= new reply since forum marked as read
It would have made no difference to the result. The nation ignored all evidence our senators introduced, even that offered dramatically and illegally, those first two days. Only prurient claims of attempted rape grabbed attention. But, 11 versus 10. We get the power we vote for.
Poor Gary Hart. Must have been like being hit by an express train no one saw or heard coming. I remember being angry at him.
Looking back, though, Hart would have lost to Reagan. There is no question of that.
That election signaled a giant political shift to the right among the American people that had already started. Jimmy Carter was the last president of the New Deal era, but Carter himself was ideologically economically (and also somewhat socially) conservative, against "big government," and was the primary choice of Democratic voters even though liberal members of congress and other party leaders had done their best to elect a liberal in the primary. Liberals Mo Udall and Jerry Brown even entered the race late in an "anyone but Carter" effort because he was too conservative, but were rejected in favor of Carter.
Then came the big move right with the Reagan era. After 40 years of peace and increasing prosperity under New Deal liberalism, America wanted change, and so we turned the nation over to conservatives.
And here we are. Sigh.
and I will NEVER FORGIVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PEOPLE. 
Enough is enough!
I haven't posted much since I am so furious, especially over the last few days for some reason. I think the murder of a reporter by the pseudo prez (I am sure he is involved in it) and the Dems being called a violent mob sent me over the edge. I know that YOU know how I feel about "taking down the fuckers in DC". 
