Iowa - 1988

[nini2287]

Why did it vote for Dukakis?  It only had voted Democratic once in the 40 years prior - Johnson in 1964 and even so it was barely above the national average.

[WalterMitty]

Why did it vote for Dukakis?  It only had voted Democratic once in the 40 years prior - Johnson in 1964 and even so it was barely above the national average.

it was due to the farm crisis and reagan's totally inept handling of it.

iowa is still a unique state.  it is one of the only states where rural whites still vote democrat in significant numbers.

[Virginian87]

Iowa is one of the best states, balance-wise.  Grassley and Harkin make for a good Senate tandem.  I expect that it will continue to be a battleground state for elections to come.

[Cubby]

Why did it vote for Dukakis?  It only had voted Democratic once in the 40 years prior - Johnson in 1964 and even so it was barely above the national average.

Iowa had a severe farm/economic crisis in the 1980's. Its total population dropped by more than 100,000 people between from 1980-1990. I don't know the exact details of it. But Iowa seems to have borne the brunt of the poor Reagan-era economy. (In the Midwest the Reagan years were especially bad)