A head to head comparison of the 2008 Florida General Election gives us an idea of the break down of the voters.    

Barack Obama received 4,282,366 (51%) votes, beating John McCain who gained 4,046,212 (48%) by 236,154 votes in Florida.

John McCain won 52 counties whereas Barack Obama won 15 counties in the total of the 67 counties in the State of Florida.

Presidential General Elections

During the 2008 General elections, over 131M total number of votes were cast. Barack Obama got 69,448,278 (69.4 Million) over John McCain's 61,739,059 (61.7 Million). He won the popular vote by 7,709,219 (7.7 Million). His victory in the State of Florida (with 4,282,366 votes) represents 5.8% of his popular vote victory. The remaining 49 states contributed to the remaining 94.2% popular votes victory.

Top 15 Counties in Primary Elections vs General Elections

All Candidates (General Elections)

These 15 counties play an important role in these Primary elections. If a candidate, can get a sizable majority in the largest counties (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Orange), it becomes very difficult to win majorities in the smaller counties without voter outreach and increased voter participation in them.

Top 15 Counties Comparison in Primary Elections vs General Elections

General Elections
Barack Obama

General Elections
John McCain

Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough and Orange, five of the larger counties, voted in favor of Barack Obama giving him a 682K vote advantage. However, John McCain's steady marginal wins in the less popular counties (like Brevard, Sarasota and more) were were not enough to overcome that difference, making Barack Obama gain an upper hand in the State of Florida.


Related References: 2016 Florida Primary Election Story, 2016 Florida General Election Story, 2020 Florida Primary Election Story, 2020 Florida General Election Story, 2012 Florida General Election Story