We won by 7 million!

[Onlooker]

Maybe it was reported elsewhere, but all I saw was Rove's claim that if 77,000 votes had gone the other way, the Dems wouldn't have won control of Congress. But, then I read this in the Nov. 20 New Yorker's Talk of the Town comment:

"In 2000, the last time this year's 33 Senate seats were up for grabs, the popular-vote totals in those races, like the popular-vote totals for President were essentially a tie. Democrats got 48% of the vote, Republicans slightly more than 47%. This time, in those same 33 states, Democrats got 55% of the vote, Republicans not quite 43%. In raw numbers, the national Democratic plurality in the 2000 senatorial races was the same as Al Gore's: around half a million. This time, despite the inevitably smaller off-year turnout and the fact that there were Senate races in only 2/3rds of the states, it was more than 7 million."

[bryant69]

1. I suspect what rove is talking about is specific districts

with tight races - but of course he could just be pulling numbers out of his ass.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[ProfessorGAC]

3. I Think I Will Go With Option B

Think about the statistical improbability of 1% of the total vote differential being responsible for a 30+ seat swing.

I don't have the district by district data either, but just from the scale of the numbers, it's very hard to envision that 77,000 votes would have made the difference Rove describes.

Hence, i'll go with your 2nd option, that he's just pulling numbers from nothing.
The Professor

[bryant69]

4. I have to say I kind of agree. It's hard to imagine

that enough races were that close.

[Hav]

2. .

If that's true, then it's good indeed.
I thought we got way more votes because of California, New York and Florida where the Dems won big in large states while the Repubs only had Texas I think.

[underpants]

5. Yes and as noted elsewhere "we" beat the computer gerrymandering

My Editorial forum thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x246535

The way the system was rigged incumbents should have had about a 98% reelection rate. That is for all incumbents, the Republicans should had been in power for a long time including retirements and endorsements of successors.

The 7 million and this fact show how devestating the win was.