NBC Nightly News with John Chancellor: April 28, 1980

[alp227]

Here's a look at history from 40 years and a month ago this day. YouTube has many old network newscasts in full, like NBC Nightly News with John Chancellor from April 28, 1980. The reason you see the Nashville TV ident in the beginning and the time/date stamp is because this video came from the Vanderbilt University Television News Archive. This was a time when network newscasts could actually be called news, not infotainment.

These are the stories from back then:
- Secretary of State Cyrus Vance resigned following Operation Eagle Claw, the disastrous, unsuccessful attempt by the US military to rescue the hostages from the US embassy in Iran.
- President Jimmy Carter went to a San Antonio military hospital to visit military members who were injured during Eagle Claw.
- Iran was moving hostages out of Tehran to various cities.
- The EU threatens to impose economic sanctions on Iran if Iran doesn't meet a deadline to free the hostages.
- Federal government stops sealifts of Cuban refugees.
- The prime lending rate was lowered.
- Senator Ted Kennedy campaigns in Mexico for his long-shot primary challenge to President Carter.
- The US Supreme Court upheld a school desegregation plan in Wilmington, DE (hometown of a future vice president and this year's Democratic presidential candidate).
- A jury reached a verdict on one count for former Office of Management and Budget director Bert Lance, who lasted only eight months on the job in 1977 due to a corruption scandal.
- The US opened a consulate in Shanghai.
- Barbara Timm, mother of one of the hostages, returned to Wisconsin from Iran and received criticism for apologizing for the rescue attempt.

[IronLionZion]

1. If Carter had used twice as many helicopters in Eagle Claw

there is a chance that Reagan would have never become a household name and our country might be a more liberal and better place to live today.

[sandensea]

2. "The worst year in my life," as Carter once referred to 1980.

He was given lemon after lemon that year - and while he couldn't make the lemonade, he certainly proved equal to the task.

Much of the 'Reagan recovery' that followed after 1982 was thanks to Carter's successfully popping the commodities bubble in March of 1980, for instance.

The lemonade, unfortunately, was for Reagan. With Sweet-and-Low for Nancy.