So, democrats won 15 more districts in the House elections that Obama did...
This is surprising how?
There still are more areas solidly Republican at the presidential level but ready to vote for Democrats locally or even congressionally than the other way round.
And McCain clearly overperformed compared to Generic Republican in 2008. And not just in the anti-Obama Swing areas (though there by most. Presumably.)
House Democrats whose districts went for McCain:
McMahon, Massa (NY)
Dahlkemper, Altmire, Carney, Murtha, Holden (all in PA... most of these very close)
Wilson, Boccieri, Space (OH)
Ellsworth, Hill (IN 8 and 9 - both close)
Peterson (MN 7)
Skelton (MO 4)
Pomeroy, Herseth (Dakotas)
Kratovil (MD 1)
Perriello, Boucher (VA)
both WV Democrats
McIntyre, Shuler (NC, both close)
Spratt (SC 5)
Marshall (GA
Boyd, Kozmas (FL - one blue dog, one scandal destroyed incumbent in a close district)
Chandler (KY 6)
Davis, Gordon, Tanner (TN)
Bright, Griffith (AL)
Childers, Taylor (MS)
all 3 AR Democrats
Melancon (LA 3)
Boren (OK 2)
Edwards (TX 17)
Minnick (ID 1)
Salazar, Markey (the two vast districts in CO, both close)
Teague (NM 2, close)
Kirkpatrick, Mitchell, Giffords (AZ... and given how similar areas in other states swung, possibly all three can be attributed to a Home State Effect for McCain)
Matheson (UT 2)
House Republicans whose district went for Obama
McHugh (NY 23)
LoBiondo, Lance (NJ)
Gerlach, Dent (PA)
Tiberi (OH 12)
Roskam, Kirk, Biggert, Manzullo (IL... just a tiny bit more of a swing and McCain would have been reduced to one district)
Camp, Upton, Rogers, McCotter (MI)
Ryan, Petri (WI)
Paulson (MN 3)
Latham (IA 4)
Terry (NE 2)
Castle (DE)
Forbes, Wolf (VA)
Young, Ros Lehtinen (FL)
Cao (LA 2)
Lungren, Gallegly, McKeon, Dreier, Calvert, Bono, Campbell, Bilbray (all in CA - a state where McCain probably did worse than Generic R. Almost all very close, mind)