Nerd Pride Radio

In the 15 presidential elections since Hawaii became the 50th state, and 49 since popular voting in states became the norm, which states were the bellweather?

Bellweather: the state where the winning president's vote % was closest to the winner's national popular vote %. This does not mean that the winning president won that state (in more than one case, opposite), only that the president's support most mirrored the national support.

You get two votes per round. Clues added after each round. Point for each state's appearance.

Game 1+2
2016. New Hampshire (FlameBlade)
2012. Virginia (Akiva)
2008. Virginia (Akiva)
2004. Ohio (Stan)
2000. New Mexico (Kyle)
1996. New Mexico (Kyle)
1992. New Jersey (Kyle)
1988. Michigan (FlameBlade)
1984. Ohio (Stan)
1980. Missouri (Stan)
1976. Pennsylvania (Stan)
1972. New Mexico (Kyle)
1968. Virginia (Akiva)
1964. Delaware (Zen)
1960. California (Bluedevyl)

Points:
Stan - 4
Kyle - 4
Akiva - 3
FlameBlade - 2
Bluedevyl - 1

Game 2
1956. Florida (FlameBlade)
1952. Minnesota (Kyle)
1948. Ohio (Stan)
1944. New Mexico (Kyle)
1940. Wyoming (Kyle)
1936. Missouri (Stan)
1932. Washington (Kyle)
1928. Montana (Stan)
1924. Iowa (Kyle)
1920. Oregon (Kyle)
1916. New Hampshire (FlameBlade)
1912. California (Bluedevyl)
1908. Ohio (Stan)
1904. Nevada (Akiva)
1900. Maryland (Flameblade)
1896. Indiana (Stan)
1892. Rhode Island (Zen)
1888. Indiana (Stan)
1884. New York (Kyle)
1880. Delaware (Zen)
1876. Connecticut (Kyle)
1872. Louisiana (Stan)
1868. Pennsylvania (Stan)
1864. Maryland (FlameBlade)
1860. Oregon (Kyle)
1856. Maryland (FlameBlade)
1852. Pennsylvania (Stan)
1848. New York (Kyle)
1844. New Jersey (Kyle)
1840. Mississippi (not guessed)
1836. Connecticut (Kyle)
1832. Maine (FlameBlade)
1828. Kentucky (Stan)
1824. Illinois (Bluedevyl)

Scores:
Kyle - 16
Stan - 14
Flameblade - 8
Akiva - 4
Zen - 3
Bluedevyl - 3

Missouri
Ohio

Colorado.
Wisconsin.

Illinois
California

Iowa
Ohio

I thought we were supposed to guess year-state.

Otherwise, this is not a challenge.

Virginia
Nevada

Iowa
New Mexico

I'll keep the game going, but will be concurrently tallying for a game that includes all elections starting in 1824, when the popular vote became a popular way of choosing presidents. States agree, popular vote: a great way to pick a president!

Maryland
New Hampshire

Alright! Good first round. So, as I came up with this idea last year, I grudgingly have to admit that New Hampshire, which last "won" a century before, deserves first-in-the-nation status in 2020. But Iowa, not the support demographic winner in 93 years, don't deserve nothing.

Round 2 clue is a key. There's still some multiple states left, including one 3-time champ ("c"), and six 2-time champs.

Pennsylvania
Kansas

Michigan
Maine

Delaware
Rhode Island

Minnesota
Oregon

Idaho
California (I am aiming to get zero points.)

Round 2 over with Stan with a small lead in both games, and guaranteed to at-least share the win in Game 1.

States guessed so far: California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Wisconsin

Updated clues: round 1: keys, round 2: how Trump over-performed or underperformed in that state compared to his national % of 46.09.

I'm gonna let you guess 3 guesses this round

Kentucky
Tennessee
Indiana