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My history professor also made passing mention to Carter's loss largely being due to the Iran hostage crisis, which "magically" resolved when Reagan was inaugur

My history professor also made passing mention to Carter's loss largely being due to the Iran hostage crisis, which "magically" resolved when Reagan was inaugurated.

mixmastamyk 5y ago
Yes, and until looking into the subject I didn't realize how close it came. Wikipedia says it took only minutes, but definitely later on inauguration day. They just didn't bother back then I guess. Cable news didn't yet exist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_hostage_crisis#Release https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_hostage_crisis#Release
- dhosek 5y ago
  I remember watching the inauguration on TV in my junior high auditorium and they interrupted the inauguration coverage to announce the release of the hostages.
  - mixmastamyk 5y ago
    :wow: emoji would fit well here.
nabla9 5y ago
Not magically. Carter negotiated end to the hostage crisis (Algiers Accords of January 19, 1981).
CalChris 5y ago
He's partly right. Stagflation was another issue. Also Reagan was a natural actor, brainless but telegenic. The United States (Dulles) overthrew the democratically elected Mossadegh in 1953 and installed the Shah. Then Eisenhower, JFK, Nixon, Ford and yes Carter completely supported the Shah. The Iranian revolutionaries held that against us and in particular, against the then president, Jimmy Carter. Given what we did to them, they had a point. The resulting hostage crisis was the smallest humiliation the US ever suffered. Compare that to Saddam sending an Exocet into the Stark or Israel strafing the Liberty. Reagan made much of this crisis during the election, and the hostages were released on inauguration day. Then Reagan supported Iraq in their invasion of Iran AND also sold missiles to Iran. A strange foreign policy, mostly beholden to whatever Saudi Arabia and Israel wanted on a given day.
- Blackstrat 5y ago
  Brainless? Sorry, I don’t think that’s a defensible position. Read his writings over the years. They reflect more thought than he is given credit for.
mc32 5y ago
Also, he probably would have won _if_ his rescue effort hadn't been such a boondoggle and failure. It's like they didn't rehearse the situation beforehand and winged it (no pun intended).

My history professor also made passing mention to Carter's loss largely being due to the Iran hostage crisis, which "magically" resolved when Reagan was inaugurated.

mixmastamyk 5y ago

Yes, and until looking into the subject I didn't realize how close it came. Wikipedia says it took only minutes, but definitely later on inauguration day. They just didn't bother back then I guess. Cable news didn't yet exist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_hostage_crisis#Release https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_hostage_crisis#Release

dhosek 5y ago
I remember watching the inauguration on TV in my junior high auditorium and they interrupted the inauguration coverage to announce the release of the hostages.
- mixmastamyk 5y ago
  :wow: emoji would fit well here.

nabla9 5y ago

Not magically. Carter negotiated end to the hostage crisis (Algiers Accords of January 19, 1981).

CalChris 5y ago

He's partly right. Stagflation was another issue. Also Reagan was a natural actor, brainless but telegenic. The United States (Dulles) overthrew the democratically elected Mossadegh in 1953 and installed the Shah. Then Eisenhower, JFK, Nixon, Ford and yes Carter completely supported the Shah. The Iranian revolutionaries held that against us and in particular, against the then president, Jimmy Carter. Given what we did to them, they had a point. The resulting hostage crisis was the smallest humiliation the US ever suffered. Compare that to Saddam sending an Exocet into the Stark or Israel strafing the Liberty. Reagan made much of this crisis during the election, and the hostages were released on inauguration day. Then Reagan supported Iraq in their invasion of Iran AND also sold missiles to Iran. A strange foreign policy, mostly beholden to whatever Saudi Arabia and Israel wanted on a given day.

Blackstrat 5y ago
Brainless? Sorry, I don’t think that’s a defensible position. Read his writings over the years. They reflect more thought than he is given credit for.

mc32 5y ago

Also, he probably would have won _if_ his rescue effort hadn't been such a boondoggle and failure. It's like they didn't rehearse the situation beforehand and winged it (no pun intended).