When President Jimmy Carter ran for re-election in 1980, he had to compete against former California Governor Ronald Reagan.

It wasn’t a contest. Reagan captured 44 of the 50 states. and won Over 8 million popular votes.

Why was Carter’s re-election effort so disastrous?

Perhaps the most important reason, but not the only reason, is that Iran took Americans hostage in 1979 and was still holding them when the 1980 elections took place.

In an essay posted on the National Archives’ website, archival expert Michael J. Hancock summarized what happened.

“The hostage crisis had a significant impact on President Carter’s bid for re-election in 1980.” he wrote. “Many voters perceived his inability to resolve the crisis as a sign of weakness. This was compounded by the fact that his response to the crisis made it impossible for him to campaign effectively. The country was plagued by double-digit inflation, rising unemployment, the Iranian crisis, and the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

“Americans voted, and the result was a landslide victory for Ronald Reagan,” he wrote.

A summary of the hostage crisis released by the State Department’s Historical Bureau argues that the Soviet Union took advantage of the Carter administration’s weaknesses in dealing with Iran.

“Representing the United States abroad has been a dangerous job since the beginning of our republic, but that was never more true than during the Carter administration.” This department post states:.

“On November 4, 1979, Iranian students occupied the embassy and held more than 50 Americans hostage, ranging from the chargé d’affaires to the most junior staff members,” the report said.

“While the courage of the American hostages in Tehran and their families at home reflected the best traditions of the State Department, the Iran hostage crisis undermined President Carter’s foreign policy operations,” the report said. There is. “The crisis dominated headlines and news broadcasts, making the government appear weak and powerless.”

“The regime’s vitality was sapped, and the Soviet Union exploited America’s weaknesses to gain its own strategic advantage,” it said.

On April 25, 1980, Carter appeared on television to inform the American public about the administration’s harrowing efforts to rescue the hostages.

“Due to an equipment failure on the rescue helicopter, the mission had to be terminated.” carter said. “As our team was withdrawing on my orders, two American military aircraft collided on the ground after refueling in a remote desert area of ​​Iran.”

“There was no fighting. There was no fighting,” Carter said. “However, very unfortunately, eight of the crew members of the two planes that collided were killed, and several other Americans were injured in the accident.”

“Following the attempted incident, we continue to hold the Iranian government responsible for the safety and early release of the long-held American hostages,” Carter said.

The Iranians held the hostages until the day Reagan became president.

On January 21, 1981, the New York Daily News reported: “In a dramatic turn of events at noon as President Reagan was delivering his inaugural address, Iran yesterday released and repatriated 52 American hostages after 444 days of fear, humiliation and suffering.” delay. ”

President Reagan’s biggest conflict was with the Soviet Union, not Iran, and President Reagan dealt with the issue in a very different way than President Carter had dealt with the hostage crisis.

In 1977, Richard Allen, who would become President Reagan’s first National Security Advisor, was considering running for governor of New Jersey. So he went to California and asked President Reagan for help.

During a conversation at President Reagan’s home, as a memorial. in an interview Mr. Allen wrote for the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, and Mr. Reagan explained his approach to the Cold War.

“I would like to share with you my basic theory about the Cold War,” President Reagan told President Allen.

“What is that?” said Allen.

“Some people say I’m very simple, but there’s a difference between being simple and being simple,” President Reagan said. “Many things that are very complex are very simple if you think about it.”

“Yes, sir,” said Allen.

“With that in mind,” President Reagan said, “my theory of the Cold War is that we win and they lose. What do you think about that?

Allen was excited about Regan’s approach and joined his team.

During President Reagan’s second term, he gave a speech in the shadow of the Berlin Wall.

“The totalitarian world considers even symbols of love and worship to be an insult.”Reagan said in that speech. “Many years ago, before the East Germans started rebuilding their churches, they built a secular structure, the TV Tower on Alexanderplatz. Since then, authorities have fixed what are considered the tower’s biggest flaws. We are working to make the top glass bulbs of all kinds. But even today, when the sun hits that sphere that towers over all of Berlin, the light makes the sign of the cross, just like the city itself. Symbols, symbols of worship cannot be suppressed.”

“Mr. Gorbachev,” Reagan defiantly declared, “tear down this wall.”

A little more than two years later, when President Reagan’s vice president succeeded him, the wall came down. The Cold War has been won. And history will remember Reagan as the leader who brought the Cold War to fruition.

Terence P. Jeffrey is editor of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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