Jimmy Carter's Malaise

President Jimmy Carter’s presidency was marked by a number of significant national problems, including a continuation of the “energy crisis” which had begun with the OPEC reductions in oil output in the early 1970s.  Having already made four speeches on the subject, Carter felt in the summer of 1979 that another was needed, but that the American people were no longer listening. In preparation, he consulted Democratic leaders from Congress and around the county.  His pollster believed that the American people simply faced a crisis of confidence because of the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.; the Vietnam War; and Watergate.  Based on those consultations and that information, on July 15, 1979 - thirty-three years ago today - he gave  the now-famous televised address that has become known as the “Malaise Speech” (ironically, the word “malaise” was not actually used).  The following is the heart of the talk:

"I want to talk to you right now about a fundamental threat to American democracy. . . . I do not refer to the outward strength of America, a nation that is at peace tonight everywhere in the world, with unmatched economic power and military might. The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation. . . .

"In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. But we've discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning....

"I'm asking you for your good and for your nation's security to take no unnecessary trips, to use carpools or public transportation whenever you can, to park your car one extra day per week, to obey the speed limit, and to set your thermostats to save fuel.... I have seen the strength of America in the inexhaustible resources of our people. In the days to come, let us renew that strength in the struggle for an energy-secure nation. . . ."

Although it has since been almost universally criticized, it was not immediately seen as a failure.  The New York Times ran the headline "Speech Lifts Carter Rating to 37%; Public Agrees on Confidence Crisis; Responsive Chord Struck" later that week.  

How much did this realistic (almost pessimistic) speech contribute to Carter's resounding defeat by the upbeat, optimistic and charismatic Ronald Reagan less than sixteen month's later?  It's of course impossible to tell, but it's tempting to believe that it (or the tone that it represents) was at least a part of the story.  Undoubtedly the President was correct, but you have to wonder how much consolation that was to him after the election.