Well, I respect you, as far as I know you, as a poster and a patriot... However, we will have to disagree here.
First of all, Ronnie was not without significant and powerful connections. You don't run for president without them. If what you say was true, that would be even more worrying because you don't win an election without them. But he had them... Cheney, Rumsfeld, Casey. Wolfowitz, Brzezinski and... GHW Bush, former head of the CIA. However, Reagan wasn't really president, he was hired to play the president while a familiar group of men consolidated their power behind the scenes... It wasn't about getting Reagan elected, it was about getting the men behind the scenes back in power. Reagan is a red herring.
Let's look instead at GHW Bush...
Bush, as head spook, had every connection and contact necessary to orchestrate a delay of release. The CIA was heavily imbedded in Iran at that time, and is the reason for the hostages being taken in the first place, CIA meddling in Iranian internal affairs... if you can call assassination and installation of a tin pot puppet dictator meddling.
So... we have motive
we have oceans of opportunity
... what about means? And maybe some solid evidence... Something new...
Second Thoughts on October Surprise | Consortiumnews
Lastly, even if this wasn't the case, which it appears now it clearly is, only a fraction of fault lies with Carter and the majority with the Iranian demands that constantly changed once Carter agreed to them. I think the "October Surprise" committee thought that the demands were so outrageous, so inflammatory that Carter would never agree to all of them.
While the connections to the Paris meetings between Salem bin Laden (acting for Bush), US and Iranian emissaries has never been proven, it's looking pretty likely, more than ever.
So... as I said before, Carter worked every day with HONEST effort and concern to get their immediate release, even accepting a condition of apology for the coup and the Shah... While the future Team B crew finagled the noble lie (their specialty) to regain power and execute their long dreamed of plan to collapse the soviet empire in an arms race and secure sole super power status for the USA.
Motive
Means
Opportunity
Evidence
And Proof
I rest my case