1988 United States Presidential Election

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Mhm. Here we are. 1988. You should know the premise of this. I gotta leave the house soon, so detailed descriptions aren't available. For the present, check the Nominations thread.


The 1988 Democratic Primaries
The Democratic primaries were in many ways a near-complete re-hashing of the previous election's. There was the heir apparent and incumbent Evan Bayh facing down the charismatic and energetic Jesse Jackson. The states fell, in many places, the same way as they had four years before as well. However, unlike 1984, Bayh was able to emerge with a majority of delegates thanks to Simon and Biden before the convention began.

Red - President Birch E. Bayh, Jr. of Indiana
Blue - Reverend Jesse L. Jackson of Illinois
Green - Senator Joseph R. Biden of Delaware
Yellow - Senator Paul Simon of Illinois

The 1988 Republican Primaries
A royal romping for Jack Kemp, greeted as a "conquering hero" by much of the party and seen as the only possible candidate to unite the party for a reasonable chance at victory in 1988.

Blue - Congressman Jack F. Kemp of New York
Green - Senator Robert S. Dole of Kansas

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Bumping for inclusion of primary maps.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Can we please not 'plan' presidencies, it makes it awfully boring.

Derp.

Also this

Did you not, on IRC, tell me that you voted unpledged '64 so the Republicans would get the blame for Vietnam and we could elect McGovern '68? That seems planned to me.

Also, Birch is 0.6 points below the lowest percentage of the popular vote with which a person won: Margaret Chase Smith '64 with 40.3%.

I recall TR getting a ridiculously low percentage in 1916.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

"Well handled" meaning, that like OTL, the stock market was shut down immediately (or whenever. Who reads these days?). But whatever. I write these rationalizing that regardless of actual policies, there are bound to be ups & downs, and if I made too many downs, some agitators would call me biased and try to rewrite history.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Also, I know that the vast majority of you don't care how I actually make the economy, & only bring it up to support whatever is convenient for the election. However, it's looking like two of you actually care...

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The 1988 United States Presidential Election
In what basically constituted a rematch of the same election that took place four years prior, President Bayh was re-elected by a smaller margin in both the popular and electoral vote. While some speculated throughout the campaign that with a strong third party presence the race might go to the House, the lack of unity among the various other parties, along with the margin between Bayh and Kemp, put a stop to that. Coming in 7% ahead of his opponent and with only one third party breaking into the electoral vote, Bayh was re-elected, albeit without mandate. Republicans, which had seen 1988 as their chance to finally break the Democratic hold on power, would blame Paul and Duke for the splitting of the center-right vote. Democrats, for their part, would have little love for McCarthy and Fulani who had managed to turn a decent sized victory into such a draw. Nevertheless, the Democrats won and were determined to turn their <40% mandate as a right to govern.

President Birch E. Bayh, Jr. (Democrat-Indiana)/Vice President Mario Cuomo (Democrat-New York) 356 electoral votes, 39.7% of the popular vote
Congressman Jack F. Kemp (Republican-New York)/Former Governor Pierre S. "Pete" du Pont, IV (Republican-Delaware) 179 electoral votes, 32.9% of the popular vote
Former Congressman Ronald E. "Ron" Paul (Libertarian-Texas)/Former AK State Representative Andre Marrou (Libertarian-Nevada) 3 electoral votes, 12.3% of the popular vote
Former Senator Eugene McCarthy (Consumer/Progressive-Minnesota)/Various 0 electoral votes, 9.6%
Activist Leonora Fulani (New Alliance-Pennsylvania)/Various 4.1% of the popular vote
Activist David Duke (Populist-Louisiana)/Dr. Floyd Parker (Populist-New Mexico)0 electoral votes, 1.4% of the popular vote