Question concerning 1980 political campaign ads

[Valerie5555]

Just wondered what would have happened back in 1980 had anything happened like Ronald Reagan or Ronbo Raygun going so far as to use "Embassy Hostage" footage in campaign ads against Jimmy Carter. Wondered if there would have been an outcry in that case.

[Davis_X_Machina]

1. Probably not...

....the media were not having Carter re-elected, not at any price.

Nightline had its genesis in the running "America Held Hostage" special that ABC ran every night after local 11:00 pm news.

They could have called the show "Carter Fucked Up", and it would have been more accurate.

Those who believe in some pre-lapsarian mythicaal era of an even-handed media, one that wasn't in the tank for the Pugs, need to get over it -- such an era never existed.

Never.

[Valerie5555]

2. So the joke about "Get Carter & Kill Bill," what the Ratpooplicans would

do if they could is a fairly apt one.


But seriously though the Americans in that situation were merely held against their will, one would have thought that Penne Laingen et al would have taken exception to the disrespect shown to their loved ones' ordeal in being illegally incarcerated in Iran at the time.


On edit, I bet there may have been a bigger outcry had the footage of the dead rescue mission commandoes been used.

[populistmom]

3. This was the first campaign I was old enough to remember

All I remember in the media was comedians making funny of Carter and hammering him on every issue, whereas Reagan was presented as likable, strong, "going to lower taxes", etc. Thank goodness my parents set me strait, but I remember being in 3rd grade and every other kid but me talking about how mom and dad were voting for Reagan.

[Valerie5555]

4. Considering how I imagined most Americans at the time were pretty

sympathetic to the predicament of the hostages, and even considered our then Ambassador to Iran to be a big hero for assisting the Americans who eluded capture at their own embassy in fleeing Iran, there may have been an outcry, if only out of sympathy for the captives and outrage at their captivity.

Was in 3rd to 4th grade at the time so I may have been about your age, possibly a little bit older.