Originally Posted by Pooka

I don't know....

I do remember that inflation was raging under Carter. It started under Nixon, but everyone just figured it was due to the Fed creating more money to pay for the Viet-Nam war and that it would sort of take care of its' self.

Then Ford took over and started the WIN (Whip Inflation Now) thing and that did no good at all.

Then Carter was elected and inflation went crazy and the borrowing rate on home loans went as high as 23% for a few days. But it was around 18% for a few years and it was killing the housing industry which was killing the economy.

Reagan was elected by about 92% of the electoral votes because everyone thought Ronnie, who had been running political commentary bits on radio for a few years, had some answers. He did get inflation down, but only through the Fed contracting the money supply and causing one of the sharpest recessions in US history. Unemployment went way up, but inflation was finally under control.

Ted ran a so-so campaign. I don't remember anyone considering him a serious threat to Carter or Reagan. He just did not have to seem anything going for him except that he was a Kennedy. A lot was made about his 'accident' at the time, but I don't know anyone who's vote was swayed by it.

He was just a 'vote for me' and 'I am a Kennedy' and that was about it. There was just no reason beyond that to pay any attention to him.