The 2008 popular vote:
Obama - 65,445,394 - 53%
McCain - 57,446,223 - 46%
Difference - 7,999,171 - 7%
The 1980 popular vote:
Reagan - 43,903,230 - 50.7%
Carter - 35,480,115 - 41%
Difference - 8,423,115 - 9.7%
Reagan's victory margin was only 2.7 percent better than President-elect Obama, while the president-elect received 2.3 percent more of the popular vote. Don't let anyone tell you that this was neither a mandate nor a landslide. By the numbers, it absolutely was.