Carters loss of popularity

The 1970's was a difficult time period in American history filled with chaos, domestic and international crises, and very poor presidential leadership. Richard Nixon was president during the early years of the seventies and he was far from popular in the eyes of the American people. With inflation rapidly rising, Nixon soon became unfavorable, and with the controversy surrounding his actions concerning the Watergate Crisis, he was impeached and forced to resign. His Vice President, Gerald R. Ford, soon took his place in the White House. However, Ford was unable to handle the crippling events taking place in the United States; his approval dropped drastically within months, and like Nixon he lost support of the American people. When the 1976 presidential election came around, the American people needed a new hero whom they could trust and who could pull the nation out of its current state of misery. To fill this position, American chose to elect James Earl Carter, Jr., Governor from Georgia. Jimmy Carter began his presidency in the bright glow of public support built on his promise of bringing honesty and morality back to politics; but unable to successfully deal with conflicts beyond his control concerning domestic and foreign affairs, his term as President ended behind a dark cloud of public disapproval.

Jimmy Carter entered the White House in 1977 with the bright glow of public support from the American people, stemming from his outspoken and admiring charisma. He was seen as the hero who could bring the nation out of disparity and restore it back to its golden years. He guaranteed that his government "would be filled with love as are the American People" (qtd. in Slavin 58). Carter characterized himself as honest and aggressi...

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... in their once loved hero. They no longer saw him as the man who could cure the country's problems and restore the nation back to its golden years.

In the 1980 presidential election, Carter faced even more trouble when the Democratic party became divided. Senator Ted Kennedy, member of the Democratic liberal wing, stole much of the democratic support away from Carter; although Jimmy won the Democratic primary, he had lost much needed democratic support and faced a major disadvantage heading into the election ("Election of 1980" 1). Not surprisingly, the dissatisfied voters did not reelect him for a second term, and many openly expressed their dissatisfaction with his handling of domestic and foreign affairs ("Outline of American History" 3). Ronald Reagan won the election, and Carter was forced to head back to Georgia behind a dark cloud of public disapproval.