Author’s note: This is the unedited version of an article that appeared on the Ars Technica website “The Linux Graphics Stack from X to Wayland” on March 21, 2011. See references at the bottom of this article for the link.
In 1984 the presidential election of the United States of America resulted in the incumbent, Ronald Reagan winning by the second biggest landslide in history. President Reagan captured 49 of 50 states, and nearly got the 50th, but challenger Walter Mondale won his home state of Minnesota by a mere 3761 votes. President Reagan’s victory was not a surprise to Republicans or Democrats, because it was his fiscal policy that had delivered the United States from the deep recession of 1981 and 82. President Reagan won in 1984 because he had already achieved what the American people wanted. Reagan won on the merit of what he had accomplished.
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