# Republicans Sabotaged Carter's Re-election via the Iran Hostage Crisis **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 19, 2023, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-sabotaged-carters-re-election-via-the-iran-hostage-crisis/981346 "2023-03-19T06:58:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-sabotaged-carters-re-election-via-the-iran-hostage-crisis/981346/61 "2023-03-21T21:12:28Z")
I’m not sure… I think we need clarification if that was sarcasm or a truly-held belief. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-sabotaged-carters-re-election-via-the-iran-hostage-crisis/981346/62 "2023-03-21T21:56:39Z")
I was in High School at the time and not particularly politically aware. My recollection of the common wisdom at the time was that the hostages were released the day that Reagan took office was that the Iranians were terrified of him. They thought that he was a mad man who would bomb the fuck out of them until they came home. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-sabotaged-carters-re-election-via-the-iran-hostage-crisis/981346/63 "2023-03-21T22:00:50Z")
I was in high school, too. We thought it was just Iran giving Carter a big “Fuck you!” ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-sabotaged-carters-re-election-via-the-iran-hostage-crisis/981346/64 "2023-03-21T23:40:38Z")
It is not obvious to me that the Russian Republic is a better place than was the RSFSR. I cannot tell. I have heard a lot about how awful it was, but really only anecdotes. Putin seems a lot like Breshnev (a Ukrainian), only much less diplomatic. And quite frankly, the US is pretty fucked up in its own ways, at least part of which contributed to how fucked up the Eastern Bloc was. Some folks in that area are better off than they used to be, others are not. Without an in-depth, unbiased study (an unlikely thing), we are entirely unqualified to make an assessment. Just because a Misha tells us it is so much better is not a reason to ignore a Lubomir who tells us the current system sucks worse. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-sabotaged-carters-re-election-via-the-iran-hostage-crisis/981346/65 "2024-03-14T19:31:07Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Without an in-depth, unbiased study (an unlikely thing), we are entirely unqualified to make an assessment Here’s a simple test: how many former Soviet republics and Warsaw Pact countries are working to rejoin Russia? Bueller? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-sabotaged-carters-re-election-via-the-iran-hostage-crisis/981346.md?page=3)