Coulda shoulda woulda is pointless.   It was a clear victory by Obama.   Wrangling about whether it might have been a landslide with certain factors being different is-- besides being dubious, to say the least-- a stunningly stupid waste of time.   Perhaps you have the time--I actually think there are more important things to do--like raking leaves, or anything else. Even other threads are more worthwhile.

And my other point was that on an left-leaning site, you don't want people encouraged to sit home rather than fight what our resident Leftist oracles have declared to be a system you can't beat. Or encouraged to vote for the Greens etc.

Since the only way you can really fight against a deck stacked in favor of the GOP is to go out and vote--for Obama.   No thanks to the querulous old biddies who think otherwise.

So, yet again, this thread, with its smug defeatism, was worse than useless.

No surprise some of our resident giant intellects refuse to admit this. Situation normal.