Was Clinton unbeatable in 1996?

[sg0508]

It was a near certainty once Dole was the opposition, especially since Buchanan and other conservatives hurt his image in the Primaries.

Before the Primaries, it wasn't certain, but likely.

The only surprise is that Clinton didn't win by a bigger margin (both in the popular vote and EC) than he did.

[sg0508]

If you read Clinton's book My life, the campaign was focused on picking up FL and AZ from the start, due to healthcare and the aging of America.  He also badly wanted to breakthrough in VA and NC.  In the short discussion of Election '96 within the book, he was livid that VA and NC were lost in the end after he thought he had them just two weeks before Election Day.

[sg0508]

CA was already headed blue before '92.  It stayed red in '88 due to the "final gift from Reagan" as many Republicans would say.