Does the 1972 map resemble 2000-2016 maps?

[OSR stands with Israel]

Nixon’s worst major state was also CA in 1972

[OSR stands with Israel]

If you shift every state to their vote relative to the nation, simulating a 49%/49%/2% popular result, you get this:

That doesn't look much like a 2000-2016 map to me.

Democrats would have been much better off creating the coalition this map shows than chasing southern votes for another quarter century.

CA wasn’t there yet , as SoCal was still very conservative and the NoCal rural areas were trending GOP fast which made the 1980s probably the best decade for Conservative Republicans in The state of CA . Gerrymandering basically is what saved the CA Dems from losing their state  legislative majorities and House delegation advantage (as in 1980 ,84 I believe the GOP got more overall votes in CA).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_California

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_California


In 1988 things started to change but it still wasn’t their for the Dems till 92 . Reagan for one outperformed Nixon in much of SoCal