Barack Obama's Election: Presidential Winners, 1900-2008

Barack Obama's Election:
Most Popular President-elects?




Not Really:
Obama Ranks in Bottom Half of Last 28 Election Winners
In Both Popular Vote Percentage, Electoral College

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The CNN story "Belief that country heading in right direction is at all-time low", prompted a response by Amanda Terkel, who said that the "Least popular president meets one of the most popular president-elect."

Terkel refers to a Gallup poll taken after the November 4 election showing that Barack Obama has a 70% favorability rating.

Of course, the most reliable poll is the one voters participated in two days before the Gallup Poll--which was one of the most unreliable prior to Election Day--when they cast votes for their choice. By that most reliable of polls, Obama's favorability is nothing special, history-wise.

In the 28 U.S. elections held since 1900, Obama finishes in the bottom half in both popular vote percentage and electoral vote totals.

Obama's 65+ million votes is the most in terms of absolute votes cast. But, by that standard of popularity, George Washington is the least popular president ever. It's likely that the number of votes the winning candidate receives will continue to go up with each election, as the U.S. population increases.

Several presidential winners who ranked below Obama were involved in three-way races, which lowered their totals. Among the winners of these multi-candidate races were: Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996; Ronald Reagan in 1980; and Richard Nixon in 1968.

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Popular Vote Percentage
U.S. Presidential Elections, 1900-2008

1. 61.1% - Lyndon Johnson 1964
   
2. 60.8% - Franklin D. Roosevelt 1936
   
3. 60.7% - Richard M. Nixon 1972
   
4. 58.8% - Ronald Reagan 1984
   
5. 60.3% - Warren G. Harding 1920
   
6. 58.2% - Herbert Hoover 1928
   
7. 57.4% - Dwight D. Eisenhower 1956
   
8. 57.4% - Franklin D. Roosevelt 1932
   
9. 56.4% - Theodore Roosevelt 1904
   
10. 55.2% - Dwight D. Eisenhower 1952
    
11. 54.7% - Franklin D. Roosevelt 1940
    
12. 54.0% - Calvin Coolidge 1924
    
13. 53.4% - George H. Bush 1988
    
14. 53.4% - Franklin D. Roosevelt 1944
    
15. 52.6% - Barack Obama 2008
    
16. 51.6% - William H. Taft 1908
    
17. 51.6% - William B. McKinley 1900
    
18. 50.7% - Ronald Reagan 1980
    
19. 50.7% - George H.W. Bush 2004
    
20. 50.1% - Jimmy Carter 1976
    
21. 49.7% - John F. Kennedy 1960
    
22. 49.6% - Harry Truman 1948
    
23. 49.24%- Bill Clinton 1996
    
24. 49.2% - Woodrow Wilson 1916
    
25. 47.9% - George H.W. Bush 2000
    
26. 43.4% - Richard M. Nixon 1968
    
27. 43.0% - Bill Clinton 1992
    
28. 41.8% - Woodrow Wilson 1912
    

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Electoral Vote Total,
U.S. Presidential Elections 1900-2008

1. 525 - Ronald Reagan 1984
   
2. 523 - Franklin D. Roosevelt 1936
   
3. 520 - Richard Nixon 1972
   
4. 489 - Ronald Reagan 1980
   
5. 486 - Lyndon Johnson 1964
   
6. 472 - Franklin D. Roosevelt 1932
   
7. 457 - Dwight D. Eisenhower 1956
   
8. 449 - Franklin D. Roosevelt 1940
   
9. 444 - Herbert Hoover 1928
   
10. 442 - Dwight D. Eisenhower 1952
    
11. 435 - Woodrow Wilson 1912
    
12. 432 - Franklin D. Roosevelt 1944
    
13. 426 - George H. Bush 1988
    
14. 404 - Warren G. Harding 1920
    
15. 382 - Calvin Coolidge 1924
    
16. 379 - Bill Clinton 1992
    
17. 370 - Bill Clinton 1992
    
18. 364 - Barack Obama 2008
    
19. 336 - Theodore Roosevelt 1904
    
20. 321 - William H. Taft 1908
    
21. 303 - Harry Truman 1948
    
22. 303 - John F. Kennedy 1960
    
23. 301 - Richard Nixon 1968
    
24. 297 - Jimmy Carter 1976
    
25. 292 - William McKinley 1900
    
26. 286 - George H.W. Bush 2004
    
27. 277 - Woodrow Wilson 1916
    
28. 271 - George H.W. Bush 2000
    

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There was one yardstick by which Barack Obama could be called "the most popular president-elect"--number of times he's appeared on the cover of TIME before he was elected. [Obama’s Constant Time Cover Status: TIME Hearts Obama] Obama appeared on 10 TIME covers in the 42 weeks before the 2008 election.

Obama still has quite a way to go to pass the man with the most TIME covers, Richard Nixon. Nixon appeared on TIME's cover 55 times over 4 decades.

Obama has passed the women featured on TIME's cover: Princess Diana and The Virgin Mary, each with eight.

We'll leave the Messiah jokes for the comments.

by Mondo Frazier
images: dbkp file
Sources:
* Presidential Elections, 1789–2008
* Wikipedia
* Guiness World Records

Act Now: Senate Voting on 1.2 Trillion Dollar Climate Security Act

Malicious Legislation Watch
Climate Security Act is about Neither



Only US Senators would have the overbearing arrogance--think Al Gore--to think that they can vote to change climate. But the Senate votes tomorrow on a piece of Buffoonery called the Climate Security Act.

Maybe the Senators attach a rider outlawing tornadoes and floods, while they're at it.

Tomorrow's Senate vote, which will cost every American THOUSANDS of dollars more--while accomplishing NOTHING. Instead of filing this under "Legislative Mischief", this bill needs to go into the "Malicious Legislation" file.

The Climate Security Act will affect neither climate nor security.

It will, however, affect your pocketbook in the almost confiscatory way that we've come to expect from the U.S. Congress. Your senator's "Green Moment" photo-op will cost Americans $1.2 trillion.

The U.S. Senate is right now teetering on the brink of passing a $1.2 trillion Carbon Tax that would trigger a sharp rise in gas prices, raise taxes and most assuredly cripple our economy. But that isn’t stopping Sen. Barbara Boxer from attempting to ramrod this incredibly irresponsible bill down the throats of unsuspecting Americans.

For your senators' phone number, go to SENATORS of the 110th Congress. Type in your state and your senators and their phone numbers will come up.

As related earlier in the week, the concern among astrophysicists--a group a little better informed than your average US Senator--is the COOLING of the planet, rather than warming ala Gore.

"Global Warming: New Sunspot Cycle May Mean The Iceman Cometh"

Scientific genius Barbara Boxer (D-CAlamity), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said in her opening statements, “My concern is just getting the bill out there. We’ve done that. From here on out, it’s up to each Senator to decide.”



It is far more effective to make a 1-800 call to your senators today than dig in your pocket for the mega-bucks this bill will extract from the average American tomorrow.

Liberals won't call.

Green Weenies won't call.

Obamaniacs won't call.

Somebody's gonna have to do it; it's gonna have to be YOU.

Unless you're not happy with the LOW price of gasoline and can't wait until it's $8 dollars a gallon and your electric bill is over $1000/month.

[NOTE: More info about flooding the Senators with faxes at Grassfire.net.]


If this bill passes, it's another jog down the road to US, and Western Civilization suicide.

But then again: Maybe they'll vote for it to stop snowing in January?

by Mondoreb



image: yuhreka
Source: Fax The Senate And Demand They Vote “NO” On Carbon Tax Scheme
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Stephen Colbert Vs. Ron Paul: Competing For The Same Votes?

by Mondoreb
[images: jewschool, paulson, paul websites]

Does Stephen Colbert's announcement that he's running for president affect any of the candidates in particular? There's speculation Colbert's entry may siphon off support from one candidate in particular, Ron Paul.

Usually reliable Paul supporter, Andrew Sullivan starts the discussion:

Josh Green crunches the numbers on Stephen Colbert's presidential run in South Carolina and judges that his best bet is with the Republicans. Who will suffer the most from Colbert's entrance into the race? Drum roll, please:

Green's analysis, and he does some thorough analysis, is breathtaking in its completeness.

I put Ron Paul in a separate category of "protest candidate," but he should be sweating, too. Paul’s supporters are among the most passionate and committed this cycle. But their profile is similar to that of the voters Colbert might attract. (“Pot smokers,” a Republican consultant called them.) Anonymous presidential advisor: “If Colbert wants to do it he’s got to convert every young, semi-liberal Ron Paul supporter to the Colbert cause. If a young white male is going to vote, watches Comedy Central, and is internet savvy, chances are he’s a Ron Paul supporter.”

Sullivan concludes that after such thinking over the Green's numbers and notions, even his normally-solid Ron Paul vote might be in play.

Who knows if Colbert is serious: after all, he announced he was entering both the Democratic and Republican primary in South Carolina. He may show up, he may not. And his entry might just be--okay, probably is--just a stunt to jack up his Daily Show ratings.

This is the silly season of politics, over a year out from the election and political pundits get paid to write about politics. At this time in the election cycle, there's not much to write about except speculation, analysis and speculation about someone else's analysis.

Will Stephen Colbert strip away votes from Ron Paul? Will Ron Paul still be in the race come South Carolina? Will Stephen Colbert? Will Pat Paulson return from the grave to run?

Only 12 months and two weeks until Election Day 2008.



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