After losing to Gerald Ford in the 1976 Republican Party presidential primaries, Reagan had already positioned himself as a more conservative and hard line politician when he emphasized the dangers of nuclear war and the threat posed by the Soviet Union in his concession speech. With the events unfolding in Tehran, Reagan promised to return the United States to a position of strength on the world stage.
What worked for Carter in the 1976 presidential election now firmly worked against him as voters now craved the strength his opponent was promising in an ever more threatening global community. The fact that Reagan was also a seasoned performer who displayed more charm and wit and humor when in front of the cameras, helped him win the election by a landslide. Taking 51 percent of the popular vote with 489 electoral votes to Carter’s 49 electoral votes.
