Reagan romps home

AFTER an election campaign in which moral issues have featured prominently and the Catholic Church has been notable for its high profile, Republican Ronald Reagan predictably gained a landslide victory when America went to the polls on Tuesday.
Doubts about the incumbent's continuing mental agility (he will be 74 next birthday) were cast aside as voters opted for Mr Reagan's hawk-like stance on nuclear weapons and arms control, monetarist economics and strong commitment to restore the national moral fibre, including a pledge to lighten abortion legislation.
The defeated Democratic candidate, Walter Mondale and his controversial Catholic running mate, Mrs Geraldine Ferraro, stayed buoyant to the last, with the man famed for his "Norwegian charm" predicting a rude shock for pollsters who had given his opponent a 15-20 point lead. Returns from the booths in a surprisingly high turn-out, proved the pollsters right.