Dominic Sandbrook

Watergate has erupted.

Everybody assumes that all Washington politicians are really corrupt.

People are saying, let's have an outsider to drain the swamp, all of this kind of thing.

And so Carter comes through in the Democratic primaries.

He plays up the fact that he's an outsider.

He's a southerner.

He's an evangelical Christian.

He's a populist, all of this stuff.

He has these ads where he's walking around his farm in his lovely checked shirt.

He talks about how he likes to teach Sunday school.

And his promise, his policy prescription is so vague.

I mean, it's brilliant.

It's all things to all men.

People say, well, what will it be like when you're president?

He says, I will give you, and I'm not going to do the voice because I cannot do a southern accent.

He says, do you want to do it, Tom, in your Australian accent?

No, you do it.

You go for it.

He says, I will promise a government that is as good and honest and decent and competent and compassionate and as filled with love as are the American people.

And instead of reaching for the sick bucket...