Kamala Harris won blue N.J. by jus just 5 points. Why it was the closest race in 32 years (nj.com)

[pstokely]

https://www.nj.com/politics/2024/11/kamala-harris-won-blue-nj-by-just-5-points-why-it-was-the-closest-race-in-32-years.html

New Jersey has now gone blue in the last nine presidential elections, a span of more than three decades.

But this one was a head-turner.
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris continued the trend by carrying the Garden State and its 14 electoral votes — though she edged Republican former President Donald Trump by only 5 percentage points, 51.5% to 46.5%, as of the latest tally Wednesday afternoon.

That’s the closest margin for a Democratic presidential candidate in the state since 1992 — 32 years ago — when Bill Clinton won the state by a mere 3 points. And it was one of the eye-opening data points as Trump resoundingly won back the White House on Tuesday.

[In It to Win It]

1. IIRC, the margins were slimmer in every blue state except either MA or MD (forgot which one)

Somone correct me if I'm wrong on that

[Elessar Zappa]

2. Massachusetts I believe, had a red shift of seven points.

Not sure about Maryland.

[Buckeyeblue]

3. Our candidate didn't connect. It's not her fault. She had very little time.

Inflation. The economy was the biggest issue. We didn't do a good enough job of connecting.

[lees1975]

4. She was a woman, and black.

And that's it.

[Jersey Devil]

7. Hillary won NJ by 14 points

Clinton won the state with 55.5% of the vote over Trump's 41.35%, or a 14-point margin. Despite her victory in the state, Clinton's vote share was slightly poorer than the vote shares President Barack Obama got from the state in 2008 and 2012.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_United_States_presidential_election_in_New_Jersey

[pstokely]

5. Would Biden had done any better in the solid blue states?

Last edited Fri Nov 8, 2024, 12:19 AM - Edit history (1)

It looks like Harris underperformed rather than tRump overperforming

[Buckeyeblue]

6. Probably not. It's why Joe should have opted out last year

We could have had a primary and the nominee would have been able to find a message that connected with voters.

But last year people on here were adamantly against Biden opting not to run.

[TheFarseer]

8. We ran the candidate

That came in 16th in the most recent primary. That’s not how to win. It would have been much better if we had a candidate that had to win a primary.

[tman]

9. 100% agree.

Biden has been a good President but his decision to run again will be seen for what it was. A historic mistake.