WI: Mondale lost Minnesota?

Keep in mind that Mondale only won Minnesota by 5000 votes, so it could had easily gone to Reagan. What if Mondale had lost Minnesota? How would the Democrats react to such a crushing loss?
 
Maybe has the party have a rethink concerning 1988 and the platform the year. IIRC I remember seeing an episode of Firing Line with two lower level Democrats who proposed the party nominate a Southerner who was more conservative all around on FoPo, defence, socially and on economic questions. Maybe that might come of something if it is a complete whitewash in '84 (minus DC of course.)
 
It would butterfly away one of my favorite political jokes of that era, from Mad Magazine.

A reporter is interviewing a right-wing senator, modelled on Jesse Helms.

SENATOR: The liberal media is turning the public against our beloved president, Ronald Reagan.

REPORTER: But he just won a huge majority.

SENATOR: Yeah, but some brainwashed people actually voted against him. He even lost one state!
 
Well, I'd assume Mondale wins DC, still, so the joke still works. I think maybe Gary Hart will be nominated in 1988, perhaps. They might want to try the New Democrats out.
 
Maybe has the party have a rethink concerning 1988 and the platform the year.

They did have a rethink of the party platform IOTL, and that's why they nominated Michael Dukakis, a pragmatic governor. However, Dukakis' unabashed opposition to execution was in stark opposition to the public mood, and then there are all of his other problems.

It may lead to the Democrats moderating even further in 1988; not to the point of 1992, but more than OTL 1988.

I think maybe Gary Hart will be nominated in 1988, perhaps.

He would have likely been nominated in 1988 IOTL if not for Donna Rice. If it still comes out, he's done.
 

Minty_Fresh

Banned
You'd probably have jokes about how out of touch DC is with the rest of the country, being the only ones who voted for Mondale.
 
It wouldn't make that much of a difference, beyond making Mondale more miserable (even McGovern won a state) and giving Reagan an ego-boost. Losing 49 states vs 50 states is pretty much only bragging rights - the Democrats are going to change course anyway (as they did with Dukakis, then Clinton).
 
What if Mondale had lost Minnesota? How would the Democrats react to such a crushing loss?

Because losing 49 out of 50 states isn't crushing enough?

It would just be a minor historical footnote. "Reagan was the first president since Monroe to sweep every state, if not every electoral vote."
 
Keep in mind that Mondale only won Minnesota by 5000 votes, so it could had easily gone to Reagan. What if Mondale had lost Minnesota? How would the Democrats react to such a crushing loss?
535-3 in the Electoral College. They still do a little better with a Massachusetts governor in 1988, then win with a centrist Democrat in 1992.
 
Huddleston lost in 1984, so he's out of the picture. Unless he somehow manages to hold on, butterflying away Bitch McTurtle (thanks dw93).
 
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