|
Title: Arkansas 1980 Post by: MT Treasurer on September 15, 2017, 06:13:37 PM Why did Carter lose the state in 1980 after winning it by 30 points in 1976? The swing toward the Republicans there was insane, especially when you compare it with how the rest of the South "trended" in 1980:
() I guess AR was much more elastic than MS, AL, etc. even back then (for obvious reasons), but it is nonetheless interesting. Carter's support among AR Whites collapsed in a way it didn't in some other Southern states. Any ideas? Title: Re: Arkansas 1980 Post by: Fuzzybigfoot on September 15, 2017, 06:16:41 PM Hold on, let me get my Almanac...
Title: Re: Arkansas 1980 Post by: Fuzzybigfoot on September 15, 2017, 06:27:30 PM It says in the 1982 Almanac of American Politics that Fort Chaffee ("near port Smith") was a major entree point for Cuban refugees. According to the book, the locals were upset over the rumors that all the refugees were criminals and/or homoxexuals (I'm not making this up, I swear), for which Democrats suffered across the board.
This is the only solid item I could find. Other than that, the book says that Carter's loss in Arkansas, coinciding with Bill Clinton's loss in the gubernatorial race, was very unexpected. The Cuban refugee issue must have had more effect across the state than most realized; the economy and Reagan's religious roots probably played a large part as well. :P |