Jimmy Carter’s “Malaise” Speech
The presidential address that should have changed the country.
Written by Filed under History
The first half of 1979 was a turbulent time in America, characterized by high inflation, plummeting auto sales, and a fuel shortage that led to violence on gas lines around the country. In the midst of these day-to-day challenges, a nuclear power plant nearly melted down on Three Mile Island near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (March 28); a DC-10 en route from Chicago to Los Angeles crashed upon takeoff, killing 271 people (May 24); NASA’s Skylab plunged to earth (July 11); and a stadium-wide riot occurred between games of a major league doubleheader on “Disco Demolition Night” at Chicago’s Comiskey Park (July 12).
Then on July 15, Jimmy Carter delivered one of the most remarkable presidential addresses in U.S. history—the “Crisis of Confidence” speech—in which he spoke of a crisis in the American soul, and also detailed his proposal for a new national energy policy. Though Carter’s words were initially well-received—the address, now commonly known as the “malaise” speech—went on to play a pivotal role in his political downfall, and helped usher in the rise of the conservative movement.
In the new book “What the Heck Are You Up To, Mr. President?” (Bloomsbury), author Kevin Mattson revisits the “Crisis of Confidence” speech, placing it in the cultural and political context of the time and explaining why it has been misremembered by the public. It’s an eye-opening work that begs the question: Would the U.S. be better off today if it had taken Carter’s words to heart?
Failure interviewed Mattson to find out how and why the speech became associated with malaise, a word Carter never uttered during the thirty-two minute address.
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