alternatehistory.com
Super Tuesday 1988
March 8th, 1988
"Today is the day that the various campaigns in this tumultuous election cycle have been pushing towards for the last many months - Southern Super Tuesday. The primaries on this all-important Tuesday are primarily in the Deep South, with a couple others taking place in the Northeast.
For the Republicans, the battle will be between Vice President Bush and Senator Quayle. Polls show a tight race in many of the states polling today, with Bob Dole and Pete Du Pont far behind the two frontrunners.
The Democrats will see tight contests between favorite Gary Hart and Jesse Jackson. Jackson has the more natural advantage in the South, but Hart has come on strong due to the endorsements of many Southerners, including Senator Dale Bumpers as well as recent primary dropout Al Gore, who announced his backing of Hart yesterday in Tennessee.
By this time tomorrow, the field in both parties will be much, much clearer..."
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A.P. Press Release
The Associated Press can now call the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts for Gary Hart for the Democrats and George H.W. Bush for the Republicans.
Neither result is a surprise for either party; both Hart and Bush have dominated the Northeast primaries early in the race. In both Republican contests, Pete Du Pont was the second place finisher - Du Pont continues an impressive stretch for a campaign that had seemingly failed to launch early in the race.
These two primaries were the least interesting of the night - the rest of the evening should be much closer.
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"Two for two! Not a bad start!" Gary Hart was set up in his home in Aspen, Colorado - his private study had been turned into a "war room" of sorts, with maps and papers and phones spread around. Both of the Northeastern states had just fallen into his column, and he was feeling triumphant.
"Gary, we've got some even better news coming in from the South!"
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A.P. Press Release
Two more states have been called, and they are encouraging news for the Hart campaign. Tennessee and Maryland are earlier than expected calls for Hart, in states expected to be close with Jesse Jackson.
In Tennessee, the difference appears to be Senator Gore's endorsement of Hart. Polling previous to the announcement called for a dead heat between Hart and Jackson, and yet it has been called early. Hart was favored in Maryland, but the margin of victory appears convincing for his support among the border state voters.
For the Republicans, Tennessee and Maryland have both gone to Vice President Bush. The victories in Tennessee are similar for both parties; just like Gore's support of Hart, Bush was campaigned for by native son and White House Chief of Staff Howard Baker.The significance of the two calls is more discouraging to the Quayle campaign than anyone else - they need to be competitive in the South if they have any hope of winning the nomination.
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"Damn Al Gore, I thought us Southerners were going to stick together this time! How are things looking in Florida?"
"It's tight. It's going to come down to the wire, Jesse. You're looking real good in all the other Southern states so far."
"Even Arkansas? That would truly be a miracle." Jackson wasn't nearly as mad at Bumpers for turning Arksansas against him as he was at Gore. Bumpers was simply positioning himself to shoot for the Vice Presidency - Gore had done what he had for no clear reason, as far as Jackson could see.
"We haven't heard a thing from there yet. It's going to be a long night..."
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A.P. Press Release
Two more states have now been called, and this time it is better news for the underdog candidates.
The state of Virginia has just been called for Jesse Jackson for the Democratic Party. For Jackson, who is relying heavily upon the South for delegates, this was a must win. In the same state, Vice President Bush has picked up another key victory. Despite the presence of Reverand Jerry Falwell in the state for the Quayle campaign, Bush still managed to pull out the victory.
The state of Georgia can now be called for both parties as well. Jesse Jackson has won the state for the Democrats, while Senator Dan Quayle has taken the state over George Bush.
Still out in the Southeastern block of states are Florida, where Jesse Jackson and Gary Hart are in an extremely tight contest, and also North Carolina, which is tight for both parties.
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"I campaigned so hard for Dan, I don't understand how God could've allowed this..."
"Mr. Falwell, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but..."
"Out with it, son!"
"Some in the campaign think that you actually harmed Senator Quayle's candidacy in the state..."
"Well, if that's what they think... I won't be making any more appearances!"
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A.P. Press Release
With results rolling in from the central time zone states, two can be called early.
In Arkansas, the winners are Gary Hart and Dan Quayle. Neither are big surprises - Hart's candidacy was propelled by the endorsement of Senator Dale Bumpers, and Quayle was favored throughout.
Also, in the state of Mississippi, Jesse Jackson and Dan Quayle prevail. Both were heavily favored in the state.
Florida and North Carolina remain uncalled.
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"Senator Bumpers, Arkansas has just been called for Hart!"
"I'm glad! Now, let's hope Hart remembers who won him the South when he goes to pick his VP..."
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A.P. Press Release
The Associated Press can now make calls in the states of Florida and North Carolina.
In the state of Florida, where both parties seemed to be locked in tight elections, Gary Hart and Bob Dole are victorious. For Hart, the win in Florida puts him in the definitive front runner position at this point. The Dole victory in the Sunshine State will likely keep the campaign afloat.
Gary Hart and Dan Quayle are the winners in the North Carolina primaries. Another state predicted to be tight between Hart and Jesse Jackson has swung its' allegiance to the former Senator from Colorado. The win in North Carolina is big for the Qualye campaign after dropping Virginia to Vice President Bush.
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"Atwater, the parallels are disturbing..."
"What're you on about now?"
"Reagan's candidacy in '76. He was dead in the water and that bastard Helms got him the win in North Carolina. And now, here comes sthat hick Quayle, picking up a win in North Carolina..."
"George, you've gotta stop with this. Reagan is an idea man, Quayle is a puppet. It just isn't the same..."
"Tell that to the voters, Atwater."
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A.P. Press Release
A number of states can now be called.
In Alabama, Senator Quayle and Jesse Jackson will win for their respective parties. Similar to the electorate in Mississippi, this state is not a surprise on either front.
Just like in Alabama, Louisiana will go to Quayle and Jackson. The Deep South has followed a clear pattern this evening.
In Kentucky, a Southern state with a different voting pattern than that of Alabama and Louisiana, Lee Iacocca will pick up a much needed win, while Bob Dole will score a surprise victory. It appears that in both cases vote splitting from the two leading candidates tonight has resulted in a victory for the underdog candidates.
In the state of Oklahoma, Lee Iacocca picks up another victory while Dan Quayle returns to the winning column.
In our first one-party primary of the night, in Texas, the winner of the Democratic caucus there is Gary Hart. This is a significant victory for the frontrunner.
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"Finally, a couple victories! Oklahoma and Kentucky are the only states tonight that have any sense at all."
"Kentucky is a big win for us, sir. It's a good sign of things to come in the Rust Belt."
"And I'm assuming that Missouri is going to fall in our camp as well?"
"Well......"
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A.P. Press Release
There is a surprising winner in the Missouri primary. For the Democrats, the state has cast his votes for Illinois Senator Paul Simon. On the Republican side, Dan Quayle scores another win.
Missouri was the final Super Tuesday state in the central time zone. Up next are the western states.
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"Pat, what happened in Missouri? I thought we had Gephardt's endorsement?"
"We did sir, and that seems to be the problem. The way Gephardt conducted himself after Senator Harkin refused to endorse him - it leaked out. A lot of people in Missouri see him as petty, or so says our ground game there."
"Hm. Well, in any case, let's make sure that Gephardt gets 'too busy in Washington' and can't make any more campaign appearances in the Midwest, alright?"
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A.P. Press Release
We can now call our Western states this evening.
No surprise in the Democratic caucuses in Idaho, where Lee Iacocca continued his dominance over the rural Western states. Iacocca has won the state by a significant margin.
In Washington state, both Gary Hart and George Bush scored close victories. Reports from the state say that turnout was especially high in King County, in which Seattle is located.
Finally, the winner in the Nevada Democratic caucus is Gary Hart. The last remaining state on tonight's slate is Hawaii, which will be reported upon as soon as returns are recorded.
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A.P. Press Release
For the final time on Super Tuesday, there can be an official call made.
The winner in the Hawaii Democratic Caucus is Jesse Jackson. This is Jackson's first win outside of the South in this primary cycle.
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(Author's Note: In lieu of a delegate count (which I promise will be out soon), here are some maps to give you a better account of the primary race up until now. Sorry for the horrible MS Paint job) (REALLY IMPORTANT NOTE: Hart did not win Ohio, as denoted on the map. That primary has yet to happen)
"Today is the day that the various campaigns in this tumultuous election cycle have been pushing towards for the last many months - Southern Super Tuesday. The primaries on this all-important Tuesday are primarily in the Deep South, with a couple others taking place in the Northeast.
For the Republicans, the battle will be between Vice President Bush and Senator Quayle. Polls show a tight race in many of the states polling today, with Bob Dole and Pete Du Pont far behind the two frontrunners.
The Democrats will see tight contests between favorite Gary Hart and Jesse Jackson. Jackson has the more natural advantage in the South, but Hart has come on strong due to the endorsements of many Southerners, including Senator Dale Bumpers as well as recent primary dropout Al Gore, who announced his backing of Hart yesterday in Tennessee.
By this time tomorrow, the field in both parties will be much, much clearer..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.P. Press Release
The Associated Press can now call the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts for Gary Hart for the Democrats and George H.W. Bush for the Republicans.
Neither result is a surprise for either party; both Hart and Bush have dominated the Northeast primaries early in the race. In both Republican contests, Pete Du Pont was the second place finisher - Du Pont continues an impressive stretch for a campaign that had seemingly failed to launch early in the race.
These two primaries were the least interesting of the night - the rest of the evening should be much closer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Two for two! Not a bad start!" Gary Hart was set up in his home in Aspen, Colorado - his private study had been turned into a "war room" of sorts, with maps and papers and phones spread around. Both of the Northeastern states had just fallen into his column, and he was feeling triumphant.
"Gary, we've got some even better news coming in from the South!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.P. Press Release
Two more states have been called, and they are encouraging news for the Hart campaign. Tennessee and Maryland are earlier than expected calls for Hart, in states expected to be close with Jesse Jackson.
In Tennessee, the difference appears to be Senator Gore's endorsement of Hart. Polling previous to the announcement called for a dead heat between Hart and Jackson, and yet it has been called early. Hart was favored in Maryland, but the margin of victory appears convincing for his support among the border state voters.
For the Republicans, Tennessee and Maryland have both gone to Vice President Bush. The victories in Tennessee are similar for both parties; just like Gore's support of Hart, Bush was campaigned for by native son and White House Chief of Staff Howard Baker.The significance of the two calls is more discouraging to the Quayle campaign than anyone else - they need to be competitive in the South if they have any hope of winning the nomination.
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"Damn Al Gore, I thought us Southerners were going to stick together this time! How are things looking in Florida?"
"It's tight. It's going to come down to the wire, Jesse. You're looking real good in all the other Southern states so far."
"Even Arkansas? That would truly be a miracle." Jackson wasn't nearly as mad at Bumpers for turning Arksansas against him as he was at Gore. Bumpers was simply positioning himself to shoot for the Vice Presidency - Gore had done what he had for no clear reason, as far as Jackson could see.
"We haven't heard a thing from there yet. It's going to be a long night..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.P. Press Release
Two more states have now been called, and this time it is better news for the underdog candidates.
The state of Virginia has just been called for Jesse Jackson for the Democratic Party. For Jackson, who is relying heavily upon the South for delegates, this was a must win. In the same state, Vice President Bush has picked up another key victory. Despite the presence of Reverand Jerry Falwell in the state for the Quayle campaign, Bush still managed to pull out the victory.
The state of Georgia can now be called for both parties as well. Jesse Jackson has won the state for the Democrats, while Senator Dan Quayle has taken the state over George Bush.
Still out in the Southeastern block of states are Florida, where Jesse Jackson and Gary Hart are in an extremely tight contest, and also North Carolina, which is tight for both parties.
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"I campaigned so hard for Dan, I don't understand how God could've allowed this..."
"Mr. Falwell, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but..."
"Out with it, son!"
"Some in the campaign think that you actually harmed Senator Quayle's candidacy in the state..."
"Well, if that's what they think... I won't be making any more appearances!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.P. Press Release
With results rolling in from the central time zone states, two can be called early.
In Arkansas, the winners are Gary Hart and Dan Quayle. Neither are big surprises - Hart's candidacy was propelled by the endorsement of Senator Dale Bumpers, and Quayle was favored throughout.
Also, in the state of Mississippi, Jesse Jackson and Dan Quayle prevail. Both were heavily favored in the state.
Florida and North Carolina remain uncalled.
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"Senator Bumpers, Arkansas has just been called for Hart!"
"I'm glad! Now, let's hope Hart remembers who won him the South when he goes to pick his VP..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.P. Press Release
The Associated Press can now make calls in the states of Florida and North Carolina.
In the state of Florida, where both parties seemed to be locked in tight elections, Gary Hart and Bob Dole are victorious. For Hart, the win in Florida puts him in the definitive front runner position at this point. The Dole victory in the Sunshine State will likely keep the campaign afloat.
Gary Hart and Dan Quayle are the winners in the North Carolina primaries. Another state predicted to be tight between Hart and Jesse Jackson has swung its' allegiance to the former Senator from Colorado. The win in North Carolina is big for the Qualye campaign after dropping Virginia to Vice President Bush.
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"Atwater, the parallels are disturbing..."
"What're you on about now?"
"Reagan's candidacy in '76. He was dead in the water and that bastard Helms got him the win in North Carolina. And now, here comes sthat hick Quayle, picking up a win in North Carolina..."
"George, you've gotta stop with this. Reagan is an idea man, Quayle is a puppet. It just isn't the same..."
"Tell that to the voters, Atwater."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.P. Press Release
A number of states can now be called.
In Alabama, Senator Quayle and Jesse Jackson will win for their respective parties. Similar to the electorate in Mississippi, this state is not a surprise on either front.
Just like in Alabama, Louisiana will go to Quayle and Jackson. The Deep South has followed a clear pattern this evening.
In Kentucky, a Southern state with a different voting pattern than that of Alabama and Louisiana, Lee Iacocca will pick up a much needed win, while Bob Dole will score a surprise victory. It appears that in both cases vote splitting from the two leading candidates tonight has resulted in a victory for the underdog candidates.
In the state of Oklahoma, Lee Iacocca picks up another victory while Dan Quayle returns to the winning column.
In our first one-party primary of the night, in Texas, the winner of the Democratic caucus there is Gary Hart. This is a significant victory for the frontrunner.
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"Finally, a couple victories! Oklahoma and Kentucky are the only states tonight that have any sense at all."
"Kentucky is a big win for us, sir. It's a good sign of things to come in the Rust Belt."
"And I'm assuming that Missouri is going to fall in our camp as well?"
"Well......"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.P. Press Release
There is a surprising winner in the Missouri primary. For the Democrats, the state has cast his votes for Illinois Senator Paul Simon. On the Republican side, Dan Quayle scores another win.
Missouri was the final Super Tuesday state in the central time zone. Up next are the western states.
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"Pat, what happened in Missouri? I thought we had Gephardt's endorsement?"
"We did sir, and that seems to be the problem. The way Gephardt conducted himself after Senator Harkin refused to endorse him - it leaked out. A lot of people in Missouri see him as petty, or so says our ground game there."
"Hm. Well, in any case, let's make sure that Gephardt gets 'too busy in Washington' and can't make any more campaign appearances in the Midwest, alright?"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.P. Press Release
We can now call our Western states this evening.
No surprise in the Democratic caucuses in Idaho, where Lee Iacocca continued his dominance over the rural Western states. Iacocca has won the state by a significant margin.
In Washington state, both Gary Hart and George Bush scored close victories. Reports from the state say that turnout was especially high in King County, in which Seattle is located.
Finally, the winner in the Nevada Democratic caucus is Gary Hart. The last remaining state on tonight's slate is Hawaii, which will be reported upon as soon as returns are recorded.
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A.P. Press Release
For the final time on Super Tuesday, there can be an official call made.
The winner in the Hawaii Democratic Caucus is Jesse Jackson. This is Jackson's first win outside of the South in this primary cycle.
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(Author's Note: In lieu of a delegate count (which I promise will be out soon), here are some maps to give you a better account of the primary race up until now. Sorry for the horrible MS Paint job) (REALLY IMPORTANT NOTE: Hart did not win Ohio, as denoted on the map. That primary has yet to happen)
1988 Democratic Primaries (Through March 8th)
1988 Republican Primaries (Through March 8th)
1988 Republican Primaries (Through March 8th)
- Meyer London
- Word Count: 1.7k