1989 PBS interview: Reagan reflects on debating Jimmy Carter in 1980

[alp227]

Run time: 04:26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZFmyLIZ-tc   Posted on YouTube: February 05, 2011 By YouTube Member: PBSNewsHour Views on YouTube: 125   Posted on DU: February 05, 2011 By DU Member: alp227 Views on DU: 1177

 
For the August 7, 1989 MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, Jim Lehrer interviewed Ronald Reagan nearly eight months after Vice President George H.W. Bush succeeded Reagan as President. PBS NewsHour yesterday played an excerpt from that interview where Reagan discussed the 1980 presidential debates. Reagan addressed how Carter stated in a debate how he talked about nuclear disarmament with daughter Amy:

JIM LEHRER: The other thing that came out of that debate was President Carter's statement about his daughter, Amy, and that he had talked to his daughter about what the big issue was, and she had said nuclear proliferation, nuclear weapons, nuclear disarmament.

What -- did you -- when he said that, as you were standing there on the stage, did you -- were you aware of the fact that he had made a terrible mistake?

RONALD REAGAN: It seemed to me he had, because the whole thing sounded -- and I think you could almost feel an attitude from the audience on it -- that the president was going to make a major policy based on what a child told him?

And I'm sure he didn't have that in mind, but it's what -- that's the way it came out. And I was prepared to say to the people -- I promised them I wouldn't ask my kids what I should do.

A clip of Carter discussing his daughter is here (1-minute mark)

Reagan also credited his "are you better off" line as why he won.

LEHRER: Generally, how important do you think that debate was to your having defeated President Carter?

REAGAN: I think -- well, I think there were some things. As a matter of fact, I think a very telling line was at the very end of the debate, when I told the people that, if they believed they were better off than they were four years ago, then they had no other choice but to vote for my opponent. But if they thought they weren't better off, and that there were things that could be done, I would like to offer myself as the candidate for their selection.

[underpants]

1. George Will got his Repub bona fides by stealing a Carter debate prep-book

There was great praise for him at the time and it set George Will loose on America as an opinion (actually everyone else's opinion several days late and after consulting a thesaurus) now he claims it was all nonsense and RW writers have pretty much been required to file "George Will didn't do it" articles.

[JHB]

8. Well, technically he's right: Will didn't steal it himself...

...it was done by some Republican in the WH, either a proto-Linda Tripp or someone visiting on business or to make a report who saw and filched a copy. Saying Will did it just gives them more excuse to pretend the whole account is inaccurate.

Will's infamy is in being the Carter stand-in during Regan's practice for the debates (which, by any measure is actively aiding the campaign) and then going on national TV to praise Reagan's performance ("masterful") without disclosing his involvement (would have put a damper on his "conservative, but fair and objective" image of the time).

And as Reagan's debate-practice partner, he know about the purloined prep-book, but that was fine with him. Also something he didn't disclose while Gipper-gushing.

[craigmatic]

2. Fuck reagan. He set us on this path of economic ruin.

[spooked911]

7. my sentiments too

though he did other terrible things

[Enthusiast]

3. Iran-Contra

Reagan = unworthy of respect.

[jjewell]

4. Carter lost the Presidency...

because he failed to close the US Embassy in Iran before allowing the exiled Shah of Iran to enter the US, resulting in 52 embassy hostages to be held in captivity for 444 days. The Shah had been overthrown, and there was no recognizable government in Iran at the time, so the US Embassy should been closed, and US personnel removed.

The disasterouly failed Desert One hostage rescue attempt, in the midst of the 1980 Presidential campaign basically sealed Carter's fate, and the belief, in the eyes of most Americans at the time, that he was a loser.

[JHB]

9. Ding! we have a winnah!

[Charleston Chew]

5. The Second 1980 Presidential Debate, October 28, 1980

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x539848

[lunasun]

6. still waiting on that better America you promised.....and thanks 4 Bush 1+2 too old boob