Who had a tougher re-election campaign: Carter in 1980 or Hoover in 1932

[hangfan91]

Hoover had become unpopular due to his handling of the depression, Carter because of a stagnant economy and the oil crisis of the 1970s.

Both faced tough, charismatic opponents in FDR and Reagan.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Hoover. We're comparing the President who gave us the Great Depression to the President who had the 2nd highest annual increase in jobs of any term since WWII.

[politicus]

Herbert  Hoover is the correct answer.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Although modern GOP campaign tactics, largely invented during the Reagan era, have proven to be quite compelling to your average Joe, we are talking about the Great Depression here.  People were living out of four pieces of sheet metal propped up against each other. 

Hoover.

[Consciously Unconscious]

Hoover, obviously.

[MATTROSE94]

Obviously Hoover. An unemployment rate of over 25% easily trumps over an unemployment rate of 7.1% and an inflation rate of 13% any day.

[Mr. Smith]

Hoover '32,  Hoover had no internal or 3rd challenges against him and still lost by huge margins.

Carter was like Harry Truman except without a Congress he could safely blame and a charismatic opponent. John Anderson in the middle, Reagan on the right, and Ted Kennedy on the left.

If it were just Reagan, he may have actually just narrowly lost instead.

[DS0816]

Herbert Hoover.

It has to do with technology.

Hoover had less information available in 1932, compared to Jimmy Carter in 1980, regarding how the election was likely to play out.

[buritobr]

Reagan's margin was big but unexpected. The polls on Monday were predicting a 3% margin.

[TDAS04]

Hoover, obviously.