The media treated him the same way they treat Trump. They viewed his candidacy as a "joke". He was an actor, not a politician. I recall that election so well - the anxiety leading up to election day with the polls predicting a Carter win by a large margin, the election map where even the most democtatic states, like NY, turned red as the returns cam in, the dismayed expressions of the media ... and the early call, before the CA polls closed. It was so gratifying!
