Are you coming from a top school? You're applying to R1 schools so I'm wondering if your anecdote, as an ideal candidate, falls outside the "normal" range of actual job search difficulty.
You are absolutely correct, though: I'm a strong candidate. But when I said that I knew people who were applying to 40, 60, and even 100 positions, those, too, are from top schools.
When I say that schools are only receiving dozens of applications (50-70), those are also top schools.
What I didn't say was that, due to my personal network, I also know of dozens of smaller schools (who aren't advertizing on the CRA job board, for example) who are desperate to find good applicants. I have been contacted by them, as have some of my collegues.
I also happen to know that many of the applicants are international, who are (presumably) looking for a ticket to the US, because they don't have any relevant experience. (Obviously, there are many good international applicants, too!)
My personal experience is that this is a good year to be looking for an academic job. The link just confirmed my personal experience.