Landslide

In 1984, Walter Mondale received 13 electoral votes in the Presidential election.

Way, way back when I was a tiny wee lad, George McGovern tallied 17.

In 1980, Carter got 49 in his re-election bid.

Dukakis (embarrassing confession: he was the one I cast my very first vote for in an election) nailed 111 in 1988.

In ’96 Dole managed 159 electoral votes, nine shy of the total George H. Bush snagged four years prior.

McCain only pulled in 173 against the media phenomenon known as Barrack Obama, 100 less than he needed to win the election.

If you need 273 electoral votes to win, I’d say it’s a good assumption that anything 20 percent of that or less can be considered a “landslide.”

Maybe you can round it down as say 50 electoral votes or less is a landslide.

In my lifetime there’ve been three presidential landslides: Mondale, McGovern, and Carter’s failed attempt at re-election.

I’m wondering if I’m going to live through my fourth in three months.

(I’ll note it down to check back on this post on November 9.