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Once the campaign proper began, there were only two occasions on which Reagan's big lead seemed in any danger. According to some polls, including Wirthlin's, it nearly disappeared for a few days after the Democratic Convention in July, partly because of excitement over the historic nomination of Ferraro. But if she had much effect on the final vote, it could not be demonstrated from Tuesday's returns. At the end, Ferraro's admirers were reduced to contending that Mondale would have lost even more disastrously with a male running mate.
The Democrats revived only once, immediately after the first Reagan-Mondale debate on Oct. 7. Reagan's rambling and unfocused performance briefly raised the one issue his aides had not prepared to counter: his age and competence. But it lasted only until the second debate, on Oct. 21. The President once more looked confident and vigorous, the slight Mondale rise in the polls promptly reversed itself. Reagan cruised to the finish line.
The question for Reagan—and the nation—now will be how he intends to capitalize on his enormous victory. Some of his advisers plan to urge a round of attention-getting appearances, a sort of post-election campaign, to keep the momentum going. They will also suggest a quick start on putting together a budget and domestic program to deal with the ominous federal deficit, a task that cannot be put off for very long. The President in the early hours of his victory talked about a possible summit with Soviet leaders and even a December trip to Asia.
Fundamentally, though, Reagan has not yet devoted a great deal of thought to his second term and that very fact points to a personal problem that is also a national concern. The President has always been more absorbed in selling his ideas than in setting policy, more comfortable campaigning than governing. But now his campaigning days are over; for the first time in his political life there is no election to look forward to. By judging his presidency a rousing success so far, the voters have in effect given him a standing ovation on Election Day. History will render its verdict according to how well Ronald Reagan confronts the hard job of running the country over the next four years. —By George J. Church. Reported by Sam Allis with Mondale and Laurence I. Barrett and Douglas Brew with the President
*The alltime champs: George Washington got the maximum 69 electoral votes in 1789, and James Monroe in 1820 won 281 electoral votes, to 1 for John Quincy Adams.