Changes

Anderson, not satisified to accept his defeat, ran as a third party candidate and gained transaction because of his moderate views.  Although it is hard to picture today, at the time the choice of Reagan and Carter was considered to be a weak one, with many people dissatisfied with the choices.

Anderson, not satisified to accept his defeat, ran as a third party candidate and gained transaction because of his moderate views.  Although it is hard to picture today, at the time the choice of Reagan and Carter was considered to be a weak one, with many people dissatisfied with the choices.

   

   

Reagan was able to do better than Carter in their speaking appearances, which culminated with a live [[Presidential Debates]] between the two candidates shortly before the election. Reagan used Carter's own words against him when he brought up Carter's use of the term 'the misery index' to describe the suffering of the American people when he was running for President against Ford in 1976.  Carter defined it as the sum of the unemployment rate and inflation rate.  Unfortunately for Carter, the value of the misery index, which he campaign was too high in 1976, was much higher in 1980 as Reagan pointed out.  Reagan then boldly asked his audience at the end of his debate with Carter, "Next Tuesday all of you will go to the polls; you'll stand there and make a decision, it might well be if you would ask yourself: Are you better off than you were four years ago."

Reagan was able to do better than Carter in their speaking appearances, which culminated with a live [[Presidential Debates]] between the two candidates shortly before the election. Reagan used Carter's own words against him when he brought up Carter's use of the term 'the [[misery index]]' to describe the suffering of the American people when he was running for President against Ford in 1976.  Carter defined it as the sum of the unemployment rate and inflation rate.  Unfortunately for Carter, the value of the misery index, which he campaign was too high in 1976, was much higher in 1980 as Reagan pointed out.  Reagan then boldly asked his audience at the end of his debate with Carter, "Next Tuesday all of you will go to the polls; you'll stand there and make a decision, it might well be if you would ask yourself: Are you better off than you were four years ago."

President Carter faced a difficult reelection. [[Iran]]ian Islamists were holding 53 members of the American embassy staff hostage and the rescue attempt had failed miserably, Castro flooded Florida with Cuban refugees, there was a national [[oil]] shortage resulting in increased [[gas]] prices, high unemployment, and 18 percent [[inflation]]. Reagan ran as a Washington outsider as the Republican nominee. The centerpiece of the Reagan campaign was his record as an effective Governor, where he is credited for reducing California’s [[deficit]] while lowering [[tax]]es, and pointing out the  failures of the Carter [[administration]]. Reagan's campaign gained strong financing support from political action committees (PAC), receiving $12 million from PAC's, compared to $50,000 on Carter’s behalf. Carter tried to cast his presidency in the best possible light, stressing the 1978 [[Camp David Accords]] between [[Israel]] and [[Egypt]]. He portrayed himself as a peacemaker and Reagan as a warmonger. Although because of Reagan's cool and confident manner, this proved to be ineffective.

President Carter faced a difficult reelection. [[Iran]]ian Islamists were holding 53 members of the American embassy staff hostage and the rescue attempt had failed miserably, Castro flooded Florida with Cuban refugees, there was a national [[oil]] shortage resulting in increased [[gas]] prices, high unemployment, and 18 percent [[inflation]]. Reagan ran as a Washington outsider as the Republican nominee. The centerpiece of the Reagan campaign was his record as an effective Governor, where he is credited for reducing California’s [[deficit]] while lowering [[tax]]es, and pointing out the  failures of the Carter [[administration]]. Reagan's campaign gained strong financing support from political action committees (PAC), receiving $12 million from PAC's, compared to $50,000 on Carter’s behalf. Carter tried to cast his presidency in the best possible light, stressing the 1978 [[Camp David Accords]] between [[Israel]] and [[Egypt]]. He portrayed himself as a peacemaker and Reagan as a warmonger. Although because of Reagan's cool and confident manner, this proved to be ineffective.