The economy wasn't as bad as people like to say.. the interest rates were horrible to handle the inflation from Nixon going on a printing spree (and that getting jacked with a couple of oil shocks made it much worse): Real GDP, growth after inflation is taken out, was about the same as Reagan. Carter' unadjusted GDP was around 10% or better per year, which adjusted to roughly 3% (inflation was 13.5% in 80).
I spent the last of my teens and a most of my 20's living with inflation hovering around 4-5% and unemployment at over 5% with Reagan averaging an adjusted GDP of 3.5%.
No Iran going nuts Americans are not under enough stress to roll the dice on "voodoo economics" (Bush coined that phrase in the primary); Carter should win pretty easily without Iran going loony tunes.
