D.B.W.I mondale did not defeat reagan

Because of the only-Nixon-can-go-to-China effect, Reagan might have been able to swing better deals with a Soviet Union in decline.

As we all know, we were bogged in a proxy war in Afghanistan all through the Mondale years. And the Soviets took it personally. Of course they did. It was their soldiers dying.

It was only in the second year of President du Pont's administration, starting around August '94 as I recall, that we were able to help negotiate a coalition government in Afghanistan which I guess has worked out okay.

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PS If Pres. Reagan had not faltered in both debates, I think it's highly likely he would have had a second term. I fully acknowledge that views on this vary, with a lot of people focusing on the slow recovery of middle-class jobs following the '82 recession.
 
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extremely hard to be honest. maybe volcker or miller pursues different policies under carter, too late to help him but enough to give reagan a chance? but that.. seems really kind of the "wank" end of things for my tastes. and probably leads to other butterflies...
 
When he was appointed in 1979, Federal Reserve chair Paul Volcker maniacally focused on reducing inflation, whereas a healthy economy is built from a handful of equally important inputs. So, he did poorly for both the Carter and Reagan administrations. All the same, the "impeach Volcker" movement never gathered enough steam at any particular point in time and we had to wait all the way till 1983 for his crappy 4-year term to finally, finally expire.

Maybe an ATL in which foreign capital flows into the U.S. due to Volcker's higher interest rates? And perhaps combined with Reagan being more successful at his selling tax cut proposals to Congress. We might get a stimulatory, almost Keynesian effect where GDP grows at a respectable 3% yearly rate, even at the cost of rather high deficits. Maybe. If someone wants to explore this particular side branch, please have at it.
 
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