Romney’s Debate Win Doesn’t Make It 1980 Again
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Oct. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Mitt Romney’s winning performance inlast week’s presidential debate has reinforced his campaign’sbelief that this election parallels the one in 1980: In troubledtimes, Republicans inevitably defeat an unpopular Democraticpresident.
While Romney gets to hit the reset button after PresidentBarack Obama’s desultory display, he’d better not count on the1980 analogy. Ronald Reagan’s victory over Jimmy Carter wasn’tinevitable; it was earned, with some help from outsiders. Theenvironment was far less hospitable for the incumbent presidentin 1980 than it is today.