We're exactly two months past the presidential election and all the votes have finally been tallied. Here's a rundown of the results, both from 2008 and 2012, with the differences between the two elections in parentheses.
Overall '08
Obama: 66,882,230 (53%)
McCain: 58,343,671 (46%)
Difference: Obama +8,538,559
Overall '12
Obama: 65,899,557 (51%) (-982,673)
Romney: 60,931,949 (47%) (+2,588,278)
Difference: Obama +4,967,608 (-3,570,951)
AL '08
Obama: 813,479 (39%)
McCain: 1,266,546 (61%)
Difference: Obama -453,067
AL '12
Obama: 795,696 (38%) (-17,783)
Romney: 1,255,925 (61%) (-10,621)
Difference: Obama -460,229 (-7,162)
AK '08
Obama: 123,594 (38%)
McCain: 193,841 (60%)
Difference: Obama -70,247
AK '12
Obama: 122,640 (41%) (-954)
Romney: 164,676 (55%) (-29,165)
Difference: Obama -42,036 (+28,211)
AZ '08
Obama: 1,034,707 (45%)
McCain: 1,230,111 (54%)
Difference: Obama -195,404
AZ '12
Obama: 1,025,232 (45%) (-9,475)
Romney: 1,233,654 (54%) (+3,543)
Difference: Obama -208,422 (-13,018)
AR '08
Obama: 422,310 (39%)
McCain: 638,017 (59%)
Difference: Obama -215,707
AR '12
Obama: 394,409 (37%) (-27,901)
Romney: 647,744 (61%) (+9,727)
Difference: Obama -253,335 (-37,628)
CA '08
Obama: 8,274,473 (61%)
McCain: 5,011,781 (37%)
Difference: Obama +3,262,692
CA '12
Obama: 7,854,285 (60%) (-420,188)
Romney: 4,839,958 (37%) (-171,823)
Difference: Obama +3,014,327 (-248,365)
CO '08
Obama: 1,288,576 (54%)
McCain: 1,073,589 (46%)
Difference: Obama +214,987
CO '12
Obama: 1,322,998 (51%) (+34,422)
Romney: 1,185,050 (46%) (+111,461)
Difference: Obama +137,948 (-77,039)
CT '08
Obama: 997,772 (61%)
McCain: 629,428 (38%)
Difference: Obama +368,344
CT '12
Obama: 905,083 (58%) (-92,689)
Romney: 634,892 (41%) (+5,464)
Difference: Obama: +270,191 (-98,153)
DE '08
Obama: 255,459 (62%)
McCain: 152,374 (37%)
Difference: Obama +103,085
DE '12
Obama: 242,584 (59%) (-12,875)
Romney: 165,484 (40%) (+13,110)
Difference: Obama +77,100 (-25,985)
DC '08
Obama: 245,800 (93%)
McCain: 17,357 (7%)
Difference: Obama +228,443
DC '12
Obama: 267,070 (91%) (+21,270)
Romney: 21,381 (7%) (+4,024)
Difference: Obama +245,689 (+17,246)
FL '08
Obama: 4,282,074 (51%)
McCain: 4,045,624 (48%)
Difference: Obama +236,450
FL '12
Obama: 4,237,756 (50%) (-44,318)
Romney: 4,163,447 (49%) (+117,823)
Difference: Obama +74,309 (-162,141)
GA '08
Obama: 1,844,123 (47%)
McCain: 2,048,759 (52%)
Difference: Obama -204,636
GA '12
Obama: 1,773,827 (45%) (-70,296)
Romney: 2,078,688 (53%) (+29,929)
Difference: Obama -304,861 (-100,225)
HI '08
Obama: 325,871 (72%)
McCain: 120,566 (27%)
Difference: Obama +205,305
HI '12
Obama: 306,658 (71%) (-19,213)
Romney: 121,015 (28%) (+449)
Difference: Obama +185,643 (-19,662)
ID '08
Obama: 236,440 (36%)
McCain: 403,012 (61%)
Difference: Obama -166,572
ID '12
Obama: 212,787 (33%) (-23,653)
Romney: 420,911 (65%) (+17,899)
Difference: Obama -208,124 (-41,552)
IL '08
Obama: 3,419,673 (62%)
McCain: 2,031,627 (37%)
Difference: Obama +1,388,046
IL '12
Obama: 3,019,512 (58%) (-400,161)
Romney: 2,135,216 (41%) (+103,589)
Difference: Obama +884,296 (-503,750)
IN '08
Obama: 1,374,039 (50%)
McCain: 1,345,648 (49%)
Difference: Obama +28,391
IN '12
Obama: 1,152,887 (44%) (-221,152)
Romney: 1,420,543 (54%) (+74,895)
Difference: Obama -267,656 (-296,047)
IA '08
Obama: 828,940 (54%)
McCain: 682,379 (45%)
Difference: Obama +146,561
IA '12
Obama: 822,544 (52%) (-6,396)
Romney: 730,617 (46%) (+48,238)
Difference: Obama +91,927 (-54,634)
KS '08
Obama: 514,765 (42%)
McCain: 699,655 (57%)
Difference: Obama -184,890
KS '12
Obama: 440,726 (38%) (-74,039)
Romney: 692,634 (60%) (-7,021)
Difference: Obama -251,908 (-67,018)
KY '08
Obama: 751,985 (41%)
McCain: 1,048,462 (58%)
Difference: Obama -296,477
KY '12
Obama: 679,370 (38%) (-72,615)
Romney: 1,087,190 (60%) (+38,728)
Difference: Obama -407,820 (-111,343)
LA '08
Obama: 782,989 (40%)
McCain: 1,148,275 (59%)
Difference: Obama -365,286
LA '12
Obama: 809,141 (41%) (+26,152)
Romney: 1,152,262 (58%) (+3,987)
Difference: Obama -343,121 (+22,165)
ME '08
Obama: 421,923 (58%)
McCain: 295,273 (40%)
Difference: Obama +126,650
ME '12
Obama: 401,306 (56%) (-20,617)
Romney: 292,276 (41%) (-2,997)
Difference: Obama +109,030 (-17,620)
MD '08
Obama: 1,629,467 (62%)
McCain: 959,862 (37%)
Difference: Obama +669,605
MD '12
Obama: 1,677,844 (62%) (+48,377)
Romney: 971,869 (36%) (+12,007)
Difference: Obama +705,975 (+36,370)
MA '08
Obama: 1,904,097 (62%)
McCain: 1,108,854 (36%)
Difference: Obama +795,243
MA '12
Obama: 1,921,290 (61%) (+17,193)
Romney: 1,188,314 (38%) (+79,460)
Difference: Obama +732,976 (-62,267)
MI '08
Obama: 2,872,579 (57%)
McCain: 2,048,639 (41%)
Difference: Obama +823,940
MI '12
Obama: 2,564,569 (54%) (-308,010)
Romney: 2,115,256 (45%) (+66,617)
Difference: Obama +449,313 (-374,627)
MN '08
Obama: 1,573,354 (54%)
McCain: 1,275,409 (44%)
Difference: Obama +297,945
MN '12
Obama: 1,546,167 (53%) (-27,187)
Romney: 1,320,225 (45%) (+44,816)
Difference: Obama +225,942 (-72,003)
MS '08
Obama: 554,662 (43%)
McCain: 724,597 (56%)
Difference: Obama -169,935
MS '12
Obama: 562,949 (44%) (+8,287)
Romney: 710,746 (55%) (-13,851)
Difference: Obama -147,797 (+22,138)
MO '08
Obama: 1,441,911 (49%)
McCain: 1,445,814 (50%)
Difference: Obama -3,903
MO '12
Obama: 1,223,796 (44%) (-218,115)
Romney: 1,482,440 (54%) (+36,626)
Difference: Obama -258,644 (-254,741)
NE '08
Obama: 333,319 (42%)
McCain: 452,979 (57%)
Difference: Obama -119,660
NE '12
Obama: 302,081 (38%) (-31,238)
Romney: 475,064 (60%) (+22,085)
Difference: Obama -172,983 (-53,323)
NV '08
Obama: 533,736 (55%)
McCain: 412,827 (43%)
Difference: Obama +120,909
NV '12
Obama: 531,373 (52%) (-2,363)
Romney: 463,567 (46%) (+50,740)
Difference: Obama +67,806 (-53,103)
NH '08
Obama: 384,826 (54%)
McCain: 316,534 (45%)
Difference: Obama +68,292
NH '12
Obama: 369,561 (52%) (-15,265)
Romney: 329,918 (46%) (+13,384)
Difference: Obama +39,643 (-28,649)
NJ '08
Obama: 2,215,422 (57%)
McCain: 1,613,207 (42%)
Difference: Obama +602,215
NJ '12
Obama: 2,122,786 (58%) (-92,636)
Romney: 1,478,088 (41%) (-135,119)
Difference: Obama +644,698 (+42,483)
NM '08
Obama: 472,422 (57%)
McCain: 356,832 (42%)
Difference: Obama +115,590
NM '12
Obama: 415,335 (53%) (-57,087)
Romney: 335,788 (43%) (-21,044)
Difference: Obama +79,547 (-36,043)
NY '08
Obama: 4,804,701 (63%)
McCain: 2,752,728 (36%)
Difference: Obama +2,051,973
NY '12
Obama: 4,471,871 (63%) (-332,830)
Romney: 2,485,432 (35%) (-267,296)
Difference: Obama +1,986,439 (-65,534)
NC '08
Obama: 2,142,651 (50%)
McCain: 2,128,474 (49%)
Difference: Obama +14,177
NC '12
Obama: 2,178,391 (48%) (+35,740)
Romney: 2,270,395 (50) (+141,921)
Difference: Obama -92,004 (-106,181)
ND '08
Obama: 141,278 (45%)
McCain: 168,601 (53%)
Difference: Obama -27,323
ND '12
Obama: 124,966 (39%) (-16,312)
Romney: 188,320 (58%) (+19,719)
Difference: Obama -63,354 (-36,031)
OH '08
Obama: 2,933,388 (52%)
McCain: 2,674,491 (47%)
Difference: Obama +258,897
OH '12
Obama: 2,827,621 (51%) (-105,767)
Romney: 2,661,407 (48%) (-16,084)
Difference: Obama +166,214 (-92,683)
OK '08
Obama: 502,496 (34%)
McCain: 960,165 (66%)
Difference: Obama -457,669
OK '12
Obama: 443,547 (33%) (-58,949)
Romney: 891,325 (67%) (-68,840)
Difference: Obama -447,778 (+9,891)
OR '08
Obama: 1,037,291 (57%)
McCain: 738,475 (41%)
Difference: Obama +298,816
OR '12
Obama: 970,488 (54%) (-66,803)
Romney: 754,175 (42%) (+15,700)
Difference: Obama +216,313 (-82,503)
PA '08
Obama: 3,276,363 (55%)
McCain: 2,655,885 (44%)
Difference: Obama +620,478
PA '12
Obama: 2,990,274 (52%) (-286,089)
Romney: 2,680,434 (47%) (+24,549)
Difference: Obama +309,840 (-310,638)
RI '08
Obama: 296,571 (63%)
McCain: 165,391 (35%)
Difference: Obama +131,180
RI '12
Obama: 279,677 (63%) (-16,894)
Romney: 157,204 (35%) (-8,187)
Difference: Obama +122,473 (-8,707)
SC '08
Obama: 862,449 (45%)
McCain: 1,034,896 (54%)
Difference: Obama -172,447
SC '12
Obama: 865,941 (44%) (+3,492)
Romney: 1,071,645 (55%) (+36,749)
Difference: Obama -205,704 (-33,257)
SD '08
Obama: 170,924 (45%)
McCain: 203,054 (53%)
Difference: Obama - 32,130
SD '12
Obama: 145,039 (40%) (-25,885)
Romney: 210,610 (58%) (+7,556)
Difference: Obama -65,571 (-33,441)
TN '08
Obama: 1,087,437 (42%)
McCain: 1,479,178 (57%)
Difference: Obama -391,741
TN '12
Obama: 960,709 (39%) (-126,728)
Romney: 1,462,330 (59%) (-16,848)
Difference: Obama -501,621 (-109,880)
TX '08
Obama: 3,528,633 (44%)
McCain: 4,479,328 (55%)
Difference: Obama -950,695
TX '12
Obama: 3,308,124 (41%) (-220,509)
Romney: 4,569,843 (57%) (+90,515)
Difference: Obama -1,261,719 (-311,024)
UT '08
Obama: 327,670 (34%)
McCain: 596,030 (63%)
Difference: Obama -268,360
UT '12
Obama: 251,813 (25%) (-75,857)
Romney: 740,600 (73%) (+144,570)
Difference: Obama -488,787 (-220,427)
VT '08
Obama: 219,262 (68%)
McCain: 98,974 (31%)
Difference: Obama +120,288
VT '12
Obama: 199,239 (67%) (-20,023)
Romney: 92,698 (31%) (-6,276)
Difference: Obama +106,541 (-13,747)
VA '08
Obama: 1,959,532 (53%)
McCain: 1,725,005 (47%)
Difference: Obama +234,527
VA '12
Obama: 1,971,820 (51%) (+12,288)
Romney: 1,822,522 (47%) (+97,517)
Difference: Obama +149,298 (-85,229)
WA '08
Obama: 1,750,848 (58%)
McCain: 1,229,216 (41%)
Difference: Obama +521,632
WA '12
Obama: 1,755,396 (56%) (+4,548)
Romney: 1,290,670 (41%) (+61,454)
Difference: Obama +464,726 (-56,906)
WV '08
Obama: 303,857 (43%)
McCain: 397,466 (56%)
Difference: Obama -93,609
WV '12
Obama: 238,269 (36%) (-65,588)
Romney: 417,655 (62%) (+20,189)
Difference: Obama -179,386 (-85,777)
WI '08
Obama: 1,677,211 (56%)
McCain: 1,262,393 (43%)
Difference: Obama +414,818
WI '12
Obama: 1,620,985 (53%) (-56,226)
Romney: 1,410,966 (46%) (+148,573)
Difference: Obama +210,019 (-204,799)
WY '08
Obama: 82,868 (33%)
McCain: 164,958 (65%)
Difference: Obama -82,090
WY '12
Obama: 69,286 (28%) (-13,582)
McCain: 170,962 (69%) (+6,004)
Difference: Obama -101,676 (-19,586)
I'm a numbers guys (and geography), so I find this kind of thing to be interesting. In an election year when the incumbent president still sees unemployment numbers near 8.0%, the economy gradually pulling out of a recession but not as quickly as some would like, and an opposition party that seems to despise the president with every fiber of their being, in most election years, the odds would have been against Barack Obama from winning a second term. As could be expected, he lost many votes from 2008 to 2012, but not enough to lose the race. In fact, while Romney garnered about 2.5 million more votes than did John McCain in the 2008 election, the guy earned fewer votes than McCain in thirteen states: Alabama, Alaska, California, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Vermont. Obama, meanwhile, actually picked up more votes than he had in 2008 in nine states (including D.C.): Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and also the District of Columbia. Obama fared better in terms of overall difference in seven states (including D.C.): Alaska, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and D.C. It'll be interesting to see if either party is able to start making trends of some of these numbers, like Obama in the state of Alaska. We'll also have to see if North Carolina continues to be a battleground state, but lean slightly red or if the Democrats can truly make it a toss-up state every four years. Will they finally start being more competitive in Arizona, and possibly in Georgia? For the Republican Party, was 2012 an aberration with regard to making such a big dent in the Democratic advantage in Pennsylvania or will it go on to become more of a toss-up state in the years to come? Will they be able to make Minnesota and Michigan more competitive in the years to come? Take control of Virginia following two consecutive losses there? Make Wisconsin a true toss-up state? It'll be interesting to discover the answers to these very questions and others in the years to come. Fortunately, we won't have to go through this whole spiel for another four years. No matter how much I like or dislike a certain candidate, I really have no need to hear them approve their own message fifteen times a day.
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AjYj9mXElO_QdHpla01oWE1jOFZRbnhJZkZpVFNKeVE&toomany=true#gid=19
Overall '08
Obama: 66,882,230 (53%)
McCain: 58,343,671 (46%)
Difference: Obama +8,538,559
Overall '12
Obama: 65,899,557 (51%) (-982,673)
Romney: 60,931,949 (47%) (+2,588,278)
Difference: Obama +4,967,608 (-3,570,951)
AL '08
Obama: 813,479 (39%)
McCain: 1,266,546 (61%)
Difference: Obama -453,067
AL '12
Obama: 795,696 (38%) (-17,783)
Romney: 1,255,925 (61%) (-10,621)
Difference: Obama -460,229 (-7,162)
AK '08
Obama: 123,594 (38%)
McCain: 193,841 (60%)
Difference: Obama -70,247
AK '12
Obama: 122,640 (41%) (-954)
Romney: 164,676 (55%) (-29,165)
Difference: Obama -42,036 (+28,211)
AZ '08
Obama: 1,034,707 (45%)
McCain: 1,230,111 (54%)
Difference: Obama -195,404
AZ '12
Obama: 1,025,232 (45%) (-9,475)
Romney: 1,233,654 (54%) (+3,543)
Difference: Obama -208,422 (-13,018)
AR '08
Obama: 422,310 (39%)
McCain: 638,017 (59%)
Difference: Obama -215,707
AR '12
Obama: 394,409 (37%) (-27,901)
Romney: 647,744 (61%) (+9,727)
Difference: Obama -253,335 (-37,628)
CA '08
Obama: 8,274,473 (61%)
McCain: 5,011,781 (37%)
Difference: Obama +3,262,692
CA '12
Obama: 7,854,285 (60%) (-420,188)
Romney: 4,839,958 (37%) (-171,823)
Difference: Obama +3,014,327 (-248,365)
CO '08
Obama: 1,288,576 (54%)
McCain: 1,073,589 (46%)
Difference: Obama +214,987
CO '12
Obama: 1,322,998 (51%) (+34,422)
Romney: 1,185,050 (46%) (+111,461)
Difference: Obama +137,948 (-77,039)
CT '08
Obama: 997,772 (61%)
McCain: 629,428 (38%)
Difference: Obama +368,344
CT '12
Obama: 905,083 (58%) (-92,689)
Romney: 634,892 (41%) (+5,464)
Difference: Obama: +270,191 (-98,153)
DE '08
Obama: 255,459 (62%)
McCain: 152,374 (37%)
Difference: Obama +103,085
DE '12
Obama: 242,584 (59%) (-12,875)
Romney: 165,484 (40%) (+13,110)
Difference: Obama +77,100 (-25,985)
DC '08
Obama: 245,800 (93%)
McCain: 17,357 (7%)
Difference: Obama +228,443
DC '12
Obama: 267,070 (91%) (+21,270)
Romney: 21,381 (7%) (+4,024)
Difference: Obama +245,689 (+17,246)
FL '08
Obama: 4,282,074 (51%)
McCain: 4,045,624 (48%)
Difference: Obama +236,450
FL '12
Obama: 4,237,756 (50%) (-44,318)
Romney: 4,163,447 (49%) (+117,823)
Difference: Obama +74,309 (-162,141)
GA '08
Obama: 1,844,123 (47%)
McCain: 2,048,759 (52%)
Difference: Obama -204,636
GA '12
Obama: 1,773,827 (45%) (-70,296)
Romney: 2,078,688 (53%) (+29,929)
Difference: Obama -304,861 (-100,225)
HI '08
Obama: 325,871 (72%)
McCain: 120,566 (27%)
Difference: Obama +205,305
HI '12
Obama: 306,658 (71%) (-19,213)
Romney: 121,015 (28%) (+449)
Difference: Obama +185,643 (-19,662)
ID '08
Obama: 236,440 (36%)
McCain: 403,012 (61%)
Difference: Obama -166,572
ID '12
Obama: 212,787 (33%) (-23,653)
Romney: 420,911 (65%) (+17,899)
Difference: Obama -208,124 (-41,552)
IL '08
Obama: 3,419,673 (62%)
McCain: 2,031,627 (37%)
Difference: Obama +1,388,046
IL '12
Obama: 3,019,512 (58%) (-400,161)
Romney: 2,135,216 (41%) (+103,589)
Difference: Obama +884,296 (-503,750)
IN '08
Obama: 1,374,039 (50%)
McCain: 1,345,648 (49%)
Difference: Obama +28,391
IN '12
Obama: 1,152,887 (44%) (-221,152)
Romney: 1,420,543 (54%) (+74,895)
Difference: Obama -267,656 (-296,047)
IA '08
Obama: 828,940 (54%)
McCain: 682,379 (45%)
Difference: Obama +146,561
IA '12
Obama: 822,544 (52%) (-6,396)
Romney: 730,617 (46%) (+48,238)
Difference: Obama +91,927 (-54,634)
KS '08
Obama: 514,765 (42%)
McCain: 699,655 (57%)
Difference: Obama -184,890
KS '12
Obama: 440,726 (38%) (-74,039)
Romney: 692,634 (60%) (-7,021)
Difference: Obama -251,908 (-67,018)
KY '08
Obama: 751,985 (41%)
McCain: 1,048,462 (58%)
Difference: Obama -296,477
KY '12
Obama: 679,370 (38%) (-72,615)
Romney: 1,087,190 (60%) (+38,728)
Difference: Obama -407,820 (-111,343)
LA '08
Obama: 782,989 (40%)
McCain: 1,148,275 (59%)
Difference: Obama -365,286
LA '12
Obama: 809,141 (41%) (+26,152)
Romney: 1,152,262 (58%) (+3,987)
Difference: Obama -343,121 (+22,165)
ME '08
Obama: 421,923 (58%)
McCain: 295,273 (40%)
Difference: Obama +126,650
ME '12
Obama: 401,306 (56%) (-20,617)
Romney: 292,276 (41%) (-2,997)
Difference: Obama +109,030 (-17,620)
MD '08
Obama: 1,629,467 (62%)
McCain: 959,862 (37%)
Difference: Obama +669,605
MD '12
Obama: 1,677,844 (62%) (+48,377)
Romney: 971,869 (36%) (+12,007)
Difference: Obama +705,975 (+36,370)
MA '08
Obama: 1,904,097 (62%)
McCain: 1,108,854 (36%)
Difference: Obama +795,243
MA '12
Obama: 1,921,290 (61%) (+17,193)
Romney: 1,188,314 (38%) (+79,460)
Difference: Obama +732,976 (-62,267)
MI '08
Obama: 2,872,579 (57%)
McCain: 2,048,639 (41%)
Difference: Obama +823,940
MI '12
Obama: 2,564,569 (54%) (-308,010)
Romney: 2,115,256 (45%) (+66,617)
Difference: Obama +449,313 (-374,627)
MN '08
Obama: 1,573,354 (54%)
McCain: 1,275,409 (44%)
Difference: Obama +297,945
MN '12
Obama: 1,546,167 (53%) (-27,187)
Romney: 1,320,225 (45%) (+44,816)
Difference: Obama +225,942 (-72,003)
MS '08
Obama: 554,662 (43%)
McCain: 724,597 (56%)
Difference: Obama -169,935
MS '12
Obama: 562,949 (44%) (+8,287)
Romney: 710,746 (55%) (-13,851)
Difference: Obama -147,797 (+22,138)
MO '08
Obama: 1,441,911 (49%)
McCain: 1,445,814 (50%)
Difference: Obama -3,903
MO '12
Obama: 1,223,796 (44%) (-218,115)
Romney: 1,482,440 (54%) (+36,626)
Difference: Obama -258,644 (-254,741)
NE '08
Obama: 333,319 (42%)
McCain: 452,979 (57%)
Difference: Obama -119,660
NE '12
Obama: 302,081 (38%) (-31,238)
Romney: 475,064 (60%) (+22,085)
Difference: Obama -172,983 (-53,323)
NV '08
Obama: 533,736 (55%)
McCain: 412,827 (43%)
Difference: Obama +120,909
NV '12
Obama: 531,373 (52%) (-2,363)
Romney: 463,567 (46%) (+50,740)
Difference: Obama +67,806 (-53,103)
NH '08
Obama: 384,826 (54%)
McCain: 316,534 (45%)
Difference: Obama +68,292
NH '12
Obama: 369,561 (52%) (-15,265)
Romney: 329,918 (46%) (+13,384)
Difference: Obama +39,643 (-28,649)
NJ '08
Obama: 2,215,422 (57%)
McCain: 1,613,207 (42%)
Difference: Obama +602,215
NJ '12
Obama: 2,122,786 (58%) (-92,636)
Romney: 1,478,088 (41%) (-135,119)
Difference: Obama +644,698 (+42,483)
NM '08
Obama: 472,422 (57%)
McCain: 356,832 (42%)
Difference: Obama +115,590
NM '12
Obama: 415,335 (53%) (-57,087)
Romney: 335,788 (43%) (-21,044)
Difference: Obama +79,547 (-36,043)
NY '08
Obama: 4,804,701 (63%)
McCain: 2,752,728 (36%)
Difference: Obama +2,051,973
NY '12
Obama: 4,471,871 (63%) (-332,830)
Romney: 2,485,432 (35%) (-267,296)
Difference: Obama +1,986,439 (-65,534)
NC '08
Obama: 2,142,651 (50%)
McCain: 2,128,474 (49%)
Difference: Obama +14,177
NC '12
Obama: 2,178,391 (48%) (+35,740)
Romney: 2,270,395 (50) (+141,921)
Difference: Obama -92,004 (-106,181)
ND '08
Obama: 141,278 (45%)
McCain: 168,601 (53%)
Difference: Obama -27,323
ND '12
Obama: 124,966 (39%) (-16,312)
Romney: 188,320 (58%) (+19,719)
Difference: Obama -63,354 (-36,031)
OH '08
Obama: 2,933,388 (52%)
McCain: 2,674,491 (47%)
Difference: Obama +258,897
OH '12
Obama: 2,827,621 (51%) (-105,767)
Romney: 2,661,407 (48%) (-16,084)
Difference: Obama +166,214 (-92,683)
OK '08
Obama: 502,496 (34%)
McCain: 960,165 (66%)
Difference: Obama -457,669
OK '12
Obama: 443,547 (33%) (-58,949)
Romney: 891,325 (67%) (-68,840)
Difference: Obama -447,778 (+9,891)
OR '08
Obama: 1,037,291 (57%)
McCain: 738,475 (41%)
Difference: Obama +298,816
OR '12
Obama: 970,488 (54%) (-66,803)
Romney: 754,175 (42%) (+15,700)
Difference: Obama +216,313 (-82,503)
PA '08
Obama: 3,276,363 (55%)
McCain: 2,655,885 (44%)
Difference: Obama +620,478
PA '12
Obama: 2,990,274 (52%) (-286,089)
Romney: 2,680,434 (47%) (+24,549)
Difference: Obama +309,840 (-310,638)
RI '08
Obama: 296,571 (63%)
McCain: 165,391 (35%)
Difference: Obama +131,180
RI '12
Obama: 279,677 (63%) (-16,894)
Romney: 157,204 (35%) (-8,187)
Difference: Obama +122,473 (-8,707)
SC '08
Obama: 862,449 (45%)
McCain: 1,034,896 (54%)
Difference: Obama -172,447
SC '12
Obama: 865,941 (44%) (+3,492)
Romney: 1,071,645 (55%) (+36,749)
Difference: Obama -205,704 (-33,257)
SD '08
Obama: 170,924 (45%)
McCain: 203,054 (53%)
Difference: Obama - 32,130
SD '12
Obama: 145,039 (40%) (-25,885)
Romney: 210,610 (58%) (+7,556)
Difference: Obama -65,571 (-33,441)
TN '08
Obama: 1,087,437 (42%)
McCain: 1,479,178 (57%)
Difference: Obama -391,741
TN '12
Obama: 960,709 (39%) (-126,728)
Romney: 1,462,330 (59%) (-16,848)
Difference: Obama -501,621 (-109,880)
TX '08
Obama: 3,528,633 (44%)
McCain: 4,479,328 (55%)
Difference: Obama -950,695
TX '12
Obama: 3,308,124 (41%) (-220,509)
Romney: 4,569,843 (57%) (+90,515)
Difference: Obama -1,261,719 (-311,024)
UT '08
Obama: 327,670 (34%)
McCain: 596,030 (63%)
Difference: Obama -268,360
UT '12
Obama: 251,813 (25%) (-75,857)
Romney: 740,600 (73%) (+144,570)
Difference: Obama -488,787 (-220,427)
VT '08
Obama: 219,262 (68%)
McCain: 98,974 (31%)
Difference: Obama +120,288
VT '12
Obama: 199,239 (67%) (-20,023)
Romney: 92,698 (31%) (-6,276)
Difference: Obama +106,541 (-13,747)
VA '08
Obama: 1,959,532 (53%)
McCain: 1,725,005 (47%)
Difference: Obama +234,527
VA '12
Obama: 1,971,820 (51%) (+12,288)
Romney: 1,822,522 (47%) (+97,517)
Difference: Obama +149,298 (-85,229)
WA '08
Obama: 1,750,848 (58%)
McCain: 1,229,216 (41%)
Difference: Obama +521,632
WA '12
Obama: 1,755,396 (56%) (+4,548)
Romney: 1,290,670 (41%) (+61,454)
Difference: Obama +464,726 (-56,906)
WV '08
Obama: 303,857 (43%)
McCain: 397,466 (56%)
Difference: Obama -93,609
WV '12
Obama: 238,269 (36%) (-65,588)
Romney: 417,655 (62%) (+20,189)
Difference: Obama -179,386 (-85,777)
WI '08
Obama: 1,677,211 (56%)
McCain: 1,262,393 (43%)
Difference: Obama +414,818
WI '12
Obama: 1,620,985 (53%) (-56,226)
Romney: 1,410,966 (46%) (+148,573)
Difference: Obama +210,019 (-204,799)
WY '08
Obama: 82,868 (33%)
McCain: 164,958 (65%)
Difference: Obama -82,090
WY '12
Obama: 69,286 (28%) (-13,582)
McCain: 170,962 (69%) (+6,004)
Difference: Obama -101,676 (-19,586)
I'm a numbers guys (and geography), so I find this kind of thing to be interesting. In an election year when the incumbent president still sees unemployment numbers near 8.0%, the economy gradually pulling out of a recession but not as quickly as some would like, and an opposition party that seems to despise the president with every fiber of their being, in most election years, the odds would have been against Barack Obama from winning a second term. As could be expected, he lost many votes from 2008 to 2012, but not enough to lose the race. In fact, while Romney garnered about 2.5 million more votes than did John McCain in the 2008 election, the guy earned fewer votes than McCain in thirteen states: Alabama, Alaska, California, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Vermont. Obama, meanwhile, actually picked up more votes than he had in 2008 in nine states (including D.C.): Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and also the District of Columbia. Obama fared better in terms of overall difference in seven states (including D.C.): Alaska, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and D.C. It'll be interesting to see if either party is able to start making trends of some of these numbers, like Obama in the state of Alaska. We'll also have to see if North Carolina continues to be a battleground state, but lean slightly red or if the Democrats can truly make it a toss-up state every four years. Will they finally start being more competitive in Arizona, and possibly in Georgia? For the Republican Party, was 2012 an aberration with regard to making such a big dent in the Democratic advantage in Pennsylvania or will it go on to become more of a toss-up state in the years to come? Will they be able to make Minnesota and Michigan more competitive in the years to come? Take control of Virginia following two consecutive losses there? Make Wisconsin a true toss-up state? It'll be interesting to discover the answers to these very questions and others in the years to come. Fortunately, we won't have to go through this whole spiel for another four years. No matter how much I like or dislike a certain candidate, I really have no need to hear them approve their own message fifteen times a day.
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AjYj9mXElO_QdHpla01oWE1jOFZRbnhJZkZpVFNKeVE&toomany=true#gid=19
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