In 2004 President Bush won the election 51% to 48% over Senator John Kerry. The numbers were roughly:

Bush ~62 million votes 286 Electoral College Votes
Kerry ~59 million votes 252 Electoral College Votes

So, Kerry lost by ~3 million votes (3%) and 34 Electoral College Votes.

Bush called this a "mandate".

Last night Senators Barack Obama and John McCain stepped into the square circle. It shook out like this:

Obama ~63 million votes 349 Electoral College Votes
McCain ~56 million votes 162 Electoral College Votes

Obama won by ~7 million votes (6%) and 187 Electoral College Votes. His win margin is two and a half times Bush's and he picked up 63 more Electoral College Votes than Bush. He received more popular votes than any presidential candidate in history.

Question: If Bush was handed a "mandate", what has Obama been given?

This is a wake-up call.