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Mondale criticized Reagan's supply-side economics and budget deficits. He called for the reduction of U.S. public debt, a nuclear freeze, and ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Reagan won re-election in a landslide victory, carrying 525 electoral votes, 49 states, and 58.8% of the popular vote.
Mondale benefited from a strong first debate (where the 73-year-old Reagan seemed slow), but the Reagan-Bush ticket had a resounding election victory. Reagan again cast himself as the candidate of optimism, taking credit for an improved economy and an increase in national pride after the social upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s.
However, the economy "picking up" had resulted in an increase in his approval ratings, and as the election progressed, Reagan opened a large lead over Mondale in the opinion polls. [58] According to a poll conducted by The New York Times in September 1984, 54 percent of the voters preferred Reagan over 33 percent for Mondale. It also found that ...
Poll source Date(s) administered Ronald Reagan (R) Jimmy Carter (D) John Anderson (I) Other Undecided Margin Gallup [1]: March 31 – April 3, 1978 46%
Similarly, an ABC News poll showed Reagan's highest approval rating at 73%. [3] His ratings by CBS remained above 50% until the United States experienced a recession and high unemployment in 1982. [2] According to a Gallup poll, his lowest rating was 35% in early 1983.
NBC News projected Reagan as the winner at 8:15 pm EST (5:15 PST), before voting was finished in the West, based on exit polls; it was the first time a broadcast network used exit polling to project a winner, and it took the other broadcast networks by surprise. Carter conceded defeat at 9:50 pm EST.
Despite trailing far behind Reagan in the polls leading up to the debate, Mondale exceeded expectations and emerged as the clear winner of the first debate. According to a Newsweek/Gallup poll, 54 percent of debate-watchers favored Mondale, while only 35 percent sided with Reagan.
Reagan ran with incumbent Vice President George H. W. Bush of Texas, while Mondale's running mate was Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro of New York. On election day, Reagan won 51.22% of the vote in the state to Mondale's 48.43%, a margin of 2.79%. Massachusetts had been a Democratic-leaning state since 1928, and a Democratic stronghold since 1960.