AHC: Have Carter win

Your mission is to have James Carter defeat Ronald Reagan with a POD no earlier than 1976.

Bonus points if it doesn't involve simply butterflying the Iran Hostage Crisis away

Lemme know!
 
I made an Alt. Presidents list with him winning in 1980 in my Test thread, since I've always wondered what the US would be like if he got a 2nd term. That & Carter is a nice man. Hopefully someone else in the thread will answer/accept your challenge. :)
 
Even if the economy had a strong rebound and was great, without doing something about the hostage crisis I don't think he can win.

Instead of resolving the crisis the only other thing I can see is if it was downplayed in the media. We do have other US citizens held "hostage" around the world under different Presidents but none got the media attention this did back in 79.

Other than that the only way Reagan could lose was if in the days before the election he got caught in bed with either a dead girl or a live boy.
 

Geon

Donor
The Hostage Crisis and the way Carter handled the Afghanistan invasion by the Soviets were two major (pardon the pun) elephants in the room that prevented Carter's reelection. Not to mention the economy was lack luster at best and Americans were looking for a change in the "business as usual" atmosphere around them. While there is no denying Carter was a "nice guy" barring Reagan not getting the nomination you would need to start with rewriting Carter's term in office.
 
The Hostage Crisis and the way Carter handled the Afghanistan invasion by the Soviets were two major (pardon the pun) elephants in the room that prevented Carter's reelection. Not to mention the economy was lack luster at best and Americans were looking for a change in the "business as usual" atmosphere around them. While there is no denying Carter was a "nice guy" barring Reagan not getting the nomination you would need to start with rewriting Carter's term in office.
So to start we butterfly the economy, and then have him handle Afghanistan better?
 

Geon

Donor
So to start we butterfly the economy, and then have him handle Afghanistan better?

Afghanistan and Iran. Many political commentators believe Iran is what sank the Carter presidency.

Also, speaking as a conservative, I can tell you many in the evangelical conservative movement felt betrayed by Carter. They thought they were voting someone into the office of President who would stand for "traditional values" (define that statement as you will). Many evangelicals believed this was their "last chance" to save America. I should know for I was among them at the time. Carter needs to plainly show he at least appears to be on the conservative side in some social issues.
 
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