To reiterate, Bush won, and it's better for all of us that it was a clear enough win that we're not all watching litigation right now. Still, I thought these statistics were interesting in suggesting the size of the mandate that one should draw from this election.
- COMPARISON OF SUCCESSFUL INCUMBENTS
Margin of popular-vote victory:
1936: Roosevelt -- 24%
1940: Roosevelt -- 10%
1944: Roosevelt -- 7.5%
1956: Eisenhower -- 15.5%
1964: Johnson -- 22%
1972: Nixon -- 23%
1984: Reagan -- 18%
1996: Clinton -- 8%
2004: Bush -- 3%
Electoral College margin:
1936: Roosevelt -- 523 - 8
1940: Roosevelt -- 449 - 82
1944: Roosevelt -- 432 - 9
1956: Eisenhower -- 457 - 73
1964: Johnson -- 486 - 52
1972: Nixon -- 520 - 17
1984: Reagan -- 525 - 13
1996: Clinton -- 379 - 159
2004: Bush -- 286 - 252, [estimated]
Anyone have a guess as to how Bush will interpret the results?
