The Shining City on a Hill - 1984

[sentinel]

The Shining City on a Hill - 1984


“We can meet the basic human needs and commitments of the people of this country by restoring entrepreneurship in this country… people need the opportunity to own and create jobs in this country…”

“When I hear your new ideas, I’m reminded of ‘Where’s the beef’”

“You want to know where the beef is? The Democrats had the beef when you were Vice President Mondale –then you and Jimmy Carter gave it away to Ronald Reagan all thanks to your Administration’s failed leadership. We’ve seen what a Reagan win looks like with Mondale on the ticket and we don’t want that again now do we?”

July 17, 1984

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July 18, 1984

“It is my distinct privilege and honor to introduce to you, who with your help will be the next President of the United States, Democratic nominee Gary Warren Hart”

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“Mario, I can’t do this without you. With your vision and leadership, we can take back America.”
“I’ll do it, not for me –and not for you—but for America’s children.”

GARY HART / MARIO CUOMO
V.
RONALD REAGAN / GEORGE BUSH

[sentinel]

Summer 1984

President Reagan stormed out of the Republican National Convention with a 55-43 lead in the polls that Senator Hart was determined to cut down. Prior to the RNC Hart was down 7 points, and he expected to narrow the gap after the post-convention bump subsided. Some of his advisors worried that the post-convention bump would stay until election day and beyond.
Governor Cuomo began his “introduction” tour to the Midwest, describing the two drastically different cities to the American people –portraying President Reagan as out of touch with the problems of the American people.

Senator Hart, worried by the prospect of losing the youth vote began an extensive voter outreach campaign to get the youth working for him saying that if the policies of President Reagan were allowed to continue that not only would the Department of Education would cease to exists but along with any hopes of getting a scholarship for gifted students who could not afford them otherwise.

Surrogates of the Hart/Cuomo campaign also were unleashed on heavy schedules across the United States with strict talking points to abide by.

On August 11th, 1984 a sound check is, maliciously, recorded, aired and distributed to media. The recording has President Reagan saying “My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”
The Hart/Cuomo campaign immediately calls the comments “irresponsible” and Senator Hart states “Thank God the Russians did not react with military force to these comments or President Reagan would be responsible for the needless death of many many Americans…”

President Reagan does not apologize for his remarks but does say that he was told that he was not being recorded and had he known it would have become public he would not have said it.
In September of 1984, the first Presidential debate occurs between Senator Hart and President Reagan who still leads in the polls 51-46. President Reagan asks the country if they are better than they are four years ago to which Senator Hart responds “Mr. President, just because you’re better off than you were four years ago doesn’t mean anyone else is.”

The Vice Presidential debate takes place in early September 1984 with Governor Cuomo faring very well against Vice President George Bush.

The second Presidential debate is held in late October 1984. President Reagan appears to be “out of it” during the debate –which doesn’t help the growing perception that he is aloof and out of touch which is being promulgated by the Hart/Cuomo campaign. Not to mention, it adds to the “age factor” of incumbent President Reagan. Although this perception is clear throughout the last quarter of the debate, most viewers only watched the first half. The newspapers the next day make sure everyone reading their paper knew about it.

A week before election day in 1984, most pundits are guessing that “President Reagan will defeat Senator Hart on election day…the Senator from Colorado is sure to put up a battle but how much of a battle will that be?”

The last commercial the Hart/Cuomo campaign team would put out before the election is a sound-byte of Reagan's "bombing Russia" comments followed up by the sounds of an sirens, explosions and then crying with the narrator asking "Do you want your President joking around with American lives?"

[sentinel]

Election Day 1984

Senator Hart is voting in his hometown in Colorado while Governor Cuomo votes in New York and jumps on a plane to Denver, Colorado to watch the returns with Senator Hart.
President Reagan votes from his hometown in California and is expected to meet with Vice President Bush later on in the night.

The first returns of the evening are coming in…with several states called already…

Blue for President Reagan and   Red for Senator Hart…Green for voting closed but not yet called…

Pundits:  President Reagan has claimed 7 of the15 states that have closed already. It is clear that progressive superstar Mario Cuomo has helped Senator Hart carry New York and Massachusetts but will the ticket’s appeal carry across the nation? The Carter-Mondale ticket wasn’t able to do it, we’ll see if Hart/Cuomo can. The President’s victories are smaller than last time around with larger margins in the south.

Pundits: With more returns coming in, we can now call a few more states for Senator Hart. Apparently the tickets appeal has gathered the attention of Americans in New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and Illinois who have voted for the Hart/Cuomo ticket by a slim majority. President Reagan still leads with 138 Electoral Votes to Senator Hart’s 113 Electoral Votes…

Pundits: More states close their polls as President Reagan picks up a handful of more states. President Reagan now leads Senator Hart 206 Electoral Votes to 141 Electoral Votes. When the President picks up his home state of California, which is sure to vote for him, he will only need 17 electoral votes to be elected which could be as simple as Ohio which he won in 1980. This is definitely looking like a good night for the President.

Pundits: President Reagan unsurprisingly has grabbed his home state and is in need of just 17 Electoral Votes to be reelected President. The Hart/Cuomo ticket is doing better than expected picking up Pennsylvania and Iowa by slim margins. President Reagan leads Senator Hart 253 to 177 at this time.

[sentinel]

Election Night 1984 Continued

Pundits: President Reagan is sitting on the edge of victory. Polls are showing him pulling away in the count in New Mexico, Ohio, Nevada and Missouri with a large amount of votes still uncounted. The Hart/Cuomo ticket has picked up Wisconsin. Actually, we’re now going to call Nevada for President Reagan.

Pundits: This was a big hour for Senator Hart –it seems the race is closer than anticipated with Senator Hart picking up Montana, North Dakota, Washington, Oregon and Missouri –all by extremely close margins. It’ll be no surprise to see both campaigns sending lawyers out there. This election will be decided on Ohio and Michigan. Any one of these states will put President Reagan over the top.

Pundits: This hour is a huge game-changer.It seems that Senator Hart is within striking distance of taking the Presidency back from the Republicans and stopping President Reagan from serving a second four years in office. This is  a truly historical night with President Reagan expected to win reelection easily despite a poor performance in the debates. Senator Hart has managed to beat expectations and win or lose will surely be a Presidential contender in 1988.  President Reagan leads 268 Electoral Votes to Senator Hart’s 247. Currently, President Reagan leads in the popular vote as well.

[sentinel]

The last state to be called of the 1984 Presidential Election would not be called until three days after the election with both campaigns, and America, waiting patiently for the

And the winner…Election Night 1984…

 President Ronald W. Reagan*  of California / Vice President George H.W Bush of Maine – - 268 Electoral Votes 49.67% popular vote

Senator Gary W. Hart of Colorado / Governor Mario Cuomo of New York – 270 Electoral Votes 49.66% popular vote


Other – 0.67%

*President Reagan won roughly 9,000 more votes than Senator Hart who won the Electoral College

President Reagan’s campaign issues a statement after hearing that Senator Hart has won Ohio and the Presidency – “There is not a winner of this Presidential election until the Ohio Secretary of State certifies the election. We will be pursuing a recount in Ohio where the margin is less than a few hundred votes between the two candidates. We are also exploring allegations of voter fraud in North Dakota.”

President Reagan issues his own statement later…”I’m grateful to have won the popular vote of the American people but the President is elected by the Electoral College. I’m looking forward to seeing the certified results in Ohio in the coming days.”

Preliminary Ohio Results:

Hart/Cuomo: 49.6% - 2,255,619
Reagan/Bush:  49.59% - 2,255,164
Other: 4,547 (~1%)

Preliminary North Dakota Results:

Hart/Cuomo: 49.7% - 153,558
Reagan/Bush: 49.5% - 152,940
Other:  1.8% - ~5,000

[sentinel]

After another week passes of recounting in Ohio and North Dakota, President Reagan gracefully concedes the race to Senator Hart who has opened a larger lead with absentee ballots. The Reagan lawyers retreat back to their homes and the Hart transition team begins the short but tedious transition period.



Senator Hart after finding out that President Reagan has conceded the election.
Senator Hart declares that the “other city on the hill will no longer be ignored like it has been for the past four years.”



A cheery President Reagan on the morning of his successor’s inauguration.

On January 20, 1985 Senator Gary Hart is sworn in as President and Governor Mario Cuomo is sworn in as Vice President.