Candidates from different years vs. each other

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Here's a fun one:

Obama (2008) vs. Bush (1988)

Looks like a pretty bland prediction for a close 2008 election, though Colorado (the closest state here), and of course New Hampshire stand out.

Also of note is that Obama manages to lose West Virginia, a Dukakis state.

With the 2008 Electoral College, this happens to be a 269-269 tie as shown...though the outcome of Maine CD2 is in doubt.  By my calculations, Bush wins Maine CD2 (and the election) by around 80 votes, though I'm frankly just guessing as to the third party totals there in 1988.  With the 1988 Electoral College, Obama wins by 20 EV or so.

Nixon (1960) v. Truman (1948)

Picked this one because both Truman and Nixon got 49.55% of the popular vote.

Parts of the Deep South are understandably wonky due to Thurmond, but even so this is one crazy map...and despite the closeness of the PV Nixon walks away with this one.

Wilson (1916) v. Clinton (1996)

Wilson and Clinton were just a hundredth of a percent off in their popular vote percentages.

Despite the 80-year gap, this looks like something out of a prediction for the 2000 race, except with Wilson as the Republican.

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Bush '92 vs. McGovern

Remember, McGovern did get a (slightly) larger percentage of the popular vote in '72 than Bush did in '92.  McGovern wins in a squeaker.

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Mondale '84 vs. Dole '96 vs. Smith '28

Thrown to the house in whatever EC, of course.



And now one not in the standard spirit of these posts, but mildly entertaining nonetheless:

A straight vote-to-vote matchup of Buchanan '56 vs. Nader '00:

Nader wins a pretty convincing PV victory (54-46), but since fully a fifth of his future-voters are in EV-worthless California, he is demolished 193-103 in the 1856 EC.