Mondale Campaign Strategy in 1984

[Liberalrocks]

I was not old enough to remember but have a few questions. When the polling showed Mondale impossibly behind and slipping, did the campaign target states where they still thought they could win and send him and resources there to campaign? GOTV efforts etc. Had he spent more time in Massachusetts which was the closest loss (51-48%) and Rhode Island also (51-48%) could he have won them?

Did Geraldine Ferraro campaign in New York in an attempt to win her home state? Or did they just campaign across the country without a state winning strategy. I have read he ran a horrible campaign and know of his image problem but I am sure he expected to win a few states while still getting crushed at the polls.

[tpfkaw]

My mother recalls going to a Geraldine Ferraro rally, so I suppose they did.

[Liberalrocks]

Was that a rally in Massachusetts? Close to election day. I just wonder had they put more time into the states that were closer could they have flipped one or two.

Closest Reagan States:

Ma 51-48%  Reagan
RI  51-48%  Reagan (A Carter State)
MD 52-47%  Reagan (A Carter State) Large African American Population
PA  53-46%  Reagan - Mondale actually did better in PA then he did in NY by about 1 pt or so.
IA   53-46%  Reagan- Borders Minnesota during the farm crisis etc Was a Dukakis State.
NY  54-46%  Reagan- Democratic Stronghold Ferraro's home state etc.
WI  54-45%  Reagan- Borders Minnesota and was a Dukakis State.

[Fuzzybigfoot]

Here's a map of some of the "battleground" states that year, based off of media reports.

Although I haven't heard of any more, I'm guessing a few other states like Washington, Oregon, Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Maybe Jimmy Carter's home state of Georgia etc. were targeted heavily by both campaigns judging by their closeness to the national vote, or because they gave Mondale better margins than the nation as a whole.

[J. J.]

His strategy was hope that reagan looked senile by election day.

[Joe Republic]

His strategy was hope that reagan looked senile by election day.

If only Reagan were ten years older, Mondale wouldn't have needed any hope for that.

[Liberalrocks]

Here's a map of some of the "battleground" states that year, based off of media reports.

Although I haven't heard of any more, I'm guessing a few other states like Washington, Oregon, Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Maybe Jimmy Carter's home state of Georgia etc. were targeted heavily by both campaigns judging by their closeness to the national vote, or because they gave Mondale better margins than the nation as a whole.

Yes there were states not shown here that gave Mondale larger marginal % of the vote which I listed above Wisconsin and Iowa for instance. I think had Mondale campaigned hard in Ma and RI right before election day he could have possibly flipped one or both. They were the closest of the Reagan victories. It may have been indicative of the climate to have seen him only focus on those two, but possibly he could have salvaged some dignity in winning more then Mn and DC and not gone down as the second McGovern. I feel bad for Fritz...

[Liberalrocks]

Mondale won 40.6% of the popular vote
where
McGovern won just over 37%

So had Mondale flipped one or two of the closest Reagan states to his column the defeat would not have appeared to have been as bad as 1972.

[WalterMitty]

mondale was very well liked by big labor.

his 'strategy' was to win the rust-belt.  do well in new england....and pick off california.

similar to this (though it still doesnt get him to 270)

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

Not sure if this helps, but according to this website (http://www.mit.edu/~mi22295/elections.html), if you were to add the closest Reagan states to Mondale's column, you'd eventually get a Mondale victory looking like this:

[Fuzzybigfoot]

Not sure if this helps, but according to this website (http://www.mit.edu/~mi22295/elections.html), if you were to add the closest Reagan states to Mondale's column, you'd eventually get a Mondale victory looking like this:

Hmm, how'd they come up with that?



Based on percentages from each state, I'm guessing a Mondale victory probably would've looked more like this.

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

Not sure if this helps, but according to this website (http://www.mit.edu/~mi22295/elections.html), if you were to add the closest Reagan states to Mondale's column, you'd eventually get a Mondale victory looking like this:

Hmm, how'd they come up with that?



Based on percentages from each state, I'm guessing a Mondale victory probably would've looked more like this.

They came up with that through raw numbers, overlooking percentages. Your map makes much more sense IMO.

[Fuzzybigfoot]

Yeah, I saw some of their other maps and I just LULD 

[Liberalrocks]

Yeah I would likely go with Mr Fuzzletons map it also looks more contured to the state trends of the time. A Mondale win in California (Reagan's home state) would seem beyond weird but I suppose that would be his only path to a 270 electoral vote win. Based on his percentage of the vote being higher here then other states that would help total 270. For instance he only got 38% in Connecticut but 41% here in California.

[redcommander]

Yeah hell was going to freeze over before Mondale had an actual chance of winning California. 

[Liberalrocks]

Yeah hell was going to freeze over before Mondale had an actual chance of winning California.  

The California of 1984, yes that is correct. California is certaintly not the same place it was back then. By 1988 Bush's victory in California was reduced substantially over the margin Reagan won it by. Then in 1992 the state was Clinton country.

[Liberalrocks]

Love the bumpersticker WalterMitty ~!

[Fuzzybigfoot]

Yeah I would likely go with Mr Fuzzletons map it also looks more contured to the state trends of the time. A Mondale win in California (Reagan's home state) would seem beyond weird but I suppose that would be his only path to a 270 electoral vote win. Based on his percentage of the vote being higher here then other states that would help total 270. For instance he only got 38% in Connecticut but 41% here in California.

True, or he would just have to pray that some of those Southern States which Carter did well in (like NC, KY, AR, and GA) could pull him through. 

[Liberalrocks]

True, and I am sure that was the thought back then...The south was solidifying to the republican side but had not yet become as republican as today. He polled better in Tennessee then any other southern state and Gore was elected Senator that year.

[redcommander]

The Mondale campaign strategy of '84 was to not lose Minnesota.