2012 had a historically low # of close states for such a close national race

[Mr. Morden]

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cspg/smartpolitics/2012/11/death_of_the_battlegrounds_the.php

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The national race was very close, yet only 5 states were decided by 5 points or less.  Things sure have changed a lot since 1976, when we had a whopping 20 states with margins of 5 points or less....including California, Texas, and New York.  Imagine how wild that race would have been to follow if modern polling and the internet had existed back then.