Most disappointing state for both parties in each election since 1968

[OSR stands with Israel]

Republicans:

1968: Texas
1972: Iowa(losing a senate race in a very republican state in a landslide year)
1976: Ohio
1980: Vermont(failing to take back a senate seat in a landslide year in a very republican state)
1984: Tennessee(voted more dem than nation and lost the senate seat)
1988: Iowa(A Safe R state becoming Safe D in one cylce)
1992: New Hampshire
1996: Florida
2000: Washington(It wasnt that close and that cost them a senate seat)
2004: Wisconsin
2008: North Carolina
2012: Virginia
2016: New Hampshire
2020: Georgia

Democrats:

1968: Ohio
1972: Pennsylvania
1976: Illinois
1980: North Carolina
1984: New York
1988: California
1992: Texas
1996: Georgia
2000: West Virginia
2004: Ohio
2008: Missouri
2012: None given the senate results as well but id say North Carolina
2016: Wisconsin(given the senate seat as well)
2020: North Carolina

[OSR stands with Israel]

2000 is obviously FL for Dems.

If democrats held West Virginia which was a state that Bill Clinton won by 15 points in 1996 and a state that even Michael Dukakis won , then they wouldn’t need Florida .

[OSR stands with Israel]

I almost agree, but would replace Virginia with Florida in 2012 for Republicans. Virginia had already moved to the left and Obama won it by a few points. Florida was easily more winnable for Romney and ended up very close. I think was called few days after the election.

In 2016, you could also argue Michigan for Democrats. Wisconsin was very close in 2000 and 2004 as well, but Michigan wasn't. Obama won it by almost ten in 2012 and more than 16% in 2008.

In 2000, West Virginia ties New Hampshire for Democrats. Especially in retrospect, knowing that John Kerry even took the state in 2004 despite losing by more than Al Gore. If Gore won New Hampshire, he would have been elected regardless of what happened in Florida.

I did factor in senate results here which is why I had VA over FL in 2012 and WI over MI in 2016

[OSR stands with Israel]

The GOP of '88 would've written off Iowa, so they wouldn't be disappointed by it.

Maybe then the most disappointing state would come from a disappointing senate result that year