Marco Mondale: Rubio’s Sole Win of Minnesota Comes in only State Ronald Reagan Lost in 1984

Marco Rubio’s dismal Super Tuesday performance has prompted comparisons likening him to failed Democratic Presidential candidate Walter Mondale, who suffered an embarrassing defeat against Ronald Reagan in 1984, when the only state he won was his home state of Minnesota.

Thus far, the only primary state Rubio has won is Minnesota. Rubio has lost every other primary state to-date despite overwhelming financial, media, and Party establishment support.

In the 1984 general election, Walter Mondale won only his home state of Minnesota and Washington D.C. Ronald Reagan carried the remainder of the 49 states in an historic electoral landslide victory for the Republican Party.

Political reporters and twitter users were quick to point out the similarities:

As @DLeonhardt notes, Marco Rubio has now won Minnesota, like Walter Mondale.

— Josh Barro (@jbarro) March 2, 2016

Marco Rubio, the Walter Mondale of 2016 Republicans.

— David Leonhardt (@DLeonhardt) March 2, 2016

Now all Rubio has to do is win DC (which seems very likely) and he’ll have the Full Mondale.

— Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) March 2, 2016

Rubio’s map looks a lot like the Reagan v Mondale election in 1984 pic.twitter.com/R0M63rmWdk

— Matt Novak (@paleofuture) March 2, 2016

Winning Minnesota? Marco Rubio that just makes you Walter Mondale!

— Adam Galinsky (@AdamGalinsky) March 2, 2016

Speaking of Marco Rubio’s one win, I interviewed Walter Mondale once.

— Molly Beck (@MollyBeck) March 2, 2016

Speaking of Marco Rubio’s one win, I interviewed Walter Mondale once.

— Molly Beck (@MollyBeck) March 2, 2016

Comparisons to Walter Mondale may perhaps undermine Rubio’s efforts to portray himself as the candidate who will take up the “mantle” of Reagan.

As Rubio told voters after losing to Donald Trump in South Carolina—a state which Rubio lost despite substantial support from the state party’s establishment:

The children of the Reagan Revolution are ready to assume the mantle of leadership. Now, those of us who grew up when it was morning in America, and Ronald Reagan was in the White House, are ready to do for our generation — are ready to do for the next generation what Ronald Reagan did for ours.

Ironically, as a result of the nation’s four decades of mass immigration—a federal policy supported by Sen. Rubio—Republican electoral victories like Ronald Reagan’s 49-state landslide have become an historical anachronism—with states like California now permanently out of reach for the Republican party.