Jefferson Cowie

Right. So I presume you're leading us up to the crisis of confidence speech, which was supposed to be an energy speech. The energy crisis is defining the decade. We're literally running out of gas, right, which is a great metaphor and a reality. And it's causing stagflation, both high unemployment and high inflation, which are not supposed to go up at the same time. So nothing's working right.

Right. So I presume you're leading us up to the crisis of confidence speech, which was supposed to be an energy speech. The energy crisis is defining the decade. We're literally running out of gas, right, which is a great metaphor and a reality. And it's causing stagflation, both high unemployment and high inflation, which are not supposed to go up at the same time. So nothing's working right.

And he's given speech after speech on the energy crisis. And then he disappears for 10 days and nobody knows where he is. People are worried about his health. But he's been at Camp David and he's been traveling and talking to regular people and community leaders and religious leaders and scholars and stuff about what's wrong with America.

And he's given speech after speech on the energy crisis. And then he disappears for 10 days and nobody knows where he is. People are worried about his health. But he's been at Camp David and he's been traveling and talking to regular people and community leaders and religious leaders and scholars and stuff about what's wrong with America.

And he's given speech after speech on the energy crisis. And then he disappears for 10 days and nobody knows where he is. People are worried about his health. But he's been at Camp David and he's been traveling and talking to regular people and community leaders and religious leaders and scholars and stuff about what's wrong with America.

And he comes out and gives this speech in 1979 where he basically says, the problem is us. The problem is we're too materialistic. We're too self-absorbed. We've lost our way. It was very much a sermon, like you're saying. It was very much a kind of come to Jesus sort of moment. And it was a very risky political move.

And he comes out and gives this speech in 1979 where he basically says, the problem is us. The problem is we're too materialistic. We're too self-absorbed. We've lost our way. It was very much a sermon, like you're saying. It was very much a kind of come to Jesus sort of moment. And it was a very risky political move.

And he comes out and gives this speech in 1979 where he basically says, the problem is us. The problem is we're too materialistic. We're too self-absorbed. We've lost our way. It was very much a sermon, like you're saying. It was very much a kind of come to Jesus sort of moment. And it was a very risky political move.

Yes. And there were a couple of contradictions. One is you were just talking about the post-World War II boom. Essentially, the promise was you work hard and we're going to give you lots of stuff. Right. And he now suddenly... Jimmy Carter's, you know, in the Oval Office saying, you like stuff too much and you need to stop buying stuff because that's bad for our spirit.

Yes. And there were a couple of contradictions. One is you were just talking about the post-World War II boom. Essentially, the promise was you work hard and we're going to give you lots of stuff. Right. And he now suddenly... Jimmy Carter's, you know, in the Oval Office saying, you like stuff too much and you need to stop buying stuff because that's bad for our spirit.

Yes. And there were a couple of contradictions. One is you were just talking about the post-World War II boom. Essentially, the promise was you work hard and we're going to give you lots of stuff. Right. And he now suddenly... Jimmy Carter's, you know, in the Oval Office saying, you like stuff too much and you need to stop buying stuff because that's bad for our spirit.

That's a really interesting question. I mean, counterfactuals are so dangerous. He basically spent his entire presidency fighting first inflation and the oil crisis, and then the hostage crisis. And so all of that is tied up with Middle East and energy policy. And it would have been a completely different game. You also have to see Carter moving away from traditional Democratic norms.

That's a really interesting question. I mean, counterfactuals are so dangerous. He basically spent his entire presidency fighting first inflation and the oil crisis, and then the hostage crisis. And so all of that is tied up with Middle East and energy policy. And it would have been a completely different game. You also have to see Carter moving away from traditional Democratic norms.

That's a really interesting question. I mean, counterfactuals are so dangerous. He basically spent his entire presidency fighting first inflation and the oil crisis, and then the hostage crisis. And so all of that is tied up with Middle East and energy policy. And it would have been a completely different game. You also have to see Carter moving away from traditional Democratic norms.

He's not a new dealer. He's not a great society guy. He has a few things he wants to do, like national health insurance and things like that, that he's not going to be able to do because of inflation. So maybe that would have gone in a positive direction. It's very hard to tell.

He's not a new dealer. He's not a great society guy. He has a few things he wants to do, like national health insurance and things like that, that he's not going to be able to do because of inflation. So maybe that would have gone in a positive direction. It's very hard to tell.

He's not a new dealer. He's not a great society guy. He has a few things he wants to do, like national health insurance and things like that, that he's not going to be able to do because of inflation. So maybe that would have gone in a positive direction. It's very hard to tell.

It's hard to imagine somebody else doing the Camp David Accords. I mean, he so profoundly believed in peace. You know, he's coming off this realpolitik of Henry Kissinger and Nixon or trying to rebuild a world order and moving chess pieces around the global board.

It's hard to imagine somebody else doing the Camp David Accords. I mean, he so profoundly believed in peace. You know, he's coming off this realpolitik of Henry Kissinger and Nixon or trying to rebuild a world order and moving chess pieces around the global board.

It's hard to imagine somebody else doing the Camp David Accords. I mean, he so profoundly believed in peace. You know, he's coming off this realpolitik of Henry Kissinger and Nixon or trying to rebuild a world order and moving chess pieces around the global board.