1988 United States presidential election in Hawaii

The 1988 United States presidential election in Hawaii took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Hawaii voters chose 4 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

1988 United States presidential election in Hawaii

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 4 0
Popular vote 192,364 158,625
Percentage 54.27% 44.75%

County Results
Dukakis
  50-60%


President before election

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Elected President

George H. W. Bush
Republican

Hawaii 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.

Hawaii weighed in for this election as 17% more Democratic than the national average.

Partisan background

The presidential election of 1988 was a very partisan election for Hawaii, with 99% of the electorate voting for either the Democratic or Republican parties.[1] All four of the Hawaiian island districts voted in majority for Dukakis.

Republican national victory

Dukakis won the election in Hawaii with a solid 10 point landslide. The election results in Hawaii stand out from most in the United States during this election. The nationwide electoral results are largely reflective of a nationwide political 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 1980s 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 socially liberal platform, 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. 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 States after 2007, such as the Great Recession.[3]

Results

1988 United States presidential election in Hawaii
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Michael Dukakis 192,364 54.27% 4
Republican George H. W. Bush 158,625 44.75% 0
Libertarian Ron Paul 1,999 0.56% 0
New Alliance Lenora Fulani 1,003 0.28% 0
Democrats for Economic Recovery Lyndon LaRouche 470 0.13% 0
Totals 354,461 100.0% 4

See also

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.
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