Why did Tom Harkin flameout so hard in 1992?

[C r a b c a k e]

Obviously his big win in Iowa didn't matter because nobody else bothered campaigning there, but what reason was he unable to catch on? Exhaustion with traditional New Deal labourism? Kerrey splitting the votes in the plains states?  Or something more about Harkin himself?

[Kleine Scheiße]

Death by a thousand cuts, the most severe of which being that he was from Iowa.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Obviously his big win in Iowa didn't matter because nobody else bothered campaigning there, but what reason was he unable to catch on? Exhaustion with traditional New Deal labourism? Kerrey splitting the votes in the plains states?  Or something more about Harkin himself?

From what I remember, the media just hated, hated, hated Harkin because he was somewhat vocal against the Gulf War.

[darklordoftech]

Obviously his big win in Iowa didn't matter because nobody else bothered campaigning there, but what reason was he unable to catch on? Exhaustion with traditional New Deal labourism? Kerrey splitting the votes in the plains states?  Or something more about Harkin himself?

From what I remember, the media just hated, hated, hated Harkin because he was somewhat vocal against the Gulf War.

The media was that supportive of the Gulf War?

[Bandit3 the Worker]

The media was that supportive of the Gulf War?

Very much so. At first, the polls showed the public strongly opposed a war with Iraq, but within months, the public was much more supportive of it.