United States presidential election in Wisconsin, 1988

United States presidential election in Wisconsin, 1988

November 8, 1988

Nominee Michael Dukakis George H. W. Bush Party Democratic Republican Home state Massachusetts Texas Running mate Lloyd Bentsen Dan Quayle Electoral vote 11 0 Popular vote 1,126,794 1,047,499 Percentage 51.41% 47.80%

County Results   Dukakis—70-80%   Dukakis—60-70%   Dukakis—50-60%   Bush—50-60%   Bush—60-70%   Bush—70-80%

President before election Ronald Reagan Republican Elected President George H. W. Bush Republican

The 1988 United States presidential election in Wisconsin took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Wisconsin voters chose 11 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the President and Vice President.

Wisconsin was won by Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis who was running against incumbent United States Vice President George H. W. Bush of Texas. Dukakis ran with Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen as Vice President, and Bush ran with Indiana Senator Dan Quayle.

Wisconsin weighed in for this election as 4% more Democratic than the national average.

Partisan background

The presidential election of 1988 was a very partisan election for Wisconsin, with over 99% of the electorate voting for either the Republican or Democratic parties.^[1]

Republican national victory

Bush's largely socially conservative rhetoric garnered him much support among social-conservatives nationwide. Seen here at campaign rally in Omaha, Nebraska.

Dukakis won the election in Wisconsin with a 4 point margin. The state has consistently voted for the Democratic Party ever since, with the last time a Republican winning the state being Reagan's landslide victory in 1984. The narrow election results in the rapidly liberalizing state of Wisconsin are reflective of a nationwide reconsolidation of base for the Republican Party, which took place through the 1980s. Through the passage of some very controversial economic programs, spearheaded by then President Ronald Reagan (called, collectively, "Reaganomics"), the mid-to-late 1980's saw a period of economic growth and stability. The hallmark for Reaganomics was, in part, the wide-scale deregulation of corporate interests, and tax cuts for the wealthy.^[2]

Dukakis ran his campaign on a notably socially liberal agenda, and advocated for higher economic regulation and environmental protection. Bush, alternatively, ran on a campaign of continuing the social and economic policies of former President Reagan - which gained him much support with social conservatives and people living in rural areas, who largely associated the Republican Party with the economic growth of the 1980s. Additionally, while the economic programs passed under Reagan, and furthered under Bush and Clinton, may have boosted the economy for a brief period, they are criticized by many analysts as "setting the stage" for economic troubles in the United State after 2007, such as the Great Recession.^[3]

Results

United States presidential election in Wisconsin, 1988
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Michael Stanley Dukakis	1,126,794	51.41%	11
	Republican	George Herbert Walker Bush	1,047,499	47.80%	0
	Libertarian	Ron Paul	5,157	0.56%	0
	America First	David Duke	3,056	0.14%	0
	Socialist Workers Party	James Warren	2,574	0.12%	0
	Democrats for Economic Recovery	Lyndon LaRouche	2,302	0.11%	0
	Write-Ins		2,273	0.10%	0
	New Alliance Party	Lenora Fulani	1,953	0.09%	0
Totals			2,191,608	100.0%	11

See also

• Gulf War
• Presidency of George H. W. Bush

References

1. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
2. "Since 1980s, the Kindest of Tax Cuts for the Rich". The New York Times. 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
3. Jerry Lanson (2008-11-06). "A historic victory. A changed nation. Now, can Obama deliver?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2013-07-21.