Did Ted Kennedy cause Carter to lose Massachusetts?
       |           

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 19, 2024, 05:35:32 AM
News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more

  Talk Elections
  Presidential Elections - Analysis and Discussion
  U.S. Presidential Election Results (Moderator: Dereich)
  Did Ted Kennedy cause Carter to lose Massachusetts?
« previous next »
Pages: [1]
Author Topic: Did Ted Kennedy cause Carter to lose Massachusetts?  (Read 1361 times)
Thunderbird is the word
Zen Lunatic
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 3,021


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« on: May 16, 2015, 11:43:18 PM »

In 1980 was it Kennedy loyalists staying home and/or voting for Anderson that possibly tipped the state to Reagan?
Logged
Tutankhuman Bakari Sellers
olawakandi
Atlas Institution
*****
Posts: 87,463
Jamaica
Political Matrix
E: -6.84, S: -0.17


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2015, 11:51:21 PM »

Reagan was Irish, too. And the same conservative catholics outside of Boston; that votes for GOP Govs like Cellucci and Baker, voted for Reagan. Kennedy loyalists staying home outside of Boston.
Logged
Podgy the Bear
mollybecky
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 2,963


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2015, 12:23:51 AM »

Carter was never that popular in Massachusetts.  He lost both the 1976 and 1980 primaries by wide margins, and his 1976 general election margin wasn't that impressive.  And big shots in the party such as Tip O'Neill weren't close to Carter at all.

It was probably a combination of Kennedy loyalists and independents voting for Anderson (and Reagan--his affinity to a large segment of the population there was considerable) that tipped the scales so that Reagan won Massachusetts.
Logged
Thunderbird is the word
Zen Lunatic
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 3,021


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2015, 12:51:00 AM »

Reagan was Irish, too. And the same conservative catholics outside of Boston; that votes for GOP Govs like Cellucci and Baker, voted for Reagan. Kennedy loyalists staying home outside of Boston.

I suppose there were some Kennedy/Reagan voters that year. Conservative Democrars with a risidual loyalty to the Kennedys but preferred Reagan to Carter. More tribalism then anything as Carter was clearly the more conservative Democrat but I'm sure it happened.
Logged
Obama-Biden Democrat
Zyzz
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 5,828


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2015, 05:41:09 PM »

I don't think Carter's evangelical southern bubba persona played to well in the more secular minded Northeast as well.
Logged
MT Treasurer
IndyRep
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 15,284
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2015, 05:43:44 PM »

Reagan winning MA in 1980 was like Clinton winning GA in 1992: A massive outlier that would not have happened had there been no Third Party candidates (Anderson/Perot) who both were spoilers.
Logged
TDAS04
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 23,392
Bhutan


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2015, 05:51:53 PM »

I don't think Carter's evangelical southern bubba persona played to well in the more secular minded Northeast as well.

True, but that doesn't explain why Vermont swung Democratic in 1980, or why Rhode Island barely swung Republican.
Logged
sg0508
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 2,053
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2015, 11:05:22 AM »

It was strictly:

1) Anderson's 15%
2) The nasty Democratic Primary
3) Apathy in the Democratic Party due to the malaise of the late 70s
Logged
Thunderbird is the word
Zen Lunatic
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 3,021


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2015, 09:51:04 PM »

I don't think Carter's evangelical southern bubba persona played to well in the more secular minded Northeast as well.

True, but that doesn't explain why Vermont swung Democratic in 1980, or why Rhode Island barely swung Republican.

With Vermont I think it was part of the states gradual Democratic shift which wouldn't come to fruition until 92.
Logged
Pages: [1]  
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Terms of Service - DMCA Agent and Policy - Privacy Policy and Cookies

Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Page created in 0.026 seconds with 13 queries.