I just took a look at a site with Pop and EV totals back to Washington, though I just focused on the 20th century.
[link]
I was very surprised at the popular totals for FDR. The popular split for his first term was ~7 million, and the second term was ~11 million (I suck at percentages, so make your best educated guesses based on the population of the US in the 30s-40s, the grand total looks around 50,000,000 votes). My mother always told me that FDR was nearly deified in some circles, but I know he was also demonized in other circles. In 1940, with WWII getting going, the popular split was 5 million votes, even though the electoral vote was a landslide. For his fourth term, it was only 2 million popular between the front runners.
For some reason I've been thinking that there's been a lot more unity behind certain presidents, but I see now I'm wrong on that. Reagan on his second term got a huge divide, but so did Nixon on his second term. I'm not sure if I'm dismayed by the evidence of strong partisanship or just annoyed at the passing of the idea of the loyal opposition.
I begin to understand, though, how some people find the idea of popular democracy so unnerving.
Hilarious liveblog of the Obama press conference: [link]
Also, I loved that Donna Brazile piece, only partly because I love her in general. She was the speaker at my grad school graduation or something, and kicked ass, even though she clearly had learned everything she knew about us in the car on the way over.
Ginger and Aims (and everyone), it truly is wonderful to not want to throw things at the TV when the Guy in Charge is talking.
It's sublime.
Kat - was it this: [link] on CNN, that what I had read.
I saw the press conference, but did not hear it (was eating lunch). Who were all the people standing behind him?
His economic policy transistion team. The woman with the short blonde hair and glasses in the black suit over hi right shoulder was MY governor, Jennifer Granholm.
t is proud of her governor
Biden was next to him, Emmanuel was on his left. The woman behind him was the former governor of Michigan, whose name I disremember, but who I believe has been tapped for SecTreas. That's just from memory, so I don't remember who else was there, but I'm sure Axelrod was one of them.
I'm glad he's chosen someone with direct experience with one of the worst economies in the country, but I've seen some righties howling wailing about it already.
Best Tweet from the press conference: Obama is vetting his potential dog better than McCain vetted his VP choice.
