Editing John B. Anderson (section)

=== Fall campaign ===

[[File:Windblown Independent Presidential Candidate John Anderson speaks to students at the University of Michigan, September 3, 1980. (7670512080).jpg|thumb|210px|right|Anderson speaking to students at the [[University of Michigan]], September 3, 1980]]

Carter said that he would not appear on stage with Anderson, and sat out the debate, which hurt the President in the eyes of voters.<ref name="Bloomberg"/> Reagan and Anderson had a [[1980 United States presidential debates#First presidential debate (Convention Center)|debate]] in Baltimore on September 21, 1980.<ref name="CBSobit"/><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiAf2Ch9QbM  | archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/wiAf2Ch9QbM | archive-date = December 11, 2021 | url-status = live | title = 1980 Presidential Candidate Debate: Governor Ronald Reagan and Congressman John Anderson – 9/21/80 | publisher = YouTube | date = September 21, 1980 | access-date = January 7, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Anderson did well, and polls showed he won a modest debate victory over Reagan, but Reagan, who had been portrayed by Carter throughout the campaign as something of a warmonger, was seen as a reasonable candidate who carried himself well in the debate.<ref name="Bloomberg"/> The debate was Anderson's big opportunity as he needed a break-out performance, but what he got was a modest victory.<ref name="CBSobit"/> In the following weeks, Anderson slowly faded out of the picture with his support dropping from 16% to 10–12% in the first half of October.<ref name="NYT1980"/> By the end of the month, [[1980 United States presidential debates#Second presidential debate (Music Hall)|Reagan debated Carter]] alone, but [[CNN]] attempted to let Anderson participate in the 2nd debate by tape delay. [[Daniel Schorr]] asked Anderson the questions from the Carter-Reagan debate,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEHGr4VuBYI | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200608021410/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEHGr4VuBYI&gl=US&hl=en | archive-date = June 8, 2020 | url-status = dead | title = Carter/Reagan/Anderson Debate | publisher = YouTube | date = October 28, 1980 | access-date = January 7, 2019}}</ref> and then CNN interspersed Anderson's live answers with tape delayed responses from Carter and Reagan.<ref>{{cite journal | url = https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/1027/102722.html | title = Anderson to debate, too, via cable-TV network | date = October 27, 1980 | access-date = January 5, 2019 | journal = Christian Science Monitor}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=K3q0CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA263 
 | title = Presidential Debates: Risky Business on the Campaign Trail | via = Google Books | year = 2016 | access-date = January 5, 2019 | isbn = 978-0231541503 | last1 = Schroeder | first1 = Alan | publisher = Columbia University Press }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1980/10/29/archives/a-carter-flipflop-is-seen-by-anderson-responding-to-2-debaters.html | title = A Carter 'Flip-Flop' is Seen by Anderson; Responding to 2 Debaters' Views, He Says on Cable TV That Tax Cuts Are 'Irresponsible' Carter's Earlier Position Repeating Charges of Past Service in World War II | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = October 29, 1980 | access-date = January 5, 2019}}</ref>

Anderson's support continued to fade down to 5%, although rose up to 8% just before election day.<ref name="NYT1980" /> Although Reagan would win a sizable victory, the polls showed the two major party candidates closer (Gallup's final poll was 47–44–8<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gallup.com/poll/9442/election-polls-accuracy-record-presidential-elections.aspx | title = Election Polls – Accuracy Record in Presidential Elections | website = Gallup | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150216181548/http://www.gallup.com/poll/9442/election-polls-accuracy-record-presidential-elections.aspx | archive-date = February 16, 2015 | df = mdy-all }})</ref> going into the election and it was clear that many would-be Anderson supporters had been pulled away by Carter and Reagan.<ref name="WPobit"/> In the end, Anderson finished with 6.6% of the vote.{{sfn|Mason|2011| pp = 366–408}} Most of Anderson's support came from those [[Rockefeller Republican|Liberal Republicans]] who were suspicious of, or even hostile to, Reagan's conservative record.<ref name="Bloomberg"/> Many prominent intellectuals, including ''[[All in the Family]]'' creator [[Norman Lear]], and the editors of the liberal magazine ''[[The New Republic]]'', also endorsed the Anderson campaign.<ref name="Bloomberg"/> Cartoonist [[Garry Trudeau]]'s ''[[Doonesbury]]'' ran several strips sympathetic to the Anderson campaign.<ref name="Doonesbury @ 30">{{cite web | url = http://doonesbury.washingtonpost.com/strip/archive/timeline/1980 | title = Doonesbury's Timeline: 1980s | access-date = February 16, 2015}}</ref> Former First Lady [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis]], actor [[Paul Newman]] and historian [[Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.]] were also reported to be Anderson supporters.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/165276|title = The Last Serious, Qualified Third-Party Candidate for President Was … ? | date = March 5, 2017 | website = [[History News Network]] | publisher = [[George Washington University]] | last = Feinman | first = Ronald L. | access-date = June 15, 2019}}</ref>

Although the Carter campaign feared Anderson could be a [[spoiler effect|spoiler]], Anderson's campaign turned out to be "simply another option" for frustrated voters who had already decided not to back Carter for another term. Polls found that around 37% of Anderson voters favored Reagan as their second choice over Carter.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.salon.com/2011/04/04/third_party_myth_easterbrook/ | date = April 4, 2011 | title = The myths that just won't die | first = Steve | last = Kornacki | work = Salon}}</ref> Anderson did not carry a single precinct in the country.{{sfn|Mason|2011| pp = 409}}{{sfn|Mason|2011| pp = 529}} Anderson's finish was still the best showing for a [[third party (United States)|third-party]] candidate since [[George Wallace]]'s 14% in 1968 and stands as the seventh-best for any such candidate since [[American Civil War|the Civil War]] (trailing [[James B. Weaver]]'s 8.5% in 1892, [[Theodore Roosevelt]]'s 27% in 1912, [[Robert M. La Follette, Sr.|Robert La Follette]]'s 17% in 1924, Wallace, and [[Ross Perot]]'s 19% and 8% in 1992 and 1996, respectively).<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Tarr |first1=David R |title=Elections A to Z |last2=Benenson |first2=Bob |last3=Moore |first3=John Leo |publisher=CQ Press/Sage Publications |year=2012 |isbn=978-0872897694 |edition=4th |location=Thousand Oaks, CA |page=629 |language=en}}</ref> He pursued Ohio's refusal to provide ballot access to the U.S. Supreme Court and won 5–4 in ''[[Anderson v. Celebrezze]]''. His inability to make headway against the ''de facto'' two-party system as an independent in that election would later lead him to become an advocate of [[instant-runoff voting]], helping to found [[FairVote]] in 1992.<ref name="NYTobit" /><ref name="Bloomberg" />