CARTER and Reagan-call that a choice?” The theme surfaced early in the columns of political writers across the nation and continued right on down to election day. Only this time these analysts succeeded in getting the pollsters to check on the “truth” of their assertion that a goodly share of the general public would really prefer “someone else.” As a result, there was actually some hard evidence, both early and late, that less exalted Americans shared the disenchantment of these professional pundits.