I had some time left during lunchbreak today, so I compared vote shares of Nixon in 1972 and Reagan 1984 by state. This map shows who received a higher share of votes in each state:
Red = Nixon in 1972 received a higher voter share than Reagan in 1984
Blue = Reagan in 1984 received a higher voter share than Nixon in 1972
In both 1972 and 1984 electoral votes, Tricky Dick wins comfortably. However, he won two percent more than Reagan in the national popular vote (60.7% vs. 58.8%).
Nebraska was extremely close, seperating both results by just 0.05% as Reagan received 70.55% and Nixon 70.50%.
Nixon's margins in the South were just insane. He cracked 70% in some of them. In Georgia, he won 75% of the vote and every county, but four years later Jimmy Carter won 66% of the vote and also every county. Reagan received 60% in 1984, while losing the state in 1980.
Interesting map. Massachusetts of course stands out, being the only state that Nixon lost, but so do Connecticut and New Hampshire. And I'm certainly aware of Nixon's stronger performance in the South. Nixon received 18% of the black vote in 1972, compared to Reagan's 9% in 1984; he won many Black Belt counties that Reagan did not. Nixon also received a higher share of the nationwide white vote (68%) as compared to Reagan (66%). He must have gotten well over 70% of whites in the South, given the state by state results, and probably got close to 90% of the white vote in Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Not surprised by Reagan's overperformance in the West either, a region where he did very well in both 1980 and 1984. McGovern only got in the twenties in Idaho and Utah, like Mondale, but Nixon was held back from the 70% mark in those states because of Schmitz (they were among his best states). Alaska is another example of this. Reagan got 66%, but Nixon "only" 58%, as Schmitz drew more than 7% of the vote, whereas Bergland got only around 3% there in 1984.