1980 United States presidential election (It's a go, Mr. President)

The 1980 United States presidential election was the 49th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 4, 1980. Democratic ticket of incumbent President Jimmy Carter and Senator John Glenn defeated Republican nominees former Governor Ronald Reagan and Congressman George Bush in an upset. It was the fourth presidential election in which the losing candidate won the popular vote and the first election since 1972 in which the incumbent president got reelected.

After fending off multpile primary challenges, including Senator Ted Kennedy, incumbent president Jimmy Carter got renominated with popular incumbent Senator John Glenn chosen as his running mate. The rise of religious conservatism to the national mainstream lead to the rise of the candidacy of previously fringe candidate and the former Governor of California, Ronald Reagan, who, in a contested primary defeated, among others, U.S. Representatives George Bush and John B. Anderson. After losing the primary Anderson decided to announce an independent candidacy with Wisconsin Governor Patrick Lucey as his running mate.

Carter touted the accomplishments of his presidency, among which were the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, the Salt II Treaty and simplifying federal bureaucracy. Reagan positioned himself as a defense hawk and economic conservative, wanting to establish supply-side economics and balance the national budget. One of the major issues of the election became the Iran hostage crisis, Reagan attacked Carter for his handling of the crisis, criticising him as weak on defence, that argument was however shortlived, when Operation Eagle Claw lead to the release of the American hostages, giving Carter a late boost in the polls, enough to bring him over the finish line.

Carter won the election narrowly, with just 3 thousand votes separating both of the candidates in the state of Pennsylvania, which, if won by Reagan instead, would have given him enough electoral votes to secure the presidency. Reagan won the popular vote by over 4 percent, marking the fourth time in American history when the winning candidate lost the popular vote. This fact increased the dissaffection of Americans in the Electoral College system used for the election of presidents and the Carter presidency, which some Conservatives saw as almost illegitimate, lacking the mandate of the governed. Despite calls on him to overturn the election and issue a case to the Supreme Court, Reagan accepted the results, conceding two days after the election. Anderson's independent candidacy was at that point the best standing in American history, winning over 11 percent of the popular vote, however as he did not secure a majority in any state his aim of deadlocking the Electoral College failed. President Jimmy Carter was inaugurated for a second term on January 20, 1981.