Top 50 Popular Vote Winners, 1900-2000

[elperromagico]

* denotes winner of Electoral College
1. Ronald Reagan* 		Republican 	54,455,075 (1984)
2. Albert Gore Jr. 		Democrat 	51,003,238 (2000)
3. George W. Bush* 		Republican 	50,459,624 (2000)
4. George Bush* 		Republican 	48,886,588 (1988)
5. William Clinton* 		Democrat 	47,402,357 (1996)
6. Richard Nixon *		Republican 	47,169,911 (1972)
7. William Clinton* 		Democrat 	44,909,806 (1992)
8. Ronald Reagan* 		Republican 	43,904,153 (1980)
9. Lyndon Johnson* 		Democrat 	43,129,566 (1964)
10. Michael Dukakis 		Democrat 	41,809,485 (1988)
11. Jimmy Carter* 		Democrat 	40,830,763 (1976)
12. Robert Dole 		Republican 	39,198,755 (1996)
13. Gerald Ford 		Republican 	39,147,793 (1976)
14. George Bush 		Republican 	39,104,550 (1992)
15. Walter Mondale 		Democrat 	37,577,185 (1984)
16. Dwight Eisenhower* 	        Republican 	35,590,472 (1956)
17. Jimmy Carter 		Democrat 	35,483,883 (1980)
18. John Kennedy* 		Democrat 	34,226,731 (1960)
19. Richard Nixon 		Republican 	34,108,157 (1960)
20. Dwight Eisenhower* 	        Republican 	33,936,234 (1952)
21. Richard Nixon* 		Republican 	31,785,480 (1968)
22. Hubert Humphrey 		Democrat 	31,275,166 (1968)
23. George McGovern 		Democrat 	29,170,383 (1972)
24. Franklin Roosevelt* 	Democrat 	27,757,333 (1936)
25. Adlai Stevenson 		Democrat 	27,314,992 (1952)
26. Franklin Roosevelt* 	Democrat 	27,313,041 (1940)
27. Barry Goldwater 		Republican 	27,178,188 (1964)
28. Adlai Stevenson 		Democrat 	26,022,752 (1956)
29. Franklin Roosevelt* 	Democrat 	25,612,610 (1944)
30. Harry Truman* 		Democrat 	24,179,345 (1948)
31. Franklin Roosevelt* 	Democrat 	22,829,501 (1932)
32. Wendell Willkie 		Republican 	22,348,480 (1940)
33. Thomas Dewey 		Republican 	22,017,617 (1944)
34. Thomas Dewey 		Republican 	21,991,291 (1948)
35. Herbert Hoover* 		Republican 	21,437,277 (1928)
36. H. Ross Perot 		Independent 	19,742,240 (1992)
37. Alfred Landon 		Republican 	16,684,231 (1936)
38. Warren Harding* 		Republican 	16,153,115 (1920)
39. Herbert Hoover 		Republican 	15,760,684 (1932)
40. Calvin Coolidge* 		Republican 	15,719,921 (1924)
41. Alfred Smith 		Democrat 	15,007,698 (1928)
42. George Wallace 		American Ind. 	9,906,473 (1968)
43. James Cox 			Democrat 	9,133,092 (1920)
44. Woodrow Wilson* 	        Democrat 	9,126,300 (1916)
45. Charles Hughes 		Republican 	8,546,789 (1916)
46. John Davis 			Democrat 	8,386,704 (1924)
47. H. Ross Perot 		Reform 	        8,085,402 (1996)
48. William Taft* 		Republican 	7,676,258 (1908)
49. Theodore Roosevelt* 	Republican 	7,626,593 (1904)
50. William McKinley* 	        Republican 	7,218,039 (1900)

[laura888]

1. I've never understood to popularity of Reagan

He doesn't make me barf like Bush does, but he definitely makes me cringe.

[mlawson]

7. I suspect it was partly nostalgia for *simpler* era,

when people didn't complain, demonstrate, or mistrust the USA. He exemplified this time, knowingly or not, and above all, people LIKED him (regardless of his policies). Don't get me wrong, I opposed everything he did, esp decorating SS graves at Bitburg!!!!!!!!!!

[Silverhair]

10. The public wanted to fire Carter.

To win over Carter all Reagan had to do was reassue people that he would not blow up the world. Under Carter inflation was in the high teens and unemployment was at 9+%, (Economists invented a new word for his economy - stagflation. Stagnation & inflation compined.) and internationally America had been and was continuing to be humiliated. The Soviets had brought numberous countries into their orbit. In the 1980 election, my father, who had been a Democrat all of his life, voted for Reagan.

In the 1984 election Mondale blew it big time. He promised to raise taxes. That isn't going to win a lot of votes. He picked Ferraro as his running mate. Picking a woman VP is what I call a multiplier move. If you are already strong in the polls, it makes you stronger. If you are behind in the polls, it puts you further behind. It is a move that has to be made from strength. Mondale was behind in the polls, and so it looked like a campaign stunt to many people. It was like he was saying, "Jerry, save my campaign."

Not was it even a bold move. He had been asked by a reporter if he would consider a woman running mate. He had answered that he would, and thereby set the expectations. Once he had said that, if he had picked a man it would have looked to many like he wouldn't really consider a woman. He handled it poorly, closing out his options too early.

Also, he had been Carter's VP, and was too tainted. People didn't want Carterism back. (Dad voted Reagan again.)

Sorry if that offends anyone. My intention is for that to be an objective analysis. It does not mean I am happy about it.

Reagan was beatable, but not by Carter's VP, and definately not with the campaign he ran.

Dean seems to be making one of the mistakes of Mondale. His promise to repeal GWB's tax cut will be used by the Reps as an promise to raise taxes.

I think Clark is our best shot. No, he doesn't have the ideologial purity that most here would like, but I think he can win.

If we Dems take another defeat in 04, we will lose even our ability to filibuster in the Senate. (Then W will be able to appoint whomever he pleases as a judge.) Typically the party that wins the presidency picks up seats in the congress in both houses. We have more at risk than the Reps because we have more Senators up for election than they do.

[efhmc]

2. Big problem here. Number of people in the country has grown, so

of course, the popular vote numbers will be different. Maybe percentages would actually tell us something.

[CoolerKing]

3. and don't forget

that women didn't get the right to vote until around 1920, and most blacks were deprived of their voting rights in southern states until the mid-60's. We were only a quasi-democracy before 1964, and were not that much better now.

oh well. one can dream.

[elperromagico]

6. Okay, I'll gladly oblige

The Top Ten, percentage-wise:

1. Lyndon Johnson           Democrat      61.05% (1964)
2. Franklin Roosevelt       Democrat      60.8%  (1936)
3. Richard Nixon            Republican    60.69% (1972)
4. Warren Harding           Republican    60.34% (1920)
5. Ronald Reagan            Republican    58.77% (1984)
6. Herbert Hoover           Republican    58.24% (1928)
7. Franklin Roosevelt       Democrat      57.42% (1932)
8. Dwight Eisenhower        Republican    57.38% (1956)
9. Theodore Roosevelt       Republican    56.41% (1904)
10. Dwight Eisenhower       Republican    55.13% (1952)

[LSdemocrat]

12. Ahh, Warren Harding

Once again proving the stupidity of the American voter.

[elperromagico]

13. Yep

Even we Americans occasionally make dumb-ass choices.

[elperromagico]

8. It makes about as much sense

as comparing the gross of a movie like Gone With The Wind, made in 1939, with a movie like Star Wars, made in 1977. Allowing for inflation, Gone With The Wind has made a lot more money. So, probably, has The Birth of a Nation, made in 1915. But purely in terms of money made, Star Wars is the clear winner among the three.

I just wanted to see who came out with the most sheer votes. I thought others might like to as well. I'm being a bit self-indulgent, I know.

[Dagaz]

4. Funny link - kinda related to this thread

The last line kills me.

http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/aae/side/knownot.html

[Isome]

5. The top ten is evenly split...

5 Democrats & 5 GOP'ers

[NoMoreRedInk]

9. I can't believe Ross Perot got 20MM in 1992. With 5 mil separating....

Clinton and Bush, we might be in a whole different country had he not been in the race.

That's scary.

[elperromagico]

11. Top 50 Popular Votes Winners 1900-2000 (Percentages)

* denotes Electoral College winner
1.  Lyndon Johnson*     Democrat     61.05% (1964)
2.  Franklin Roosevelt* Democrat     60.80% (1936)
3.  Richard Nixon*      Republican   60.69% (1972)
4.  Warren Harding*     Republican   60.34% (1920)
5.  Ronald Reagan*      Republican   58.77% (1984)
6.  Herbert Hoover*     Republican   58.24% (1928)
7.  Franklin Roosevelt* Democrat     57.42% (1932)
8.  Dwight Eisenhower*  Republican   57.38% (1956)
9.  Theodore Roosevelt* Republican   56.41% (1904)
10. Dwight Eisenhower*  Republican   55.13% (1952)
11. Franklin Roosevelt* Democrat     54.74% (1940)
12. Calvin Coolidge*    Republican   54.03% (1924)
13. Franklin Roosevelt* Democrat     53.39% (1944)
14. George Bush*        Republican   53.37% (1988)
15. William McKinley*   Republican   51.67% (1900)
16. William Taft*       Republican   51.58% (1908)
17. Ronald Reagan*      Republican   50.75% (1980)
18. Jimmy Carter*       Democrat     50.06% (1976)
19. John Kennedy*       Democrat     49.72% (1960)
20. Harry Truman*       Democrat     49.55% (1948)
20. Richard Nixon       Republican   49.55% (1960)
21. Woodrow Wilson*     Democrat     49.24% (1916)
21. William Clinton*    Democrat     49.24% (1996)
22. Albert Gore Jr.     Democrat     48.38% (2000)
23. Gerald Ford         Republican   48.00% (1976)
24. George W. Bush*     Republican   47.87% (2000)
25. Charles Hughes      Republican   46.11% (1916)
26. Thomas Dewey        Republican   45.89% (1944)
27. Michael Dukakis     Democrat     45.65% (1988)
28. William Bryan       Democrat     45.51% (1900)
29. Thomas Dewey        Republican   45.07% (1948)
30. Wendell Willkie     Republican   44.79% (1940)
31. Adlai Stevenson     Democrat     44.38% (1952)
32. Richard Nixon*      Republican   43.42% (1968)
33. William Bryan       Democrat     43.05% (1908)
34. William Clinton*    Democrat     43.01% (1992)
35. Hubert Humphrey     Democrat     42.72% (1968)
36. Adlai Stevenson     Democrat     41.95% (1956)
37. Woodrow Wilson*     Democrat     41.84% (1912)
38. Jimmy Carter        Democrat     41.01% (1980)
39. Alfred Smith        Democrat     40.78% (1928)
40. Robert Dole         Republican   40.71% (1996)
41. Walter Mondale      Democrat     40.56% (1984)
42. Herbert Hoover      Republican   39.64% (1932)
43. Barry Goldwater     Republican   38.47% (1964)
44. Alton Parker        Democrat     37.60% (1904)
45. George McGovern     Democrat     37.53% (1972)
46. George Bush         Republican   37.45% (1992)
47. Alfred Landon       Republican   36.54% (1936)
48. James Cox           Democrat     34.12% (1920)
49. John Davis          Democrat     28.84% (1924)
50. Theodore Roosevelt  Progressive  27.39% (1912)