don rumsfeld/phil crane vs dale bumpers/al gore 1988

[WalterMitty]

former sec of defense of chief of staff to president ford, don rumsfeld is successful in his long sot bid for the republican nomination.  he chooses conservative fire-brand and former presidential candidate rep. phil crane of illinois as his running mate.

on te democrat side, old style southern populist senator dale bumpers of arkansas wins the nomination.  he picks a fellow southerner, young senator al gore as his running mate, in an effort to help break the southern electoral lock the republicans hold.

maps + discussion please.

extra credit question:  what do rumsfeld and crane have in common?

[Lincoln Republican]

Dale Bumpers was well respected, and came to the campaign as experienced and capable, with a good record, both as Governor and as Senator.  The Bumpers/Gore ticket are able to make modest inroads into the south, winning West Virginia, Bumper's home state of Arkansas, and Gore's home state of Tennessee.  This ticket is able to win traditionally Democratic states in the northeast, the upper midwest, central, and the west coast.

The Rumsfeld/Crane ticket wins in traditionally Republican areas, doing very well in the south, midwest, plains, southwest, and mountain states.

Because of the modest breakthrough the Bumpers/Gore ticket was able to make in the south, combined with winning swing states in Maine, Pennsylvania, Michigan, they are able to carve out a narrow win.   

Bumpers/Gore          273
Rumsfeld/Crane        265



Rumsfeld and Crane were both born in Illinois, however, I'm sure there must be something else besides this they have in common.

[WalterMitty]

the bumpers/gore ticket makes tremendous inroads in the south, despite president ronald reagan doing a large amount of campaigning for rumsfeld.

the democrats also make gains in the midwest and high plains due to the ongoing farm crisis.

rumsfeld/crane achieve a razor thin victory.  the 1,800 margin of victory in illinois puts them over the top.



rumsfeld/crane: 50.3% 271 EVs
bumpers/gore:  49.2% 267 EVs

by the way, rumsfeld and crane represented the same congressional district in illinois. crane took over for rumsfeld when he left congress in 1969 to go work for the nixon administration.

[Lincoln Republican]

Interesting to see we agree the victory, for either side, would be very narrow.   

Interesting fact about the congressional district.

However, what state would Rumsfeld be running for President from, since both the Presidential candidate and the Vice Presidential candidate, in order to win all the electoral votes of the state, are not to be from the same state?

[WalterMitty]

Interesting to see we agree the victory, for either side, would be very narrow.   

Interesting fact about the congressional district.

However, what state would Rumsfeld be running for President from, since both the Presidential candidate and the Vice Presidential candidate, in order to win all the electoral votes of the state, are not to be from the same state?

rumsfeld would have been a resident of virginia, since he had been working in washington on and off for two decades.