It's not so hard, however, to imagine the GOP following the pattern set by the Democrats after 1972: pulling themselves together momentarily to field a winning centrist candidate four years later--and then thwarting his ability to govern (as the Democrats in Congress did Jimmy Carter's)--thereby producing an era of domination by the opposition for the next two decades.
Jimmy Carter was not taken seriously as a candidate by the Democrats.
mnli hypothesis: Jimmy Carter was not taken seriously as a candidate by the Democrats. premise: It's not so hard, however, to imagine the GOP following the pattern set by the Democrats after 1972: pulling themselves together momentarily to field a winning centrist candidate four years later--and then thwarting his ability to govern (as the Democrats in Congress did Jimmy Carter's)--thereby producing an era of domination by the opposition for the next two decades.