"Mandates"
No sooner did Obama win reelection than Charles Krauthammer laid down the new party line for denying reality, asserting that the president had “no mandate” despite his large victory in the Electoral College and his clear-cut margin in the popular vote (a victory not achieved by modern presidents as varied as JFK in 1960 and George W. Bush in 2000).
As of today's count, Obama's popular vote margin is still less than Bush's was in 2004. Was that a "mandate?"
If it's only about the "electoral vote" now, you might want to check your current talking point e-mail and see if the electoral college is on or off the Official Liberal Shitlist. It does change frequently.
I also note a lot of "modern presidents" missing from Rich's list. Republicans through the 80s cracked the high 400s in electoral votes, breaking 500 once.