Podgy the Bear
mollybecky
Sr. Member
Posts: 2,995
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« on: March 02, 2019, 11:47:11 PM » |
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The debate probably added a couple of points to the final margin, but the perceived negativity of the October Surprise (that is, no solution to the hostage crisis in Iran) was probably more contributory to the final margin. This turned a reasonably comfortable victory into a rout for Reagan. The events of that last week meant the loss of several states (including New York, Massachusetts, and many in the South)--which Carter lost by slim margins.
Carter was in serious trouble from the start of the general election campaign--with states like Texas and Florida (which he had won in 1976) pretty much out of his reach by early October. And there were very few (if any) states that he could pick up by that point.
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