1980 Presidential Election

past is prologue Mar. 20, 2023

Did Reagan Team’s Iran-Hostage Sabotage Defeat Jimmy Carter?Reagan-campaign operatives may have prolonged the Iran Hostage Crisis, but that was just one of the damaging political crises Carter faced in 1980.

By Ed Kilgore

conspiracy theories Mar. 19, 2023

Lawmaker Reveals ‘October Surprise’ Plot to Sabotage Jimmy Carter’s ReelectionA Reagan campaign ally allegedly worked to convince Iran not to release their American hostages until after Election Day.

By Chas Danner

past is prologue Oct. 16, 2021

Joe Biden Is Not Jimmy Carter, and This Is Not the 1970sThe right’s facile comparisons of the two presidents miss the vastly different circumstances facing Biden and distort Carter’s record.

By Ed Kilgore

sex scandals Feb. 24, 2021

Fanne Fox, Wilbur Mills, and a Tale of Washington HubrisThe woman involved in the implosion of one of Washington’s most bloated careers has died, and with her a golden era of D.C. sex scandals.

By Ed Kilgore

past is prologue July 16, 2020

Remembering the Reagan-Ford ‘Co-Presidency’ That Could Have BeenIf you find Biden’s veep selection process boring, look back 40 years to a wild ride at the Republican convention where Reagan eventually picked Bush.

By Ed Kilgore

kennedy assassination Nov. 22, 2019

JFK’s Complicated Legacy on the Anniversary of His AssassinationHis tragically shortened presidency was shrouded by myth and distorted by the family dynasty.

By Ed Kilgore

what’s past is prologue Mar. 23, 2019

How Jimmy Carter’s Election Previewed Trump’sAs Carter becomes the oldest ex-president, it’s useful to remember how strange and unusual his rise to the White House actually was.

By Ed Kilgore

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