Oh yeah, I think Jimmy knew he just won the election.
Just like when Reagan said in 1984, “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” Even Mondale knew at that moment he was toast.
Reagan pulled two zingers on Carter in 1980 also. “There you go again,” just knocked it out of the park. Along with “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”