WTF happened in Arkansas in 1980?

[Alben Barkley]

Was Jimmy Carter’s crash in Arkansas from 1976 to 1980 the most dramatic state swing ever in one election cycle? He went from winning it by 30 points in 1976, 65-35 (he only did better, barely, in Georgia itself), to losing the state in 1980.

The weird thing is neighboring states Mississippi and Louisiana barely shifted at all — they were Carter’s closest wins in the South in 1976, and among his closest losses in 1980. Same goes for Kentucky. Alabama, Tennesse, and the Carolinas shifted sharply, but he still barely lost them and his wins there weren’t as huge in 1976 anyway. Meanwhile Georgia and West Virginia, his other two really strong Southern states in 1976, stuck with him comfortably in 1980. Arkansas was the odd one out for its insane swing of over 30 points.

What happened? Arkansas you would have expected to be the last state besides Georgia to flip in 1980, yet several others held out while it flipped.

Oh and of course Bill Clinton also narrowly lost the governor’s mansion that year, only to regain it two years later. So not only did Arkansas turn rapidly and heavily against Carter, his crash seems to have affected downballot races as well.