North By Northeast
Republican-turned-independent John Anderson – who passed away on December 3rd at the age of 95 – was born and raised in Illinois, but the 10-term U.S. Representative by far had his best showing in the 1980 presidential election in the Northeast. Anderson’s Top 5 best showings all came from that region, garnering the support of many liberal Republicans in Massachusetts (winning 15.1 percent), Vermont (14.9 percent), Rhode Island (14.4 percent), New Hampshire (12.9 percent), and Connecticut (12.2 percent). Maine (10.9 percent, #9) also cracked Anderson’s Top 10 while each of his other best were in the West: Colorado (11.0 percent), Washington (10.6 percent), Hawaii (10.6 percent), and Oregon (9.5 percent). Anderson had less of a backing in the Northeastern states of New Jersey (7.9 percent, #17), Maryland (7.8 percent, #19), New York (7.5 percent, #20), Delaware (6.9 percent, #28), and Pennsylvania (6.4 percent, #32). Anderson won only 7.3 percent in his home state of Illinois – his 21st best showing.
Given the underwhelming, indeed minimal, showings of the 1980 Anderson-Lucey ticket in the ex-Confederate states and the adjoining Border areas – a phenonemon also existent for the nonmajorparty bids in 1912, 1924, 1992, 1996, and 2016 – this “Crumb” piece should be entitled North Not By South. At any rate, Rest In Peace, Mr Anderson!