United States presidential election, 1980
President Jimmy Carter had lost the confidence of America due to economic problems and the hostages in Iran. Still, Democrats rallied to Carter and nominated him as their candidate for the 1980 presidential election. At the time, several candidates fervently sought the Republican nomination for the Presidency. Former CIA director, George H.W. Bush, was a leading candidate and was actually winning. Ronald Reagan however badly wanted the nomination and made many more speaking ceremonies. Reagan was then able to sweep the primaries and win the nomination. Reagan would like to have had former President, Gerald Ford, as his running-mate, but Ford wanted more Presidential power than Reagan was willing to give him. Reagan instead chose his lead rival, George H.W. Bush, as his running-mate. Reagan was able to do better than Carter in their speaking appearances, including the live Presidential Debates. Some people, not satisfied with the results of both primaries nominated Illinois congressman, John Anderson, as their candidate. Reagan 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." When the election finally came up Reagan held a victory. [1]
candidates | popular vote | electoral vote |
---|---|---|
Ronald Reagan | 43, 899, 248 | 489 |
Jimmy Carter | 35, 481, 435 | 49 |
John Anderson | 5, 719, 437 | 0 |
Ed Clark | 920, 859 | 0 |
Barry Commoner | 230, 377 | 0 |
Gus Hall | 43, 871 | 0 |
Clifton DeBerry | 40, 105 | 0 |
Ellen McCormack | 32, 319 | 0 |
References
- ↑ Encyclopedia of Presidents, Ronald Reagan, by Zachary Kent, Children's Press, 1989, pp. 56-59.
- ↑ A Pictoral History of the U.S. Presidents, by Clare Gibson, Gramercy Books, 2001, p. 126.