Those who voted for Carter also have a share in this. I didn't vote for him (my first presidential vote)Carter, in part, because Ayn Rand said that Carter was Elmer Gantry and motivated by power lust. Carter also said "you can trust me" and I knew he was a liar after that.
Just as there were people smart enough to vote for Barry Goldwater of Lyndon Johnson, so I was smart enough to vote for Gerald Ford over Jimmy Carter.