I was too young to vote in the 1980 presidential election, but I remember that night vividly. I was upset that Carter lost but remember feeling that he deserved to lose, that the country needed a reset moment, and that the Democratic Party needed some time in the political wilderness.
As much as I respected President Carter, I more than likely would have cast my ballot against him had I been old enough to vote. Whether my ballot would have been cast for Gov. Ronald Reagan, the Republican, or for John Anderson, the independent candidate, I don't know. But I look at Reagan's GOP convention speech from that year and see some strong parallels to this year's contest: Incompetence, failure, and America's global reputation in tatters. The situation was more than enough to send many Democrats to their polling places to cast a vote for Reagan.
In 2008, it looks like we have a reverse situation. With Republican leadership in the White House bringing us incompetence, failure, and a global reputation in tatters, a large number of Republicans seem ready to put their differences aside and cast their ballots for the Democratic ticket...
