in effect, that assured Republicans of control regardless of the outcome of the presidential election.

A victory by President George W Bush would give Vice-President Dick Cheney the ability to break ties. A victory by Senator John Kerry would force him to resign his seat in Congress, and give the Republicans a 50-49 advantage until his successor was elected in late spring or summer