[TheRealThing]

I don't believe that Carter lost the election because of the botched rescue attempt. The fact that he had no Plan B and just sat helplessly in the White House for months definitely contributed to his loss. However, even if Carter had not cut the Shah off at the knees with his naive foreign policy, his pessimism and handling of the economy would still have been huge hurdles to clear.

Of course, there were many other reasons for Carter's loss, I should have clarified that. He did look bad as a result of the botched attempt, and he was never able to adequately rehabilitate his image. The point I was eluding to was that at the time, it seemed folks seened much more willing to hold the president responsible. I was just wondering if an awakening could occur as the result of the recent revelations of presidential distortions.