2008
Al Gore/Tom Vilsack (Democratic): 409 EV, 72,609,382 votes (53%)
John McCain/Mitt Romney (Republican): 129 EV, 60,631,816 votes (44.3%)
Ralph Nader/Matt Gonzalez (Independent): 2,397,649 votes (1.8%)
Bob Barr/Wayne Allyn Root (Libertarian): 1,258,116 votes (0.9%)
Al Gore was the first Democrat to lose West Virginia and win the popular vote since Woodrow Wilson in 1916. Now, as the state votes pretty convincingly for him, he felt triumphant.
Florida? The state that denied him his victory back in 2000? It didn't matter. The rest of the country voted overwhelmingly for him. Tennessee? Unfortunately still Republican...
But Texas, Virginia, Idaho, Alaska. States not even
Bill Clinton won. He had a bigger mandate. He was now able to lead the country as his own man, not in the shadow of President Clinton.