(Convention 1980 - The PUMA moment)

This week thirty years ago, at the 1980 Democratic Convention in New York, Jimmy Carter re-nominated for President, Walter Mondale re-nominated for vice-President and a disappointed Ted Kennedy lose his bid. Despite an aggressive campaign to get delegates released from their voting commitments, it wound up falling short of the needed votes and Kennedy finally gave in. The air around Madison Square Garden (where the convention was held) was thick with animosity, but there wasn't much to be done about it. The rest of the convention was putting the best spin on things and pleading for party unity. And hoping fortunes would change by November.

Also going on that week was the ever newsworthy Billy Carter, a rash of airplane hi-jackings to Cuba and a champion hog caller. All from ABC World News This Week. Yes, mainstream news was only marginally better then.