Who said “Reagan won because he ran against Jimmy Carter. If he ran unopposed he would have lost.”?

Verified

Mort Sahl. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceQuotations Collected by Donald Gudehus: Mort Sahl (1987)

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“Reagan won because he ran against Jimmy Carter. If he ran unopposed he would have lost.”
— Mort Sahl
VerifiedQuotations Collected by Donald Gudehus: Mort Sahl (1987) · evidenceElections

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Quotations Collected by Donald Gudehus: Mort Sahl (1987).

APA

Sahl, M. (n.d.). Reagan won because he ran against Jimmy Carter. If he ran unopposed he would have lost. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/14335-reagan-won-because-he-ran-against-jimmy-carter/

MLA

Sahl, Mort. “Reagan won because he ran against Jimmy Carter. If he ran unopposed he would have lost.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/14335-reagan-won-because-he-ran-against-jimmy-carter/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Sahl, Mort. “Reagan won because he ran against Jimmy Carter. If he ran unopposed he would have lost.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/14335-reagan-won-because-he-ran-against-jimmy-carter/.

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