Obama could have won without OH or FL ?

[kentuck]

That is a seismic shift. No longer do we have to look at OH or FL to carry an election. The 50-state strategy of Governor Dean was rewarded with an historic Democratic victory.

We must build upon this strategy. We need to make more inroads into the South. Missouri is on the edge of turning blue. That should be a priority in our next election. Also, Montana has the potential to be blue. If we could re-gain TX, then we would truly have a political re-alignment that would make the Republican the minority again for decades to come. That is their true position - one of opposition.

[kentuck]

1. In fact...

Obama presently has 349 electoral votes. Florida has 27 electoral votes, OH has 20, and PA has 21. Obama could have won without any of those three large states. He would still have had over 270 electoral votes. Just to put the scope of this victory in perspective... Amazing!

[JHB]

2. Winning OH and FL takes it out of "close enough to steal" range

In '92 they tried to argue Clinton wasn't "legitimate" because he "only" won a plurality of the popular vote, not a majority, and that counting Perot voters more voted against him than for him (an argument conveniently forgotten in 2000).

This time the Republicans are left with no such excuses: they lost clearly and handily.

[tazvil04]

3. Obama could have won without fl oh

Yes. He could have won without them, but it is nice to have them. It helps to give him much more crediblity.