Well since in your estimation the 1% above 50 is a paltry sum then I'll simply say he has MORE of a mandate then any president in teh last 16 years.
It's a decisive sum but not a large one. The one 16 years ago had W's father getting over 53 percent to Dukakis's 45 percent. Things were looking really grim for Democrats then too but things got better for them & the whole country 12 years ago.
