That does this speech tell you about America in 1979? What problems is the country facing? Does Carter seem to have a clear solution to those problems? If so, what is it?
This speech Carter gave Carter a slight boost in his poll numbers in 1979, but, in the 1980 presidential debates Ronald Reagan turned the themes of the speech to his advantage. Listen to some of Reagan's debate comments. What do you see in Reagan's presentation that helps explain his ability to convince Americans move in a different direction than Carter advocated?
I think that Carter definitely connected to the small people in his speech. He made people feel important and involved in the government with this. He did a great job connecting to his people. Carter seemed to have some steps to take to start the comeback of America, including helping the needy, and building confidence.
ReplyDeleteReagan's comments were much more negative, and harsh than what Carter had said. I can see Reagan feeding off the bitterness some people may have against the government to his advantage, and he described exactly how he would change things, instead of asking people to have faith in him.