I felt the same way in 1979 as Jimmy Carter faltered and the country’s economic problems opened the way to Ronald Reagan’s election. The 2012 election seems poised to be a potential realignment election in which the Democratic party suffers and even more severe loss than it did in 1980.
Carter faced a tough fight from The Swimmer for the nomination, I think if Carter ran opposed for the nomination, he might very well have won.
That’s the one good thing The Swimmer did, was to help take Carter down.
Not so sure about the game change in 2012. In 1980 we did not have 52% of the people in this country as “net-takers” from the government. Today you have that. When people the majority can vote themselves benefits and entitlements you have gone through an inflection point that is hard to cross back over. UGH!