John: Good points all.
No doubt the stars were much better aligned for Reagan's election
and governing prospects in 1980 than they were in 1976. But what a
lot of pain and setbacks to go through to get there - in addition
to the lost years from the man's prime. All in all, though, I
suspect you're right about the timing. The train wreck of the
Carter presidency certainly did allow a million flowers to
bloom.
