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

John McCain received 724,497 (56%) votes, beating Barack Obama who gained 554,662 (43%) by 169,835 votes in Mississippi.

John McCain won 53 counties whereas Barack Obama won 29 counties in the total of the 82 counties in the State of Mississippi.

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). Even though he lost to John McCain in the State of Mississippi, his 554,662 votes represents 0.8% of his popular vote victory. The remaining 49 states contributed to the remaining 99.2% 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 (Hinds, Desoto, Rankin, Harrison), it is still possible for other candidates to catch up, since the larger counties are not much larger from the rest of them.

Top 15 Counties Comparison in Primary Elections vs General Elections

General Elections
Barack Obama

General Elections
John McCain

Hinds, the largest county, voted in favor of Barack Obama giving him a 42k vote advantage. Desoto, Rankin and Harrison, another larger counties, voted in favor of Barack Obama giving him a 72k vote advantage. However, John McCain's steady marginal wins in the less popular counties were enough to maintain that lead over Barack Obama, making him gain an upper hand in the State of Mississippi.


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