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bobnicewander

(753 posts)
12. Election Loser's Percentages
Mon Jul 24, 2023, 09:22 AM
Jul 2023

Most elections for president hinge on a small percentage of voters (less than 10%) voting for the loser instead of for the winner.

The history of winners and losers percentages in presidential elections shows that the voting division between political parties is quite small. In most elections the loser got 40% or more of the votes - not far from 51%.

Based on my original post of December 31, 2020.

Last edited Thu Dec 8, 2022, 12:37 am CST. Bolding of loser's percentage has been removed for this posting.

Data gathered from Dave Leips site.

Only 4 times since the American Civil War has the popular vote loser been elected president. In every case it was a Republican candidate that lost the popular vote but won election. (1876, 1888, 2000, 2016).

In 27 of the the 41 elections listed below the loser has garnered more than 40% of the popular vote. That is, in 65.9% or almost in 2 out of 3 elections the loser had almost 1/2 of the voting public in his or her favor.

Only Democratic and Republican party's percentages are shown.

1st column shows the election year, 2nd column the Democratic party percentage of the popular vote, 3rd column the Republican party percentage of the popular vote. In all elections except the 4 noted the winner of the popular vote was elected to the presidency.

Year****Dem%****GOP%

2020****51.27%***46.82%
2016****48.02%***45.93% POP LOSER STILL ELECTED
2012****51.01%***47.15%
2008****52.86%***45.60%
2004****48.26%***50.73%
2000****48.38%***47.87% POP LOSER STILL ELECTED
1996****49.23%***40.72%
1992****43.01%***37.45%
1988****45.65%***53.37%
1984****40.56%***58.77%
1980****41.01%***50.75%
1976*** 50.08%*** 48.01%
1972*** 37.52%*** 60.67%
1968*** 42.72%*** 43.42%
1964*** 61.05%*** 38.47%
1960*** 49.72%*** 49.55%
1956*** 41.97%*** 57.37%
1952*** 44.33%*** 55.18%
1948*** 49.55%*** 45.07%
1944*** 53.39%*** 45.89%
1940*** 54.72%*** 44.77%
1936*** 60.80%*** 36.54%
1932*** 57.41%*** 39.65%
1928*** 40.79%*** 58.22%
1924*** 28.82%*** 54.03%
1920*** 34.12%*** 60.35%
1916*** 49.25%*** 46.11%
1912*** 41.83%*** 23.18%
1908*** 43.04%*** 51.57%
1904*** 37.59%*** 56.42%
1900*** 45.51%*** 51.66%
1896*** 46.71%*** 51.02%
1892*** 46.02%*** 43.01%
1888*** 48.63%*** 47.80% POP LOSER STILL ELECTED
1884*** 48.85%*** 48.28%
1880*** 48.22%*** 48.31%
1876*** 50.92%*** 47.92% POP LOSER STILL ELECTED
1872*** 43.78%*** 55.58%
1868*** 47.34%*** 52.66%
1864*** 44.95%*** 55.03%
1860*** 29.52%*** 39.65% "

Republican extremists have hovered at this percentage for at least 20 years.... Chakaconcarne Jul 2023 #1
That assumes that zero independents support him. TwilightZone Jul 2023 #2
The reason I did not include Independents in either possibility for Democrats or Republicans Peacetrain Jul 2023 #5
Yes. Add that Hitler was never actually elected but was empowered Hortensis Jul 2023 #3
That is thing isn't it.. It does not take some overwhelming army to destroy a democracy Peacetrain Jul 2023 #9
Exactly. But it does take stupid, feckless voters to enable the rabid group. Hortensis Jul 2023 #11
+1 uponit7771 Jul 2023 #18
so it's at least 30 million people GenXer47 Jul 2023 #4
Ahh yep.. scary to even contemplate Peacetrain Jul 2023 #6
We need to turn eligible voters into likely voters RAB910 Jul 2023 #7
Many of the insurrectionists, if not most, didn't vote WhiteTara Jul 2023 #8
He gets more media coverage than anyone else does. nt Autumn Jul 2023 #10
Election Loser's Percentages bobnicewander Jul 2023 #12
what's also interesting is that gopiscrap Jul 2023 #16
Everyday it seems, it seems like there are doom and gloom scenarios out there in media land, SWBTATTReg Jul 2023 #13
Better to be hyper vigilant than asleep at the wheel... Peacetrain Jul 2023 #14
Well, I'd say that we're not asleep, most of us that is, and that we are very vigilant, as proved SWBTATTReg Jul 2023 #15
From my earlier post bobnicewander Jul 2023 #17
From your lips to God's ears! Peacetrain Jul 2023 #19
The anti-Biden messaging from the media is powerful Takket Jul 2023 #20
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