1984 United States presidential election in Oklahoma

The 1984 United States presidential election in Oklahoma took place on November 6, 1984. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1984 United States presidential election. Voters chose eight electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States.

1984 United States presidential election in Oklahoma

November 6, 1984
 
Nominee Ronald Reagan Walter Mondale
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California Minnesota
Running mate George H. W. Bush Geraldine Ferraro
Electoral vote 8 0
Popular vote 861,530 385,080
Percentage 68.61% 30.67%

County Results

President before election

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Elected President

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Oklahoma was won by incumbent United States President Ronald Reagan of California, who was running against former Vice President Walter Mondale of Minnesota. Reagan ran for a second time with former C.I.A. Director George H. W. Bush of Texas, and Mondale ran with Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York, the first major female candidate for the vice presidency. Reagan won all but three counties, and lost the three he did lose by a combined aggregate of only 381 votes.

Partisan background

The presidential election of 1984 was lopsidedly a two-party affair for Oklahoma, with over 99 percent of the electorate voting for either the Democratic or Republican parties, and only three parties qualifying for the ballot.[1] Nearly every county in Oklahoma voted in majority for the Republican candidate, a particularly strong turn out even in this typically archconservative state. This trend included Oklahoma City's Oklahoma County. Reagan did best in Texas County, and Mondale did best in Hughes County. The former Democratic stronghold in the Southeastern part of the state is evident in this election as only marginally Republican.

Oklahoma weighed in for this election as 10% more Republican than the national average.

Democratic platform

Walter Mondale accepted the Democratic nomination for presidency after pulling narrowly ahead of Senator Gary Hart of Colorado and Rev. Jesse Jackson of Illinois – his main contenders during what would be a very contentious[2] Democratic primary. During the primary campaign, Mondale was vocal about reduction of government spending, and, in particular, was vocal against heightened military spending on the nuclear arms race against the Soviet Union,[3] which was reaching its peak on both sides in the early 1980s.

Taking a (what was becoming the traditional liberal) stance on the social issues of the day, Mondale advocated for gun control, the right to choose regarding abortion, and strongly opposed the repeal of laws regarding institutionalized prayer in public schools. He also criticized Reagan for what he charged was his economic marginalization of the poor, stating that Reagan's reelection campaign was "a happy talk campaign," not focused on the real issues at hand.[4]

A very significant political move during this election: the Democratic Party nominated Representative Geraldine Ferraro to run with Mondale as Vice-President. Ferraro is the first female candidate to receive such a nomination in United States history. She said in an interview at the 1984 Democratic National Convention that this action "opened a door which will never be closed again,"[5] speaking to the role of women in politics.

Republican platform

Reagan challenging Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!," from the Brandenburg Gate in June, 1987. Reagan's firm stance with the Soviet Union was an important contributor to his 1984 reelection.

By 1984, Reagan was very popular with voters across the nation as the President who saw them out of the economic stagflation of the early and middle 1970's, and into a period of (relative) economic stability.[6]

The economic success seen under Reagan was politically accomplished (principally) in two ways. The first was initiation of deep tax cuts for the wealthy,[7] and the second was a wide-spectrum of tax cuts for crude oil production and refinement, namely, with the 1980 Windfall profits tax cuts.[8] These policies were augmented with a call for heightened military spending,[9] the cutting of social welfare programs for the poor,[10] and the increasing of taxes on those making less than $50,000 per year.[7] Collectively called "Reaganomics", these economic policies were established through several pieces of legislation passed between 1980 and 1987.

Some of these new policies also arguably curbed several existing tax loopholes, preferences, and exceptions, but Reaganomics is typically remembered for its trickle down effect of taxing poor Americans more than rich ones. Reaganomics has (along with legislation passed under presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton) been criticized by many analysts as "setting the stage" for economic troubles in the United States after 2007, such as the Great Recession.[11]

Virtually unopposed during the Republican primaries, Reagan ran on a campaign of furthering his economic policies. Reagan vowed to continue his "war on drugs," passing sweeping legislation after the 1984 election in support of mandatory minimum sentences for drug possession.[12] Furthermore, taking a (what was becoming the traditional conservative) stance on the social issues of the day, Reagan strongly opposed legislation regarding comprehension of gay marriage, abortion, and (to a lesser extent) environmentalism,[13] regarding the final as simply being bad for business.

Republican victory

Reagan won the election in Oklahoma with a resounding 38 point sweep-out landslide. While Oklahoma typically voted conservative at the time, the election results in Oklahoma are also reflective of a nationwide reconsolidation of base for the Republican Party which took place through the 1980s; called by Reagan the "second American Revolution."[6] This was most evident during the 1984 presidential election.

It is speculated that Mondale lost support with voters nearly immediately during the campaign, namely during his acceptance speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention. There he stated that he intended to increase taxes. To quote Mondale, "By the end of my first term, I will reduce the Reagan budget deficit by two thirds. Let's tell the truth. It must be done, it must be done. Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did."[4] Despite this claimed attempt at establishing truthfulness with the electorate, this claim to raise taxes badly eroded his chances in what had already begun as an uphill battle against the charismatic Ronald Reagan.

Reagan also enjoyed high levels of bipartisan support during the 1984 presidential election, both in Oklahoma, and across the nation at large. Many registered Democrats who voted for Reagan (Reagan Democrats) stated that they had chosen to do so because they associated him with the economic recovery, because of his strong stance on national security issues with Russia, and because they considered the Democrats as "supporting American poor and minorities at the expense of the middle class."[13] These public opinion factors contributed to Reagan's 1984 landslide victory, in Oklahoma and elsewhere.

Results

1984 United States presidential election in Oklahoma
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Ronald Reagan 861,530 68.61% 8
Democratic Walter Mondale 385,080 30.67% 0
Libertarian David Bergland 9,066 0.72% 0
Totals 1,255,676 100.0% 8
Voter turnout (Voting age/Registered Voters) 52%/64%

Results by county

County Ronald Wilson Reagan
Republican
Walter Fritz Mondale
Democratic
David Peter Bergland
Libertarian
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Adair 4,423 65.57% 2,266 33.60% 56 0.83% 2,157 31.98% 6,745
Alfalfa 2,715 75.25% 866 24.00% 27 0.75% 1,849 51.25% 3,608
Atoka 2,361 53.13% 2,047 46.06% 36 0.81% 314 7.07% 4,444
Beaver 2,689 82.69% 536 16.48% 27 0.83% 2,153 66.21% 3,252
Beckham 5,005 65.39% 2,601 33.98% 48 0.63% 2,404 31.41% 7,654
Blaine 4,037 72.69% 1,484 26.72% 33 0.59% 2,553 45.97% 5,554
Bryan 6,246 53.07% 5,475 46.52% 48 0.41% 771 6.55% 11,769
Caddo 6,811 60.06% 4,463 39.35% 67 0.59% 2,348 20.70% 11,341
Canadian 20,929 79.52% 5,245 19.93% 146 0.55% 15,684 59.59% 26,320
Carter 11,578 64.96% 6,161 34.57% 83 0.47% 5,417 30.40% 17,822
Cherokee 7,614 58.50% 5,307 40.78% 94 0.72% 2,307 17.73% 13,015
Choctaw 3,155 52.70% 2,801 46.78% 31 0.52% 354 5.91% 5,987
Cimarron 1,420 79.15% 359 20.01% 15 0.84% 1,061 59.14% 1,794
Cleveland 42,806 71.70% 16,512 27.66% 387 0.65% 26,294 44.04% 59,705
Coal 1,259 49.10% 1,284 50.08% 21 0.82% -25 -0.98% 2,564
Comanche 21,382 70.35% 8,890 29.25% 122 0.40% 12,492 41.10% 30,394
Cotton 1,796 58.31% 1,264 41.04% 20 0.65% 532 17.27% 3,080
Craig 3,629 58.63% 2,515 40.63% 46 0.74% 1,114 18.00% 6,190
Creek 15,011 66.34% 7,465 32.99% 152 0.67% 7,546 33.35% 22,628
Custer 8,191 74.87% 2,700 24.68% 49 0.45% 5,491 50.19% 10,940
Delaware 6,690 63.46% 3,789 35.94% 63 0.60% 2,901 27.52% 10,542
Dewey 2,098 75.55% 664 23.91% 15 0.54% 1,434 51.64% 2,777
Ellis 1,881 76.46% 562 22.85% 17 0.69% 1,319 53.62% 2,460
Garfield 19,642 76.92% 5,730 22.44% 162 0.63% 13,912 54.48% 25,534
Garvin 7,505 63.54% 4,215 35.69% 91 0.77% 3,290 27.86% 11,811
Grady 11,042 69.19% 4,846 30.36% 72 0.45% 6,196 38.82% 15,960
Grant 2,470 74.31% 825 24.82% 29 0.87% 1,645 49.49% 3,324
Greer 1,664 57.36% 1,220 42.05% 17 0.59% 444 15.31% 2,901
Harmon 1,009 55.90% 785 43.49% 11 0.61% 224 12.41% 1,805
Harper 1,748 81.45% 373 17.38% 25 1.16% 1,375 64.07% 2,146
Haskell 2,417 48.52% 2,535 50.89% 29 0.58% -118 -2.37% 4,981
Hughes 2,663 47.57% 2,901 51.82% 34 0.61% -238 -4.25% 5,598
Jackson 5,773 65.64% 2,996 34.06% 26 0.30% 2,777 31.57% 8,795
Jefferson 1,656 52.09% 1,496 47.06% 27 0.85% 160 5.03% 3,179
Johnston 2,195 54.36% 1,820 45.07% 23 0.57% 375 9.29% 4,038
Kay 16,731 73.03% 6,044 26.38% 136 0.59% 10,687 46.65% 22,911
Kingfisher 5,528 82.68% 1,125 16.83% 33 0.49% 4,403 65.85% 6,686
Kiowa 2,951 59.08% 2,016 40.36% 28 0.56% 935 18.72% 4,995
Latimer 2,210 53.90% 1,858 45.32% 32 0.78% 352 8.59% 4,100
Le Flore 8,604 58.54% 5,990 40.75% 104 0.71% 2,614 17.78% 14,698
Lincoln 8,088 72.29% 3,020 26.99% 81 0.72% 5,068 45.29% 11,189
Logan 8,356 69.76% 3,551 29.65% 71 0.59% 4,805 40.12% 11,978
Love 1,833 57.12% 1,359 42.35% 17 0.53% 474 14.77% 3,209
McClain 6,056 69.83% 2,549 29.39% 67 0.77% 3,507 40.44% 8,672
McCurtain 6,381 61.26% 3,994 38.34% 41 0.39% 2,387 22.92% 10,416
McIntosh 3,646 50.89% 3,479 48.56% 40 0.56% 167 2.33% 7,165
Major 3,385 83.89% 619 15.34% 31 0.77% 2,766 68.55% 4,035
Marshall 2,488 54.56% 2,039 44.71% 33 0.72% 449 9.85% 4,560
Mayes 8,585 62.04% 5,154 37.25% 99 0.72% 3,431 24.79% 13,838
Murray 3,073 57.47% 2,229 41.69% 45 0.84% 844 15.78% 5,347
Muskogee 14,652 53.90% 12,343 45.41% 188 0.69% 2,309 8.49% 27,183
Noble 4,018 76.11% 1,238 23.45% 23 0.44% 2,780 52.66% 5,279
Nowata 3,030 63.64% 1,687 35.43% 44 0.92% 1,343 28.21% 4,761
Okfuskee 2,443 58.94% 1,684 40.63% 18 0.43% 759 18.31% 4,145
Oklahoma 159,974 71.65% 60,235 26.98% 3,052 1.37% 99,739 44.67% 223,261
Okmulgee 8,704 53.76% 7,380 45.59% 105 0.65% 1,324 8.18% 16,189
Osage 10,083 62.02% 6,095 37.49% 79 0.49% 3,988 24.53% 16,257
Ottawa 7,666 56.76% 5,781 42.81% 58 0.43% 1,885 13.96% 13,505
Pawnee 4,699 67.83% 2,165 31.25% 64 0.92% 2,534 36.58% 6,928
Payne 20,811 72.64% 7,653 26.71% 184 0.64% 13,158 45.93% 28,648
Pittsburg 9,778 58.34% 6,860 40.93% 122 0.73% 2,918 17.41% 16,760
Pontotoc 8,301 59.69% 5,526 39.74% 80 0.58% 2,775 19.95% 13,907
Pottawatomie 16,143 69.40% 6,966 29.95% 152 0.65% 9,177 39.45% 23,261
Pushmataha 2,499 54.16% 2,079 45.06% 36 0.78% 420 9.10% 4,614
Roger Mills 1,550 69.10% 680 30.32% 13 0.58% 870 38.79% 2,243
Rogers 16,137 72.40% 6,013 26.98% 138 0.62% 10,124 45.42% 22,288
Seminole 6,009 59.91% 3,957 39.45% 64 0.64% 2,052 20.46% 10,030
Sequoyah 7,042 62.32% 4,202 37.19% 56 0.50% 2,840 25.13% 11,300
Stephens 12,871 66.58% 6,359 32.89% 103 0.53% 6,512 33.68% 19,333
Texas 5,968 84.78% 1,033 14.68% 38 0.54% 4,935 70.11% 7,039
Tillman 2,637 60.96% 1,674 38.70% 15 0.35% 963 22.26% 4,326
Tulsa 159,549 72.90% 58,274 26.62% 1,049 0.48% 101,275 46.27% 218,872
Wagoner 12,534 69.97% 5,271 29.43% 108 0.60% 7,263 40.55% 17,913
Washington 19,043 77.20% 5,476 22.20% 148 0.60% 13,567 55.00% 24,667
Washita 3,847 70.85% 1,547 28.49% 36 0.66% 2,300 42.36% 5,430
Woods 3,741 74.55% 1,231 24.53% 46 0.92% 2,510 50.02% 5,018
Woodward 6,376 79.08% 1,647 20.43% 40 0.50% 4,729 58.65% 8,063
Totals861,53068.61%385,08030.67%9,0660.72%476,45037.94%1,255,676

Slates of Electors

Democrat: Carl Albert, Margaret Watson, Dorris Nash, Doris Montgomery, James W. Brown, Edna Mae Phelps, Ed Edmondson, Robert M. Kerr

Republican: Carolyn Branham, Joe Coleman, Ricky Farmer, Larry Lahman, Stuart Meltzer, Luke Reid, Maria Mendez, Mary Helen Swanson

Libertarian: Loren L. Baker, Constance F. Hill, Clare A. Mendus, Thomas J. Laurent III, Andrea Bross, Brian Holk, Monte L. Fruits, Brenda Bromiley[14]

See also

References

  1. "1984 Presidential General Election Results – Oklahoma". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  2. Kurt Andersen, "A Wild Ride to the End", Time, May 28, 1984
  3. Trying to Win the Peace, by Even Thomas, Time, July 2, 1984
  4. Mondale's Acceptance Speech, 1984, AllPolitics
  5. Martin, Douglas (2011-03-27). "Geraldine A. Ferraro, First Woman on Major Party Ticket, Dies at 75". The New York Times. pp. A1. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  6. Raines, Howell (November 7, 1984). "Reagan Wins By a Landslide, Sweeping at Least 48 States; G.O.P. Gains Strength in House". The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  7. "U.S. Federal Individual Income Tax Rates History, 1913–2011 (Nominal and Inflation-Adjusted Brackets)". Tax Foundation. September 9, 2011. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  8. Joseph J. Thorndike (Nov 10, 2005). "Historical Perspective: The Windfall Profit Tax". Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  9. Historical tables, Budget of the United States Government Archived 2012-04-17 at the Wayback Machine, 2013, table 6.1.
  10. Niskanen, William A. (1992). "Reaganomics". In David R. Henderson (ed.). Concise Encyclopedia of Economics (1st ed.). Library of Economics and Liberty. OCLC 317650570, 50016270, 163149563
  11. Jerry Lanson (2008-11-06). "A historic victory. A changed nation. Now, can Obama deliver?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  12. Alexander, Michelle (2010). The New Jim Crow. New York: The New Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-1595581037.
  13. Prendergast, William B. (1999). The Catholic vote in American politics. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press. pp. 186, 191–193. ISBN 0-87840-724-3.
  14. https://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/1984_RESULTS.pdf
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