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No Holding Back
The 1980 John B. Anderson Presidential Campaign
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Publisher:
2011
Summary
No Holding Back tells the story of John Anderson's 1980 presidential campaign. Anderson gave up a safe seat in the House of Representatives, a position in the Republican leadership, and a likely nomination for a Senate seat to run what every expert considered a hopeless race for the GOP presidential nomination. Anderson did so because he was disturbed by many of the same trends in American politics that still exist today: the proliferation of special interests, gridlock on Capitol Hill, and the unwillingness of his fellow politicians to speak honestly about the critical issues facing the nation. More than anything, Anderson wanted to make a statement about how candidates ought to run for office: by rejecting quick-fix solutions, being candid on where one stood on matters of policy, and not sugarcoating the problems that faced voters. Anderson ran as a kind of anti-candidate. He had a unique campaigning style and offered proposals that differed greatly from the standard Republican viewpoint. People found him refreshingly direct and different. As interest turned to the campaign, he attracted widespread media attention. He performed beyond expectations in the first round of primaries and soon switched to an independent candidacy. By June, he was running at 26% in a three-way race against Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Against the backdrop of runaway inflation, the Iranian hostage situation, a debilitating energy crisis, and a discredited incumbent president, pollsters found him winning unprecedented support. But during the summer, troubled by ballot access problems, financial issues, institutional obstacles, and management difficulties, Anderson's polling totals began to fall. Once it became clear that he would not win, his support collapsed and he limped to a 7% finish. This final result has greatly undermined the importance of this campaign. It has influenced numerous future candidates and changed the way many politicians would run for office. His was the first candidacy to expose how voters would appreciate a new realism in campaigning and demonstrated the interest that exists in candidates who run against politics-as-usual. His campaign reawakened the faith of voters that politics could be more truthful, pure, and honorable. No Holding Back tells the story of this remarkable American political melodrama.
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Bibliographic data
Copyright year
2011
ISBN-Print
978-0-7618-5226-1
ISBN-Online
978-0-7618-5227-8
Publisher
Hamilton Books, Lanham
Language
English
Pages
564
Product type
Book Titles
Table of contents
ChapterPages
Contents No access
Preface No access
Chapter One. Introduction: “A Different Approach” No access Pages 1 - 7
Chapter Two. The Anderson Journey: 1901 to March 1978: “Feelings of Isolation and Frustration” No access Pages 8 - 38
Chapter Three. The Jimmy Carter Presidency: from January 1977 to December 1979: “A Good and Well-Intentioned ManWho Was in Over His Head” No access Pages 39 - 52
Chapter Four. September 1977 to May 1979: “A Kind of an Anti-Candidate” No access Pages 53 - 73
Chapter Five. May to December 1979: “An Untraditional Message” No access Pages 74 - 119
Chapter Six. January to March 1980: “Out of Left Field” No access Pages 120 - 178
Chapter Seven. March to April 1980: “A Bright New Force in American Politics” No access Pages 179 - 248
Chapter Eight. April to June 1980: “A Co-Equal Third Contender” No access Pages 249 - 308
Chapter Nine. June to August 1980: “Too Careful, Too Concerned with Winning, Too Conventional” No access Pages 309 - 358
Chapter Ten. September to November 1980: “Delusions and False Hopes” No access Pages 359 - 412
Chapter Eleven. Epilogue: “A Path Fraught with Obstacles” No access Pages 413 - 462
Notes No access Pages 463 - 538
Anderson Campaign Timeline No access Pages 539 - 546
