Ronald Reagan

===1980 election===
{{Main|Ronald Reagan 1980 presidential campaign|1980 United States presidential election}}
[[File:ElectoralCollege1980.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|alt=Results for the 1980 United States presidential election|[[1980 United States presidential election|1980 presidential election]] [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]] results, Reagan won 489–49]]
Reagan emerged as a vocal critic of President Carter in 1977. The [[Panama Canal Treaty]]'s signing, the [[1979 oil crisis]], and rise in the inflation, interest and unemployment rates helped set up his 1980 presidential campaign,{{sfn|Woodard|2012|pp=99–101}} which he announced on November 13, 1979{{sfn|Pemberton|1998|pp=86}} with an indictment of the federal government.{{sfn|Woodard|2012|p=102}} His announcement stressed his fundamental principles of tax cuts to stimulate the economy and having both a [[small government]] and a strong [[national defense]],{{sfn|Pemberton|1998|pp=86–87}} since he believed the United States was behind the Soviet Union militarily.<ref name="Bowman 2004" /> Heading into 1980, his age became an issue among the press, and the United States was in [[Early 1980s recession|a severe recession]].{{sfn|Woodard|2012|pp=102–103}} 

In [[1980 Republican Party presidential primaries|the primaries]], Reagan unexpectedly lost the Iowa caucus to [[George H. W. Bush]]. Three days before the New Hampshire primary, the Reagan and Bush campaigns agreed to a one-on-one debate sponsored by ''[[The Telegraph (Nashua, New Hampshire)|The Telegraph]]'' at [[Nashua, New Hampshire]], but hours before the debate, the Reagan campaign invited other candidates including [[Bob Dole]], [[John B. Anderson]], [[Howard Baker]] and [[Phil Crane]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 24, 1980|title=GOP Debate fires tempers|work=[[San Bernardino Sun]]|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SBS19800224.1.1&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1|access-date=May 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522132624/https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SBS19800224.1.1&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1|archive-date=May 22, 2021|via=[[California Digital Newspaper Collection]]}}</ref> Debate moderator Jon Breen denied seats to the other candidates, asserting that ''The Telegraph'' would violate federal campaign contribution laws if it sponsored the debate and changed the ground rules hours before the debate.{{Sfn|Birkner|1987|pp=283–289}} As a result, the Reagan campaign agreed to pay for the debate. Reagan said that as he was funding the debate, he could decide who would debate.<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 24, 1980|title=GOP flaps over rules, overshadows debate|work=[[Toledo Blade]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bDBPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lgIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7096%2C3793431|access-date=May 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522134110/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bDBPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lgIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7096%2C3793431|archive-date=May 22, 2021}}</ref> During the debate, when Breen was laying out the ground rules and attempting to ask the first question, Reagan interrupted in protest to make an introductory statement and wanted other candidates to be included before the debate began.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Dufresne|first1=Louise|date=February 11, 2016|title=Ronald Reagan's testy moment in the 1980 GOP debate|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/reagans-testy-moment-in-the-1980-gop-debate/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522141237/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/reagans-testy-moment-in-the-1980-gop-debate/|archive-date=May 22, 2021|access-date=May 22, 2021|website=[[CBS News]]|language=en}}</ref> The moderator asked Bob Malloy, the volume operator, to mute Reagan's microphone. After Breen repeated his demand to Malloy, Reagan furiously replied, "I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green!{{sic}}".{{Efn|Reagan misstated Breen's last name as "Mr. Green"<ref>{{Cite news|last=Marquard|first=Bryan|date=October 2, 2017|title=Jon Breen, 81, editor who moderated famous Reagan-Bush debate|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|url=http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/obituaries/2017/10/02/jon-breen-editor-who-moderated-famous-reagan-bush-debate/HAk6qLLqMdBxp01NOnMSuL/story.html|access-date=July 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008145920/http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/obituaries/2017/10/02/jon-breen-editor-who-moderated-famous-reagan-bush-debate/HAk6qLLqMdBxp01NOnMSuL/story.html|archive-date=October 8, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>}}<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 11, 2015|title=RealClearSports – Ronald Reagan: "I am paying for this microphone."|url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/debatemoments/reagan.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415024602/https://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/debatemoments/reagan.html|archive-date=April 15, 2021|access-date=May 22, 2021|website=[[RealClearPolitics]]}}</ref> This turned out to be the turning point of the debate and the primary race.<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 25, 1980|title=N.H. Campaign at fever pitch before primary|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=r5JKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=820DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6707%2C2996060|access-date=May 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522140355/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=r5JKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=820DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6707%2C2996060|archive-date=May 22, 2021}}</ref> Ultimately, the four additional candidates left, and the debate continued between Reagan and Bush. Reagan's polling numbers improved, and he won the New Hampshire primary by more than 39,000 votes.<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 27, 1980|title=Reagan scores landslide win in Hew Hampshire|work=[[Toledo Blade]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bzBPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lgIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6171%2C5394771|access-date=May 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522140831/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bzBPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lgIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6171%2C5394771|archive-date=May 22, 2021}}</ref> Soon thereafter, Reagan's opponents began dropping out of the primaries, including Anderson, who left the party to become an independent candidate. Reagan easily captured the presidential nomination and chose Bush as his running mate at the [[1980 Republican National Convention|Detroit convention]] in July.{{sfn|Pemberton|1998|pp=87–89}}

The general election pitted Reagan against Carter amid the multitude of domestic concerns and ongoing [[Iran hostage crisis]] that began on November 4, 1979.{{sfnm|1a1=Pemberton|1y=1998|1pp=89–90|2a1=Woodard|2y=2012|2p=101}} Reagan's campaign worried that Carter would be able to secure the release of the American hostages in [[Iran]] as part of the [[October surprise]],{{sfn|Woodard|2012|p=110}} Carter "suggested that Reagan would wreck Social Security" and portrayed him as a warmonger,{{sfn|Cannon|2001|pp=83–84}} and Anderson carried support [[Rockefeller Republican|from liberal Republicans]] dissatisfied with Reagan's conservatism.{{sfn|Woodard|2012|p=110}}{{efn|John B. Anderson questioned how realistic Reagan's budget proposals were, saying: "The only way Reagan is going to cut taxes, increase defense spending, and balance the budget at the same time is to use blue smoke and mirrors."{{sfn|Anderson|1990|p=126}}}} One of Reagan's key strengths was his appeal to the rising conservative movement. Though most conservative leaders espoused cutting taxes and budget deficits, many conservatives focused more closely on social issues like abortion and homosexuality.<ref>Patterson, pp. 130–134</ref> Evangelical Protestants became an increasingly important voting bloc, and they generally supported Reagan.<ref>Patterson, pp. 135–141, 150</ref> Reagan also won the backing of [[Reagan Democrat]]s.<ref>Patterson, p. 131</ref> Though he advocated socially conservative view points, Reagan focused much of his campaign on attacks against Carter's foreign policy.<ref>Patterson, pp. 145–146</ref>

In August, Reagan gave [[States' rights speech|a speech at the Neshoba County Fair]], stating his belief in [[states' rights]]. [[Joseph Crespino]] argues that the visit was designed to reach out to Wallace-inclined voters,{{sfn|Crespino|2021|p=1}} and some also saw these actions as an extension of the [[Southern strategy]] to garner white support for Republican candidates.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/06/opinion/impossible-ridiculous-repugnant.html |url-access=subscription |title=Impossible, Ridiculous, Repugnant |last=Herbert |first=Bob |author-link=Bob Herbert |date=October 6, 2005 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=December 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229211801/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/06/opinion/impossible-ridiculous-repugnant.html |archive-date=December 29, 2022}}</ref> Reagan's supporters have said that this was his typical anti-big government rhetoric, without racial context or intent.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2007/11/reagan-no-racist-deroy-murdock/ |title=Reagan, No Racist |last=Murdock |first=Deroy |author-link=Deroy Murdock |date=November 20, 2007 |website=[[National Review]] |access-date=December 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229212213/https://www.nationalreview.com/2007/11/reagan-no-racist-deroy-murdock/ |archive-date=December 29, 2022}}</ref>{{sfn|Bennett|Livingston|2021|p=279}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gaillard |first1=Frye |last2=Tucker |first2=Cynthia |title=The Southernization of America: A Story of Democracy in the Balance| year=2022| publisher=NewSouth Books| isbn=9781588384560| page=25,28}}</ref> In the [[1980 United States presidential debates|October 28 debate]], Carter chided Reagan for being against national health insurance. Reagan replied, "[[There you go again]]", though the audience laughed and viewers found him more appealing.{{sfn|Brands|2015|pp=228–229}} Reagan later asked the audience if they were better off than they were four years ago, slightly paraphrasing Roosevelt's words in 1934.{{sfn|Cannon|2001|p=83}} In 1983, Reagan's campaign managers were revealed to having [[Debategate|obtained Carter's debate briefing book]] before the debates.{{sfn|Boller|2004|p=368}} On November 4, 1980, Reagan won in a decisive victory in the Electoral College over Carter, carrying 44 states and receiving 489 electoral votes to Carter's 49 in six states and the District of Columbia. He won the popular vote by a narrower margin, receiving nearly 51 percent to Carter's 41 percent and Anderson's 7 percent. In the [[United States Congress]], Republicans [[1980 United States Senate elections|won a majority of seats in the Senate]] for the first time since 1952{{sfn|Cannon|2001|p=87}} while Democrats [[1980 United States House of Representatives elections|retained the House of Representatives]].{{sfn|Cannon|2000|p=755}}