Into The Carterverse
Iowa
Just before the end of 1983 the republican party sponsored a straw poll as there was in 1979 to tell the possible levels of support for the republican candidates, The poll revealed something shocking.
Televangelist Pat Robertson had garnered enough grassroots support with his highly religious rhetoric won the straw poll based off his heavy in person campaigning. His style of campaign was extremely unusual for the time due to how outwardly religious his rhetoric was.
"I want a time in America where husbands love their wives and wives love their husbands. And when men and women together raise law-abiding god-fearing children as citizens of the greatest nation on earth"
- Pat Robertson, 13th January 1984
Jack Kemp embodied classic conservatism with socially libertarian values by supporting Women, Minorities and Workers. This proved to be a popular coalition which allowed his support to grow. This clashed with Robertson's Christian Conservative wing but with a growing socially progressive wing due to embracing the ERA by key senators such as Millicent Fenwick and Muriel Siebert this was also a strength for Kemp.
No Such similar poll was taken for the Democratic Party but because of Mondale's upbringing on the border of Minnesota and Iowa alongside the image of Mondale being a Midwestern candidate it was assumed he was going to do well, with Glenn's support declining to McGovern and Jackson it was a race for Glenn to place well in Iowa to keep his campaign alive, Gary Hart also did some major campaigning focusing on Iowa instead of New Hampshire where Jackson was doing minor campaigning. Fritz Hollings was pre-occupied in the south and did not visit Iowa.
Two polls by the Des Moines register with a small polling sample attempted to paint a picture of the Night to come
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY
MONDALE 40%
GLENN 22%
McGOVERN 20%
JACKSON 12%
HART 5%
HOLLINGS 1%
UNCOMITTED 5%
MONDALE +18
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY
BAKER 35%
KEMP 35%
DOLE 25%
ROBERTSON 18%
DU PONT 7%
BAKER KEMP TIE
CARTER APPROVAL
APPROVE 60%
DISAPROVE 37%
APPROVE +32
Both Caucuses were on the 20th of February and as voters gathered into precincts to announce their vote the news networks were along for the ride to get a glimpse of presidential politics after Carter
CBS COVERAGE OF CAMPAIGN '84 BEGINS
TONIGHT THE IOWA CACUSES
REPORTING FROM THE CIVIC CENTRE IN DES MOINES IOWA, HERE IS DAN RATHER
Dan Rather: "Good Evening, in the first in the nation Iowa Caucuses the first results are in tonight from real live voters making real live choices and we have results from both parties to report. First the Democrats, CBS estimates now projects that Walter Mondale is the 1st choice by far. Running second, a distant second, but a second that will please the candidate nevertheless Senator George McGovern of South Dakota. And a sigh of relief as John Glenn makes it to the top 3 but perhaps by a lesser vote than predicted. Coming in quickly now here's how the results translate into candidate strength."
It was a good night for Walter Mondale and also a good night for George McGovern. A Disappointing night for John Glenn however lead to swirling speculation around his purpose in the race as the "Candidate for the Centre"
Mondale had a triumphant victory speech
"First of all, I want to thank you all for this incredible victory tonight, Because of our performance I have full confidence that we are racing full speed toward victory and the White House. You voted because you cared about the issues of a safer world, and a more competitive nation. With your vote tonight you secure America's future"
- Walter Mondale's Victory Speech, February 20th 1984
Rather: "As for the republicans well, we might be here a little longer to declare a victor, It is tight tight tight between Jack Kemp and Howard Baker right now with Pat Robertson sitting in 3rd, above Dole. With more even support for candidates its taking a bit longer than the democrats but here's what we've got."
More than Expected support for Kemp Baker and Robertson pushed Dole into 4th place. The lead between Kemp and Baker switched a few times that night with them both declaring victory
"Together we can make America strong again, we can make America rich again and we can make America grow again, thank you and god bless you!"
- Jack Kemp's Iowa Speech, February 20th 1984
"Iowa said it tonight, now lets show the rest of the country that unity in the face of our challenges can solve our problems!"
- Howard Baker's Iowa Speech, February 20th 1984
With Robertson being a bit more... on the nose.
"Tonight is the beginning of the end of evil democratic tyranny over god's kingdom!"
- Pat Robertson's Iowa Speech, February 20th 1984
FINAL RESULTS
DEMOCRATIC
MONDALE: 44,074 (55.35%)
McGOVERN: 18,824 (23.64%)
GLENN: 9,428 (11.84%)
JACKSON: 4,706 (5.91%)
HOLLINGS: 183 (0.23%)
UNCOMMITED: 2,412 (3.03%)
REPUBLICAN
KEMP: 22,278 (34.84%)
BAKER: 22,150 (34.64%)
ROBERTSON: 12,194 (19.07%)
DOLE: 7,622 (11.92%)
DU PONT: 338 (0.53%)
PART 15