Election Wrap-Up: What Happened

WHAT HAPPENED

One thing about this election that is worth remembering is how often the gurus and pundits were wrong. The eminence noire of gurus, Richard Nixon, predicted at one time that Bob Dole would defeat George Bush and that Mario Cuomo would be the Democratic nominee. After Michael Dukakis’s triumph in Atlanta, his unexpectedly eloquent acceptance speech, and his 17-to 18-point lead in the polls, the media were already writing off Bush’s chances. Compared to Ronald Reagan, he suffered from a “stature gap.” On many occasions, wise heads nodded in agreement with the forecast that whoever won, it would surely be a very close election. The final insult to our intelligence came, as it always does, on election day itself, with early reports that turnout was surprisingly heavy; in fact, for the first time in forty years, turnout fell below 50 per cent of the voting-age population.

HT

About the Author

Humphrey Taylor

WHAT HAPPENED

One thing about this election that is worth remembering is how often the gurus and pundits were wrong. The eminence noire of gurus, Richard Nixon, predicted at one time that Bob Dole would defeat George Bush and that Mario Cuomo would be the Democratic nominee. After Michael Dukakis’s triumph in Atlanta, his unexpectedly eloquent acceptance speech, and his 17-to 18-point lead in the polls, the media were already writing off Bush’s chances. Compared to Ronald Reagan, he suffered from a “stature gap.” On many occasions, wise heads nodded in agreement with the forecast that whoever won, it would surely be a very close election. The final insult to our intelligence came, as it always does, on election day itself, with early reports that turnout was surprisingly heavy; in fact, for the first time in forty years, turnout fell below 50 per cent of the voting-age population.