Historical Comparison Polling (for statistics’ nerds)
1996----------Clinton (D)--------Dole (R)------Perot (Reform)
October--------50% ----------37%-----------7%
November------52%----------41%-----------7%
Actual result----49%----------41%-----------8%
2000 -----------G. W. Bush (R)-------Al Gore (D)------Nader (Green)
October------------47%-------------43% ------------4%
November----------48%-------------46%------------4%
Actual results-------48% -------------48%------------ 3%
Al Gore ---------------(Won popular vote. Lost electoral)
2004 --------------G.W. Bush(R)---------John Kerry (D)
October--------------49% --------------49%
Actual results--------51%----------------48%
2008 -----------B. Obama (D)-----------J. McCain (R)
October-------------53%---------------42%
Actual results--------53%---------------46%
2012------------B. Obama (D)------------M. Romney (R)
October----------48%-------------47%
November--------49%-------------46%
Actual results ----51%------------47%
2016--------Hillary Clinton(D)-------Idiot-------Johnson(L)------Stein(G)
October----------49%-------------38%----------7%----------2%
Actual results-----Winner ------Bye-bye
Wikipedia: Historical Polling
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_polling_for_U.S._Presidential_elections
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You're welcome 
ever to run. On either side.
Clinton was charismatic and had lots of energy.
Plus a few people were finally figuring out that "trickle down" GOP economics had not worked for them and were willing to risk their votes on Clinton (unknown) OR Ross Perot ("giant sucking sound"
.
It was a lot of little things, and Dole did not seem to be the guy to tackle them with energy.
Also, there was no Fox News to aid Dole on the GOP propoganda front (Fox News started in 1996, Clinton's second term).
Forgive me if I am missing something. Gore did not run against Dole, Clinton did. (Gore ran against W.)
If you are talking about the Gore/W matchup: because of the new Fox News mouthpiece, the manufactured scandals took on far more importance than was warranted, IMHO. It was relentless, 24/7 anti-Clinton propaganda. During the 2000 Presidential election season, America was kind of worn out by it all. Gore was playing it safe by distancing himself, and that was an honest decision for him to make. I really do not condemn Gore for that. After all, he won the popular vote. The Supreme Court installed The Resident.
on edit: rogue paragraph
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