Psst: Reagan v. Mondale was 1984. 1980 was Reagan v. Carter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election,_1980) and I think you are just enough older than me that all I remember is watching the inauguration in kindergarten, but nothing of the campaign. My mother wrote Jimmy Carter a long letter about how sad she was that he lost, and she got back a hand-written thank you.

(I do not remember, but have been told many times by my older sister, that when Reagan was shot later that year, my mother blurted, "Good, I hope he dies." I think it is fair to classify my family as yellowdogs as well.)

(All I remember of Reagan being shot is how angry I was that all the after-school cartoons were pre-empted. Hey, I was five.)