How astute is my political analyis? 😉

I hope it’s gotten better than it was in 1980. I was a freshman at Ohio University and was assigned in a political science class to write a paper predicting the presidential election.

Republican Ronald Reagan, Democrat Jimmy Carter and independent John Anderson were in the race. I researched the race carefully. I studied the polls. I examined the Electoral College. I analyzed the political mood of the country.

And then I wrote a compelling, detailed paper that explained why Anderson would shock the world and win the election. Turned it in a couple of days before the election.

Reagan won by a landslide with 489 electoral votes. Carter, the incumbent, had 49 electoral votes. Anderson got zero electoral votes and received 6.6 percent of the popular vote.

I got an “A” on the paper. Professor said “Great analysis. Great research. Well written.” That speaks more about the classroom expectations than anything I actually accomplished.

I hope I have gotten better in the nearly five decades since.