The only thing that matters in Presidential elections is the electoral college. I claim that Ronald Reagan, not Nixon, holds the all time record for Presidential election victories. You are comparing popular vote and # of states, which are meaningless.
Regards.
NIXON won 49 States electoral votes in 1972 and Reagan won 49 states electoral votes 1984. Nixon got a greater percentage of the popular vote than Reagan did in 1984. Nixon lost one state, Mass, in 1972, Reagan lost one state, Minnesota, in 1984. Since Mass. has 5 more delegates to the electoral collage that does Minnesota, Reagan had 5 more electoral votes than Nixon. Reagan had 525 to Nixon's 520.
Nixon lost the peoples republic of Mass in 1972, but carried his opponent's (McGovern's) home state. That is an accomplish. Reagan lost his opponents home state in 1984 which is less of an accomplishment.
In 1984 we were at peace with prosperity. In 1972 we were in the 8th year of a very unpopular war. Every Hillary and Bill were demonstrating and rioting against Tricky Dick Nixon. I was in the media in in both 72 and 84 and it was a pretty neutral media in 1984. Most people in the media liked Reagan. Most people in the media hated Dick Nixon over the war. 1972 was the most hostile media ever faced by any president. It was in some respects worse than the media faced by Lincoln.
When Nixon won anyway they had to find a way to take him down and they did.
But to claim that Reagan's accomplishment in 1984 was anything like the accomplishment of Nixon in 1972 ignores reality.
Winning a huge re-election victory while in a quagmire unpopular war with a sluggish economy, is not easy. Winning re-election in an economic boom, while at peace is a piece of cake... Ask Bill Clinton and Bob Dole how that works.