2008 Obama, if...
1. There was no Reverend Wright controversy
2. Obama didn't make the comment about how some people cling to the guns and Bible in times of change
3. If he formally asked Hillary to be the VP
and she accepted.
4. If the Obama Campaign worked more to denounce comments about McCain's race/age amongst the supporters of their campaign. This could of created some good will a-la Sister Souljah moment in 1992.
On #3. A lot of inner south areas that swinged towards McCain were counties that Hillary won in the 2008 Primary.
This might of Gotten them Missouri, Montana, and Georgia.
And that would be it. 394 EV's but not a blowout Electoral landslide which most people consider 400+ EV to be. Any 8%+ McCain states would of been out of reach.
The only way 400+ EV's would happen is if they won Arizona and that would only happen if the Republican candidate was other than McCain so there wasn't a homestate bonus.
Or Alternatively. Lets say that the 2008 recession happened much earlier. in 2007 and the bottom in 2008 Instead of the Recession occurring in 2008(3 mil jobs lost) and bottoming out in 2009(5 mil jobs lost).
That much unemployment would of created a map like this.
Obama wins 60-63%. But due to geographic polarization he doesn't win a lot of interior states.
