Program Information

In the presidential election of 1980, incumbent President Jimmy Carter attempted to fend off the attacks of his Republican challenger Ronald Reagan. Reagan's victory is considered by many to be a turning point in American political life.

A Moment in Time is a brief, exciting and compelling journey into the past. Created to excite and enlighten the public about the past, its relevance to the present and its impact on the future, A Moment In Time is a captivating historical narrative that is currently broadcast worldwide.

Transcript

Lead: In the presidential election of 1980, incumbent President Jimmy Carter attempted to fend off the attacks of his Republican challenger Ronald Reagan. Reagan's victory is considered by many to be a turning point in American political life.

Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts.

Content: In 1980 the United States was in a recession--suffering from high interest rates and high inflation, economic struggles and what some characterized at the time as a “malaise” in the electorate. The Republicans nominated for president the former governor of California, Ronald Reagan. Although President Carter had several significant foreign policy accomplishments to his credit, including the Camp David Accords and the Panama Canal Treaty, these seemed diminished by the continuing hostage crisis in Iran, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a domestic energy predicament and the lackluster economy. Carter even had to beat back a serious primary challenge by fellow Democrat, Senator Ted Kennedy.

The Republicans adopted a conservative political agenda, and Reagan campaigned on tax cuts as part of the theory of supply side economics. He called for more military spending and an end to the era of big government, to be marked by a decrease in spending for social programs. Reagan characterized Carter as an inept leader of domestic and foreign affairs.

Nevertheless, Carter and Vice President Walter Mondale went on the attack. They argued that tax cuts along with increased military spending would lead to higher inflation and undermine prosperity in the long run. Carter tried to portray Reagan as a warmongering airhead with a radical right-wing social agenda, and these attacks began to work. One week before the November 4 election, Reagan and Carter were running neck-and-neck in the polls.

During a televised debate held on October 28, however, Reagan turned the tide. The former actor was comfortable in front of the camera and appeared folksy and cheery and confident. He touted "traditional values and patriotism." Many heard Reagan’s message as optimistic and hopeful compared to a more somber and defensive one from Carter. Most memorably, Reagan was successful in characterizing the election as a mandate on the economy by asking a question, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” The resounding answer seemed to be “No.”

Reagan won 44 states earning him 489 electoral votes and a total of 44 million popular votes. Jimmy Carter won 49 electoral votes and 35.5 million popular votes. Third candidate, moderate Republican John B. Anderson, won 5.5 million popular votes. In addition, the Republicans claimed the U.S. Senate. This election set the tone and substance of the national debate for two decades and is thought by some to be a classic “realignment election."

At the University of Richmond, this is Dan Roberts.

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