The day after the 1980 election, Pat Moynihan said something to the effect of, “We lost yesterday because the American people believed, with some justification, that Democrats want government to be strong but America to be weak.”
I remembered that election - 1980. I was in 8th grade and many people were happy that Reagan won. Also to remember, many people were worn down with Jimmy Carter. I remembered one social studies teacher was unhappy about it and I remarked how great it was that Reagan won and I was told point blank to shut up or I would be visiting the principal’s office.
The ironic thing, that teacher married in 1981 and then divorced a few years ago the now commissioner for Indiana High School Athletic Association. At the time, the commissioner was a physical education teacher and what I remember of him, he wasn’t nice. He got on under Indiana’s last Democrat governor.
> The day after the 1980 election, Pat Moynihan said something to the effect of, “We lost yesterday because the American people believed, with some justification, that Democrats want government to be strong but America to be weak.”