Reagan and the 1980 Debates | History

The closing arguments all but determined the winner during the 1980 presidential debates between President Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. #HistoryChannel
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[@ldhproductions112]

0:13 Never seen a more dramatic head raise

[@coyotefever105]

That and Jimmy just came off as really serious and unlikable. He also shot himself in the foot with the questioning his daughter what's the most important issue of the election and she replied "Nuclear weapons". Reagan's demeanor was the key.

[@perfectsplit5515]

That makes sense, since he was an actor.

[@broadstreet21]

Reagan's demeanor was seen from the time he announced his campaign. They saw plenty of him in his numerous campaign speeches, his message was always the same. Why did it take until the debate for them to decide? For what if was worth, Carter did well, content-wise. Someone said he even won on content - delivery was his problem. Watching the debate, Carter easily could have nailed Reagan's coffin shut had he called his bluff on adding nine million jobs solely on population growth. Everyone knows what Reagan alleged was impossible, Carter could have seized the upper hand right there.

[@MrFTW733]

I was watching this this morning and was enjoying every minute of it

[@mariellacasaverde7403]

No one wanted to keep living that way.

[@adamdorgant9454]

Mariella Casaverde You’re right about that!!!

[@deanpullen6283]

Happening all over again!! 😫

[@kerimtim]

I have nothing to do with this debate but I still keep watching it.

[@vccstudents]

The left-wing media couldn't accept it! I saw this debate live, and Reagan OWNED Carter!

[@PoliticalWeekly]

where did you watch it and what did it feel like?

[@sogron007]

They did not have left or right back then, leaders govern from the middle.

[@RichV20]

@nauticadon I watched the whole debate last night. It was pretty even until the closing remarks. Carters summed up his malaise. Reagan delivered a KO with "better off now than 4 years ago" and hammering that America should be #1, not keeping up with.

[@broadstreet21]

Carter missed an open net when he failed to call Reagan's bluff, attributing the job growth solely to population growth.

[@vccstudents]

@@broadstreet21 There you go again. Carter was inept and didn't have a prayer. I will give him this. Compared to the guy in there now, he's no longer the worst President in my lifetime.

[@planningto]

Woah. This happened the day my brother was born.

[@27REDS]

I was 20 when I saw that debate.I grew up in Philadelphia thinking Democrats were for working people and Republicans for only the rich. Reagan changed my views then.Reagan was an outstanding President!

[@RichV20]

Reagan was for the rich. They got richer and this was the start of the wealth gap and stagnation and shrinking of the Middle Class.

[@god-of-war-fan]

@@RichV20 you realize that the shrinking of the middle class literally meant that more people became rich, right? Or let me guess, you support egalitarianism and everyone being mediocre or poor?

[@RichV20]

@@god-of-war-fan Less people became more rich and more mediocre people became working poor.

[@god-of-war-fan]

@@RichV20 no literally more people became rich you idiot 🤦🏻‍♂️💀 Look at the stats for the percentage of people with incomes over 100k

[@patrickhunt6055]

@@RichV20you’re an idiot

[@frank123612]

Thank you so much!!!

[@theflorgeormix]

this is an ultimate showdown of political Rivals, Carter a really nice person, but in Reagan you have an ultimate presence, common sense and likability, also ethics - everyone in the world knew Reagan was honest and totally fair.

[@GeneralBurkhalter1]

Oly North would disagree with the ethics claim.

[@sethjeppson5680]

@@GeneralBurkhalter1 Carter is the most morally sounds president of all time

[@RichV20]

Carter was honest. Reagan, not so much.

[@perfectsplit5515]

@@RichV20 For all of Carter’s mis-steps, I actually do miss him. He was the last Democratic president who was a decent human being.

[@truthlemonade9793]

If it is Carter vs. Reagan on ethics, I think that Carter has to win that.

[@theflorgeormix]

So much at stake here, after Nixon and Ford, Carter was probably a reaction, we needed an honest guy and he wasn't perfect, but he was great

[@theparadigm8149]

Yeah, but Reagan greatly increased the United State’s perception of the Republican Party for the better.

[@2H2521]

@theflorgeormix Nice joke, Carter was a horrible president.

[@theparadigm8149]

Ol’ Jimmy was a really nice guy and fun to be around, but he just could NOT be a good politician 🤧

[@s4gr_n0s3y]

Even his famous speech was him telling the truth, but I guess many people disliked Carter and voted Reagan instead

[@aberdudeify007]

That guy David they interviewed in this documentary for a minute I thought it was Gerald Ford lol.

[@edjbox]

what's the name of the song that plays on the Reagan commercial for the History channel special?

[@kerimtim]

My uncle knew Jimmy Carter

[@JamesWilson-sb9iq]

Did he like him?

[@edjbox]

"Heart of Courage" was also featured in several movies

[@jackquinn7446]

We don’t have inflation because the people are living too well, we have inflation because the government is living too well, still true in 2022

[@steveferguson823]

Was class of 1980

[@JPOGers]

1:00 Mercenaries 2

[@DonJuanMarco1994]

Are you better off? That is a knock out punch.

[@FutureTillionaire]

nice

[@LxrdZxphyr]

Anyone know the original documentary?

[@frank123612]

thats what im trying to figure out, let you know if i find it

[@ADEAL918]

This doesn't go into the background of WHY there was only one debate which is a whole story in and of itself. When the debates were scheduled, there was a third party candidate, John B. Anderson, who was actually polling high enough to be included in the debates. A three-way debate was scheduled. But Carter boycotted it--it looked like Anderson's presence in the race was hurting Carter more than Reagan, so Carter didn't want to legitimize him. So Reagan and Anderson actually debated WITHOUT Carter there. It caused a nearly month-long stand-off that cancelled the second presidential debate and the VP debate. Carter wouldn't debate with Anderson included and Reagan wouldn't debate WITHOUT him included. Finally in the waning days of the campaign the Reagan campaign decided it was in their best interest to agree to the demand for a two-man debate just one week before the election.

[@RyanFeatherston]

Actually, John Anderson didn't hurt James Carter in 1980. Carter hurt his own campaign because his approval rating was spiraling downward.

[@ADEAL918]

@@RyanFeatherston of course Carter hurt himself and likely would have lost anyway, but a definite reason Carter was insistent on not including Anderson in the debates and Reagan was insistent on including him was that Anderson was clearly siphoning more votes away from Carter than he was from Reagan.

[@RyanFeatherston]

@@ADEAL918 Confirmation bias.

[@ADEAL918]

@@RyanFeatherston how so?

[@RyanFeatherston]

@@ADEAL918 That's for me to know and you to find out.

[@curtismoff]

I was in high school Our family was all about Reagan. Cater made my parents swap party's

[@edjbox]

found the name of the song...it's called Heart of Courage

[@the_boss2194]

What song?

[@jamesowens6471]

Wow

[@ChatGPt2001]

The 1980 United States presidential election featured a series of debates between the incumbent president, Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, and the Republican challenger, Ronald Reagan. The debates played a crucial role in shaping the narrative of the election and ultimately contributed to Reagan's victory. There were three presidential debates during the 1980 campaign. The first debate took place on September 21, 1980, in Baltimore, Maryland, and focused on domestic policy. The second debate, held on October 28 in Cleveland, Ohio, covered both domestic and economic issues. The third debate, on October 30 in Kansas City, Missouri, addressed foreign policy. Ronald Reagan, a former governor of California, was known for his communication skills and charisma. During the debates, he emphasized his conservative economic policies, advocating for tax cuts, reduced government intervention, and a strong national defense. Reagan's performance in the debates helped to reassure voters who may have been concerned about his age (he was 69 at the time, making him the oldest person to be elected president) and portrayed him as a steady and capable leader. One of the most memorable moments from the debates came during the second debate when Reagan asked the American people, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" This question resonated with voters, as it highlighted their economic concerns during a period of high inflation and unemployment. Jimmy Carter, the incumbent president, faced challenges during the debates. The Carter administration was dealing with a struggling economy, an energy crisis, and the Iranian hostage crisis. Carter's handling of these issues was a subject of criticism during the debates, and Reagan effectively capitalized on the public's dissatisfaction. In the end, Reagan won the election in a landslide, carrying 44 states and securing 489 electoral votes to Carter's 49. The debates played a significant role in shaping public perception, helping Reagan to establish himself as a strong and competent leader and contributing to his victory in the 1980 presidential election.

[@presleymckinley8984]

Ok I’m about to be done with KZbin . Not watching two 15 second adds. I’ll just read a book

[@HisNameIsCheese]

try to give 1 reason

[@annguyendoan7189]

Thanh minh / tai lang nghe luong nhi phai ngua ngan

[@jhjhjhjhjhjhify]

Poor Carter was never going to come out of this one well. The political tide was against him and Reagan was a charismatic candidate. Also, Reagan had quite a good command of the issues in this debate and was effective at communicating his policies to the American people. He was never quite this good a politician in the 1984 debates. Heck, he wasn't ever this good during his Presidency, but I suppose the guy was suffering from the early symptoms of Alzheimers.

[@jeffreymorgan683]

He is good man he love the good USA good man in office

[@perfectsplit5515]

Yes, he was. Reagan and Clinton brought a lot of prosperity to America, but Clinton also lowered the moral standard. Reagan didn’t.

[@PaidwithAlquino]

Onaldtrump

[@jasonburdette6921]

Regan destroyed him

[@pdm2201]

If Teddy had driven the buoyant Volkswagen Mary Jo would not have drowned and Teddy might well have beaten Carter for the nomination and possibly beaten Reagan as well.

[@broadstreet21]

The part I was most surprised about was that took this debate to swing the race heavily in Reagan's favour - and with one week to go in the campaign. Certainly, Reagan outdid Carter in the debate, but I expected he would have built up a strong following in his year-long campaign from first announcing his presidential run. And for what it's worth, Carter could have fought to a draw, possibly won. First, he showed up looking tired and no longer fit to serve. Second, Reagan outrageously insinuated the 9 million new jobs were solely due to population growth - Carter missed the open net to call his bluff, which alone could have guaranteed a win.

[@helmerdekker2517]

Reagans people had access to carters debate notes before the debate, Carter was obviously confused. Also Reagan straight up lied about nuclear superiority during the debate did you catch that?

[@broadstreet21]

@@helmerdekker2517 Which part? I might have missed it. About Reagan getting hold of Carter's debate notes, he showed no such evidence. Case in point, at the very beginning, Reagan said, "I don't know what Carter's proposal is, but I know what he said about mine." Surely, if he had Carter's notes, it would have revealed Carter's proposal. For what it's worth, Carter actually had the edge on Reagan on the details, but he was visibly worn out. What message does this send? Even if you agree with Carter, he cannot do the job, so vote for Reagan.

[@helmerdekker2517]

​@@broadstreet21also i did not mean to send a political message i was mere sharing stuff i noticed in the debate as you were

[@broadstreet21]

@@helmerdekker2517 No, I didn't see any political message in your reply, but can you at least point out the part where Reagan bluffed on nuclear superiority? I would say this much though, if the election outcome really came down to the debate, it was a most consequential event then. Like imagine what if, despite his fatigue, Carter was able to nail Reagan's bluff on the nuclear question? Or he got him on the job growth figure? Or what if Reagan didn't get hold of Carter's notes? Personally, given how dire America's plight had been at this time, I have a hard time believing Carter could have been reelected even if he eked out a win in this debate.

[@davidlozano2130]

Jimmy Carter was a weak president

[@adamdorgant9454]

David Lozano You’re right about that!!!

[@jackcarraway4707]

Carter coukd have debated a peanut and still would have lost the election. He was THAT unpopular.

[@LegoPostPresidency]

Reagan was one of the greatest presidents in recent history and probably ever

[@RyanFeatherston]

Reagan should have been impeached over Iran/Contra.

[@goodlookinghonkey8382]

Reagan was the Boss! Miss him!!!

[@RyanFeatherston]

Reagan was a crook who should have been impeached over Iran/Contra.

[@annguyendoan7189]

Ong cao boi / vong giang dai

[@Crypticz8]

Both were good presidents to me it was George H W Bush who should of lost the election of 1990

[@kody1274]

Nerdd011 You mean 1988?

[@michaelsinclair8733]

1992 you mean?

[@michaelockk2635]

no, you mean 1988, and yes, both he and Michael Dukakis should have lost to Ron Paul. We would be in an entirely different (much better) situation now in 2020 had that happened.

[@thatweatherman4411]

He did lose

[@2H2521]

Carter was an absolute disaster.

[@mamadoukone8990]

Bit Jimmy Carter 😢😢😢😢 was a great president than Regan

[@patrickhunt6055]

You’re an idiot

[@mariellacasaverde7403]

Don't know why psychos kill them all the time , Crazy country.

[@drwhostardis]

Wasn't trickle down economics great? nice.... fill the pockets of the rich and hope a couple of nickels fall out ! Bonzo goes to washington!

[@BLACKGURU635]

TWO EVILS ON THE SAME SIDE.MODERN DAY WRESTLING.

[@Shane444888]

Reagan was a terrible President

[@vccstudents]

There you go again!

[@Picklesmcgee123]

wrong

[@paperluigis2m371]

That's a funny way to spell Carter.

[@jerrscott6373]

Only in the eyes of the communists.

[@dannyc8876]

Troll in sight

[@justinkassinger8238]

Thank God he won. Peace through strength saved the fkng world!

[@RyanFeatherston]

Reagan should have been impeached over Iran/Contra.

[@justinkassinger8238]

@@RyanFeatherston lol. I bet you don't even know what Iran contra is.

[@RyanFeatherston]

@@justinkassinger8238 LMAO! I do, actually. What you are doing is Gaslighting.