Ronald Reagan was somewhat looked down upon for his acting background when he first ran against Jimmy Carter. Carter (who I believe to be a good man, but not a

Ronald Reagan was somewhat looked down upon for his acting background when he first ran against Jimmy Carter. Carter (who I believe to be a good man, but not a great president) presided over a poor economy. Reagan turned it around in his first term using unorthodox methods called "Reaganomics". Reagan's ideas supercharged the American economy, making him enormously popular. He won re-election with 49 states, missing only the home state of his opponent. (Reagan did not campaign in Minnesota, he said it wouldn't be sporting to do so.)