Question for those who were politically astute in 1980

[Karin]

It is of course accepted wisdom that New York and California automatically go for the dem presidential candidate--a no-brainer.  Does anyone remember just what it was that made NY go for Reagan in 1980 and again in 1984?  I've been pondering this, since I'm frustrated my vote won't count for much in the most important election of our lives.   

[Zeus]

It is of course accepted wisdom that New York and California automatically go for the dem presidential candidate--a no-brainer.  Does anyone remember just what it was that made NY go for Reagan in 1980 and again in 1984?  I've been pondering this, since I'm frustrated my vote won't count for much in the most important election of our lives.   

Jimmy Carter 

[txradioguy]

It is of course accepted wisdom that New York and California automatically go for the dem presidential candidate--a no-brainer.  Does anyone remember just what it was that made NY go for Reagan in 1980 and again in 1984?  I've been pondering this, since I'm frustrated my vote won't count for much in the most important election of our lives.   

Well the first and most obvious answer was that he wasn't Jimmy Carter. 

I think people were tired after 4 years of Carter.  Continuous high unemployment...gas shortages...double digit inflation and interest rates...hostage situation with Americans being held by supporters of radical Islam for over 400 days....the invention of the misery index.

And of course the malaise speech didn't help.

In '84 Mon-dull shot himself in the foot by telling people he was going to raise their taxes for starters...and IMO since he had been Carter's veep people were terrified of returning to what Carter had wrought on this country.

But there was also the sense that Reagan had come to town and actually done what he said he would do...and people wanted four more years of that.

And what Reagan did in 8 years...lasted almost 25 in terms of the economic and financial gains we made.  Only the tail end of Bush's second term and the disasterous last four years under Obama have undone the economic momentum Reagan started.

Oh and FWIW...the only time your vote won't count for anything...is if you don't use it.

[Karin]

Thanks guys.  I knew Carter was bad, very bad, but look at the DUmmies fawning over him still.  I went and searched up some NY-specific electoral maps for 1980 and 1984.  1980 was close, 51-49 or so, with the areas around the city (but not Long Island) plus Albany going for Carter or Mondale, and all the rest a solid sea of blue.

Here's a link http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?f=0&fips=36&year=1984

to an electoral map atlas.  At the bottom of the page, you can select the year, race, and state you want.  Kinda handy. 

[txradioguy]

DUmmies fawn over Jimmuh because he hates America as much as they do. 

[obumazombie]

I made the mistake of taking the Plains Georgia tour.

[Ptarmigan]

The late 1970s was a bad time for America and Jimmy Carter was failing. A period of stagflation, inflation, and unemployment. Carter won in 1976 because people were sick of "Beltway Insiders" and rode on that sentiment. By 1984, the economy had improved quite a bit.

[obumazombie]

The late 1970s was a bad time for America and Jimmy Carter was failing. A period of stagflation, inflation, and unemployment. Carter won in 1976 because people were sick of "Beltway Insiders" and rode on that sentiment. By 1984, the economy had improved quite a bit.

Not all by itself, I might add.

[delilahmused]

It is of course accepted wisdom that New York and California automatically go for the dem presidential candidate--a no-brainer.  Does anyone remember just what it was that made NY go for Reagan in 1980 and again in 1984?  I've been pondering this, since I'm frustrated my vote won't count for much in the most important election of our lives.   

Who wants a president who tanks the economy, lectures us about our attitude and can barely fight off a bunny?

Cindie

[Eupher]

The late 1970s was a bad time for America and Jimmy Carter was failing. A period of stagflation, inflation, and unemployment. Carter won in 1976 because people were sick of "Beltway Insiders" and rode on that sentiment. By 1984, the economy had improved quite a bit.

Carter won in 1976 primarily because Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon.

Sure, the economy had a part to play but Ford - correctly - slit his own throat when he allowed Tricky Dick to fade away into the sunset without his crimes being addressed.

[Zathras]

Something else that didn't help Carter was his ineptitude at handling the Iranian hostage crisis.

[SaintLouieWoman]

I made the mistake of taking the Plains Georgia tour.

I made the mistake of attending a reception at the Jimmy Carter presidential library. Talk about lies and misrepresentations. History there wasn't the same as the normal interpretation of history.

This was a business meeting. I left early, felt ill with the BS there.

[obumazombie]

I made the mistake of attending a reception at the Jimmy Carter presidential library. Talk about lies and misrepresentations. History there wasn't the same as the normal interpretation of history.

This was a business meeting. I left early, felt ill with the BS there.

Okay, thank you for making me feel better, that I could have done worse. And thank you for taking my place at the library tour. I won't be asking for a raincheck. I guess I should thank you for that too !

[Ptarmigan]

Carter won in 1976 primarily because Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon.

Sure, the economy had a part to play but Ford - correctly - slit his own throat when he allowed Tricky Dick to fade away into the sunset without his crimes being addressed.

That too.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Carter won in 1976 primarily because Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon.

Sure, the economy had a part to play but Ford - correctly - slit his own throat when he allowed Tricky Dick to fade away into the sunset without his crimes being addressed.

Probably wouldn't have changed anything if he had gone after Nixon, Tricky Dick had damaged the GOP brand so badly that only a miracle would've gotten Ford elected in that particular race.

[Eupher]

Probably wouldn't have changed anything if he had gone after Nixon, Tricky Dick had damaged the GOP brand so badly that only a miracle would've gotten Ford elected in that particular race.

True enough. Carter capitalized on the "Washington outsider" image, which helped his campaign but spelled trouble for his presidency. Congress essentially ignored him.

Even still, the Carter win wasn't a blowout - electoral college results yielded only 297 delegates for Carter out of 538. But yeah, Ford was in trouble from the outset as Reagan almost defeated him in the primary.

[Gina]

I was 6 in 1980   

[njpines]

NJ went Republican until 1992 -- believe it or not!

My vote now counts for naught but I still vote every election . . .

[docstew]

NJ went Republican until 1992 -- believe it or not!

My vote now counts for naught but I still vote every election . . .

The only time your vote doesn't count is when you don't cast it.

[Ausonius]

What nobody among the Dems will admit was that the Southern drawl of Carter did not help him in the East Coast or the Midwest, since it brings back images of stereotypes (e.g. slow-wittedness).

Also, there were enough Democrats with sense in 1980 ( I know: it sounds impossible today) who could logically deduce that Carter was spinning our wheels and going nowhere, and were willing to give Reagan a chance.  "Reagan Democrats" were actually people who looked objectively at the choices, were not blinded by ideology or scared stupid by propaganda, and voted their heads.

Part of this goes back to the better education people able to vote in 1980 had received: we have added 32 years of educational incompetence into the American electoral process, which is why a second term for BIG BRObama is not impossible.

[Zeus]

What nobody among the Dems will admit was that the Southern drawl of Carter did not help him in the East Coast or the Midwest, since it brings back images of stereotypes (e.g. slow-wittedness).

Also, there were enough Democrats with sense in 1980 ( I know: it sounds impossible today) who could logically deduce that Carter was spinning our wheels and going nowhere, and were willing to give Reagan a chance.  "Reagan Democrats" were actually people who looked objectively at the choices, were not blinded by ideology or scared stupid by propaganda, and voted their heads.

Part of this goes back to the better education people able to vote in 1980 had received: we have added 32 years of educational incompetence into the American electoral process, which is why a second term for BIG BRObama is not impossible.

True dat.  The "Reagan Democrats"  saw Liberalism as a failure, favored Military interventionism and Nationalism in opposition to the rise of the USSR, Social Conservatism and endorsed free markets.  Neocons or New Conservatives.

[NHSparky]

The late 1970s was a bad time for America and Jimmy Carter was failing. A period of stagflation, inflation, and unemployment. Carter won in 1976 because people were sick of "Beltway Insiders" and rode on that sentiment. By 1984, the economy had improved quite a bit.

You forgot to add that Ford was basically a placeholder for Nixon, and shot himself in the foot by pardoning him.  Carter's election was proof that ANY Democrat could get elected after Nixon (and Ford, although he was a decent president.)  This is not unlike 2008, where Obama was proof that ANY Democrat could get elected after all the "hate Bush" crap.

Funny enough, history is far kinder to Ford/Nixon than it has been to Carter.  As time goes on, I think that history will look far more favorably on Bush 43 than Obama in the same regards.

[zeitgeist]

A ripped off British series featuring Caroll O' Connor called "All in the Family".  It was the water cooler topic of its day.   Everybody knew someone like "Meathead".  When you were literally eating horse meat in some areas and looking for stations with gas, the comic relief from that show was palapable.

I have long believed that the Rob Reiner was meant to be the true star of the show but somehow lost out to the greater talent of O'Connor and general mood of the country which was largely pro Viet Nam and anti feminazi phony intellectual.  And the ending of "Meathead and the Little Girl"?  Most folk said "Who didn't see that one coming, she shoulda listened to her old man".   


And of course Carter inhaled vapors right out loud.

[Eupher]

You forgot to add that Ford was basically a placeholder for Nixon, and shot himself in the foot by pardoning him.  Carter's election was proof that ANY Democrat could get elected after Nixon (and Ford, although he was a decent president.)  This is not unlike 2008, where Obama was proof that ANY Democrat could get elected after all the "hate Bush" crap.

Funny enough, history is far kinder to Ford/Nixon than it has been to Carter.  As time goes on, I think that history will look far more favorably on Bush 43 than Obama in the same regards.

Ford never aspired to be President; all he wanted was to be Speaker of the House one day. One day he finds himself being appointed to take Spiro Agnew's place who resigned from allegations of impropriety (first time I ever heard of the "No contest" plea) and then bam, winds up as the first President and Vice President who never made it past the Electoral College. Dem dayz was strange....

So while he gave it the ol' college try in the '76 election, he knew going in that pardoning Tricky Dick sealed his political death warrant.

And he didn't much care.