United States presidential election in Arkansas, 1988

Main article: United States presidential election, 1988

United States presidential election in Arkansas, 1988

November 8, 1988

150px Nominee George H. W. Bush Michael Dukakis Party Republican Democratic Home state Texas Massachusetts Running mate Dan Quayle Lloyd Bentsen Electoral vote 6 0 Popular vote 466,578 349,237 Percentage 56.37% 42.19%

350px 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 Arkansas took place on November 8, 1988. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1988 United States presidential election. Arkansas voters chose 6 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the President and Vice President.

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

Arkansas weighed in for this election as 3% more Republican than the national average.

Partisan background

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

The presidential election of 1988 was a very partisan election for Arkansas, with nearly 99% of the electorate voting for either the Democratic or Republican parties. The vast majority of the counties voted primarily Republican, including the highly populated center of Pulaski County. In typical form for the time, the southeastern portion of the state (which touches the Mississippi River) continued to turn out primarily Democratic during this election, including areas such as Desha County and Phillips County.

Republican victory

Bush won the election in Arkansas with a solid 14 point landslide. Arkansas continued on in this election as a component of the conservative stronghold of the Deep South. The election results in Arkansas 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.

Dukakis ran 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.

Results

United States presidential election in Arkansas, 1988
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	George H. W. Bush	466,578	56.37%	6
	Democratic	Michael Dukakis	349,237	42.19%	0
	America First	Earl Dodge	5,146	0.62%	0
	Libertarian	Ron Paul	3,297	0.40%	0
	New Alliance Party	Lenora Fulani	2,161	0.26%	0
	Prohibition	Earl Dodge	1,319	0.16%	0
Totals			827,738	100.0%	6

See also

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