Political hiccups that dashed campaigns

Campaigns can turn on a dime — or a phrase. Here are a few standouts from past campaigns.

Richard Mourdock

At final tally, State Treasurer Richard Mourdock lost to U.S. Senator-elect Joe Donnelly, by 5.6 percent.  Before the Oct. 23 Senate debate where Mourdock stirred controversy with his stance on abortion, the race was tight. A Howey/DePauw poll from Sept. 19-23 had Donnelly leading by a slight two points. 

“The only exception I have for abortion is in that case of the life of the mother,” Mourdock said. “I struggled with it myself for a long time but I came to realize life is that gift from God, and I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape it is something that God intended to happen.”

With the media frenzy that followed Mourdock’s statement, public opinion swung in Donnelly’s favor.

“I’m as confident as I can be that his remark in the debate was what did it,” IU professor of political science Gerald Wright said.

He said the relatively low level of media coverage before Mourdock’s statement meant this comment was able to dominate public perception of the candidate.

A Howey/DePauw poll from Oct. 29-30 had Donnelly leading Mourdock by 11 points.


Howard Dean

After coming in third in the 2004 Iowa Democratic Primary, Vermont Gov. Howard Dean rallied supporters in Iowa.

To cheers of “Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean,” he said he would continue his campaign through the primary season.

“And then we’re going to Washington, D.C., to take back the White House,” Dean said, before screaming “Yahhh.”

Despite wide play and an internet meme, Wright said he doesn’t think Dean’s scream was the nail in his political coffin because he wasn’t leading before it.

“That just sort of showed an unusual exuberance for a candidate,” Wright said. 


Gerald Ford

During his 1976 presidential reelection bid, Gerald Ford was asked at a debate about the U.S. and Soviet Union’s relationship.

“There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe under a Ford administration and there never will be,” Ford said.

Ford went on to point out that Poland — which at the time was dominated by the Soviet Union — was independent and autonomous.

“He lost all foreign policy credibility at that point,” Wright said.

Ford lost his bid for reelection.


Edmund Muskie & Hillary Clinton

Before the 1972 presidential primary, Democrat Edmund Muskie had a press conference to defend his wife. Muskie showed emotion. Its not clear in videos whether he actually cried, but he at least gave the impression of doing so. He withdrew his candidacy soon after the event.

Wright said he remembers the incident, but not why it mattered.

“I don’t know why everybody made a big deal about it,” he said.

In contrast, during the 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton choked up while talking about her dedication.

“That was probably, given the polls at the time, that was the event that put her back in the race,” Wright said.

— Claire Wiseman