Yeah, well, Carter himself has another theory and I think you should consider it:
http://politifi.com/news/Jimmy-Carter-Reagan-Won-Because-of-3rd-Party-Candidate-Video-1248538.html
By 1984 I had grown to really like Reagan and for one of the few times I actually voted FOR somebody. But in 1980 I would have voted for ANYONE the Republicans put up rather than Carter.
And no, if John Anderson took away any voters, it was from Reagan, not that imbecile Carter. Actually, in many ways Anderson made more sense than Perot did 20 some odd years later. But no way I was voting for a third party and leave that idiot in the White House.