[SamAdams76]

In 1980, the mainstream media portrayed the election as a "horse race" right up to the very end. Below is an image of the Newsweak cover that came out just a few days before the election.

Same as now, back then you had a weak and ineffective incumbent who was a darling of the liberal establishment and with whom the mainstream media was heavily invested in.

So the media did all that they could that year to perpetuate the "dead heat" meme so that they could provide hope for the supporters of the incumbent and demoralize the supporters of the challenger (Reagan).

Fortunately it didn't work and it shouldn't work this time around either.

I never did buy the "Reagan surge" the last weekend of the campaign. I felt that Reagan was headed for a blowout victory all along and that the media - through their bogus polls - were artificially keeping the race close all the way to the end.

[InterceptPoint]

I never did buy the "Reagan surge" the last weekend of the campaign. I felt that Reagan was headed for a blowout victory all along and that the media - through their bogus polls - were artificially keeping the race close all the way to the end.

Me neither. There never was a Reagan Surge. Just a slow drip, drip, drip. He was ahead almost from the get-go.

[Professional]

Sam, thanks for posting that. I hear lots of folks talking about the 1980 election. Lots of folks doubting this close race. I played golf with a guy that was a Hillary supporter in 2008. He is voting Romney, hates Obama. He is a white defector. Dems hav e become too liberal and extreme and have a crappy record and economy to defend. And we got a very motivated GOP base.

Listening now to Romney In Colorado. He sounds like he knows he is winning.

[thedrake]

Below is an image of the Newsweak cover that came out just a few days before the election....

I have been struggling to remember just how the media covered 1980.

Thanks for the Newsweek image.

And just think, there was no FreeRepublic, Mark Levin, Fox News, etc. back in 1980.

I believe we are going to have a big win!

[SoFloFreeper]

One difference I recall about that race, though, is that Carter was NOT very popular within his own party...the Washington insiders didn’t like him. Obamugabe is much more popular among his DC sycophants, I think.

[carlo3b]

GREAT POST.. and I love that cover, tho I didn’t remember it..

Sam, do you remember the last week the big reporters, and network anchors began to turn on Carter.. I thought WHOA.. They were worrying about their own reputations and it started with some negative stuff in the home stretch..

By the final weekend they were in full retreat.. What a race, what a relief.. I believe we have a carbon copy this year my FRiend.. GULP.. :)

[Senator Goldwater]

That is EXACTLY as I remembered it.

Yes, the Reagan debate was decisive, mainly because of its close proximity to election day, but so was double digit inflation, 21% interest rates, 8 percent unemployment, hostages, international communism on the march, malaise, prop 13 in california, and on and on.

Carter was a dead man walking since Reagan’s convention speech, if not sooner.