We discuss the gross morphological features of the cosmic ray electron spectrum from 200 MeV to 6 GeV as measured in eight of the nine years 1969--1977. We find no evidence that the solar magnetic field polarity change of 1970--1971 affected the relative modulation of electrons and protons. However, previously noted problems in explaining the variation of both the electron and proton modulation by one model can at least qualitatively be understood by allowing simultaneous variations in the diffusion coefficient and the boundary of the modulation region in a spherically symmetric solution of the Fokker-Planck equation. This model also predicts a change in the radial gradient of protons from 1973 to 1974.