In the past four years there has been a groundswell of support for liberal organizations, which contend that Bush misled the American public in the lead-up to the Iraq War, rolled back protections on the environment and civil liberties, and violated the separation of church and state.

Anti-war groups like International ANSWER and Not In Our Name have seen their ranks multiply, inciting hundreds of thousands of Americans to protest the war. And MOVE ON.org , a left-wing fundraising and lobbying organization, that grew out of fight to save President Bill Clinton from impeachment , raised millions of dollars for ads and other efforts targeting the Bush Administration’s handling of Iraq and the nation’s finances.

If Sen. John Kerry wins, the Left may be tempted to step back and relax, said Douglas Strand, political science professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

“If they win, there’s a sense of complacency because they’re in power. Donations could fall off,” Strand said. “But still the House is controlled by Republicans and the Senate is close, so there’s plenty to keep them on their toes.”

But some on the far-Left worry that if Kerry wins, the progressive community – which they feel allowed many of its priorities to be compromised under Bill Clinton may lose the momentum that has built up over the past four years.

Clinton’s support of an amendment banning gay marriage, his authorization of U.S. military action in the Balkans and Somalia, and the tightening of immigration restrictions left many liberals feeling alienated.

“A lot of what we’re seeing now has been an outgrowth of the previous administration,” said Antonio Salas, co-chairman of the national Socialist Party, which has seen an upsurge in membership in the past few years. “If anything, a Bush win will give the movement more depth, and mobilize more people.”

That perception isn’t surprising, said Bill Whalen, research fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank.

“When Clinton took office, he moved to the left on some issues and right on others, in the end disappointing liberals,” Whalen said. “There’s a sense that John Kerry will do the same thing.”

In addition, if Kerry wins, it will foil any chances that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, the wife of former President Clinton, could take the White House in 2008, Whalen said. Hillary Clinton – who has legions of fans within the Democratic Party – presumably would not run against Kerry during his reelection bid.

Indeed, many Hillary Clinton supporters are publicly urging voters not to support Kerry, going so far as to sell t-shirts proclaiming that, “A Vote For Kerry in 2004 Is a Vote Against Hillary Clinton in 2008.” Earlier this year, actor Dan Aykroyd was quoted in the New York Post as saying he would vote for Bush because, "If Bush is re-elected, then Hillary is set up to run for President in 2008.”

That infuriates Democratic strategists such as Bob Mulholland of the California Democratic Party, who calls liberals against Kerry “losers hanging out at Berkeley cafes talking about energizing (the liberal movement).”

“There is no greater energizing than right now getting John Kerry elected,” Mulholland said.