Jimmy Carter’s Presidential Legacy: A Crisis of Confidence
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter delivered an extraordinary address to the nation, painting a picture of a listless nation trapped in a moral and spiritual funk. He listed criticisms of his presidency, describing a crisis of confidence that struck at the very heart and soul of the nation’s will. However, the speech ultimately came back to haunt Carter, making it easy for opponents, including Ronald Reagan, to portray him as a pessimistic and uninspiring leader.
Despite his command of foreign policy at the height of the Cold War, Carter’s presidency was severely damaged by the Iran hostage crisis. In October 1979, the United States allowed the Shah of Iran to enter the country for medical treatment, infuriating Islamic revolutionaries who saw him as an oppressive US puppet. On November 4, students who supported the Islamic revolution seized the US Embassy in Tehran, taking 66 Americans hostage.
The 444-day standoff transfixed the nation, souring the national mood day by day as television news bulletins tallied how long the hostages had been in custody. The crisis gradually dashed Carter’s hopes of a second term, and his fortunes were further battered by a daring and ultimately disastrous rescue bid in which a US helicopter crashed in the desert, killing eight US servicemen.
As the Cold War approached a pivotal point, Carter decided to boycott the Summer Olympics in Moscow and asked the Senate to delay ratification of SALT II. However, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 and the lengthening humiliation of the hostage crisis fostered an impression of US power under siege.
The election of 1980 was a perfect storm of unpleasant events, and Carter’s inability to get the Iranian hostages released before the election spelled doom for his re-election bid. Reagan berated Carter as an ineffectual leader, and the actor-turned-California governor pulled off a stunning landslide victory, winning 489 electoral votes.
In the final humiliation for Carter, Iran released the hostages on January 20, 1981, just 20 minutes after Reagan was sworn in as president. Carter’s presidency was marked by a crisis of confidence, and his inability to resolve the Iran hostage crisis ultimately led to his defeat in the 1980 election.