With Florida finally called and the 2012 presidential election falling into the rear view mirror, here's a look at another reason why President Barack Obama won re-election: The Democrats held their "blue wall" -- the cluster of eastern, Midwest and western states that have traditionally gone Democratic and were crucial to his victory. "Democrats held the entire 'blue wall'. They have now won 18 states in at least six consecutive elections, the most states they have won that often ever, since the formation of the modern party system in 1828," says CNN Senior Political Analyst and National Journal Editorial Director Ron Brownstein.
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'Blue wall' states traditionally go Democratic in presidential elections
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Those states accounted for 242 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House
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Republican 'red wall,' on the other hand, only makes up 177 electoral votes, at most
But together, the "red wall" only nets @placeholder 177 electoral votes at  most.