Kevin Mattson

The distrust that he's, I think, talking about there amongst the general American public is really strong. And he's basically saying, we made mistakes. I made mistakes. We're all making mistakes, which again shows the kind of radical nature of this speech is that he's sharing the blame. But he's also saying that things like Watergate and Vietnam, you can't just slough them off.

The distrust that he's, I think, talking about there amongst the general American public is really strong. And he's basically saying, we made mistakes. I made mistakes. We're all making mistakes, which again shows the kind of radical nature of this speech is that he's sharing the blame. But he's also saying that things like Watergate and Vietnam, you can't just slough them off.

they are things that leave a huge imprint on American political culture. So I think that there's a kind of growing distrust he's trying to address and trying to push back on.

they are things that leave a huge imprint on American political culture. So I think that there's a kind of growing distrust he's trying to address and trying to push back on.

they are things that leave a huge imprint on American political culture. So I think that there's a kind of growing distrust he's trying to address and trying to push back on.

He's got this mix of touting traditional values in contrast with the consumer culture that dominates at this time. To take that on, to put that front and center, saying essentially, you know, let's stop paying attention to all the scenes in the gas lines. Let's get beyond that sort of stuff and realize that there's something much deeper that's troubling.

He's got this mix of touting traditional values in contrast with the consumer culture that dominates at this time. To take that on, to put that front and center, saying essentially, you know, let's stop paying attention to all the scenes in the gas lines. Let's get beyond that sort of stuff and realize that there's something much deeper that's troubling.

He's got this mix of touting traditional values in contrast with the consumer culture that dominates at this time. To take that on, to put that front and center, saying essentially, you know, let's stop paying attention to all the scenes in the gas lines. Let's get beyond that sort of stuff and realize that there's something much deeper that's troubling.

And that is a reliance upon consumer goods and trying to seek our own happiness out of all the things that we want to get. Keep in mind that Jimmy Carter was notorious for teaching Sunday school. He has a kind of minister's tone in some of these passages.

And that is a reliance upon consumer goods and trying to seek our own happiness out of all the things that we want to get. Keep in mind that Jimmy Carter was notorious for teaching Sunday school. He has a kind of minister's tone in some of these passages.

And that is a reliance upon consumer goods and trying to seek our own happiness out of all the things that we want to get. Keep in mind that Jimmy Carter was notorious for teaching Sunday school. He has a kind of minister's tone in some of these passages.

But I don't think that he's just simply blaming or scolding the American people because he prefaces everything with pointing out to his own faults. Usually people who are scolding don't say, I'm also a part of the problem.

But I don't think that he's just simply blaming or scolding the American people because he prefaces everything with pointing out to his own faults. Usually people who are scolding don't say, I'm also a part of the problem.

But I don't think that he's just simply blaming or scolding the American people because he prefaces everything with pointing out to his own faults. Usually people who are scolding don't say, I'm also a part of the problem.

We're going to have to sacrifice. I think that's the bottom line, is what Carter's saying. He's calling people back to sacrifice, and he's saying, you know, there are things we can do in our day-to-day lives. We can turn down the thermostat. We can try not to drive our cars everywhere we go. I think that he sees a way to get back to a better place, but it's going to take sacrifice.

We're going to have to sacrifice. I think that's the bottom line, is what Carter's saying. He's calling people back to sacrifice, and he's saying, you know, there are things we can do in our day-to-day lives. We can turn down the thermostat. We can try not to drive our cars everywhere we go. I think that he sees a way to get back to a better place, but it's going to take sacrifice.

We're going to have to sacrifice. I think that's the bottom line, is what Carter's saying. He's calling people back to sacrifice, and he's saying, you know, there are things we can do in our day-to-day lives. We can turn down the thermostat. We can try not to drive our cars everywhere we go. I think that he sees a way to get back to a better place, but it's going to take sacrifice.

It's going to take people doing something in their ordinary lives. And that's, again, a rarity. I think that, you know... Where do we see our government actually interacting with ordinary citizens to actually push through a policy that includes, at least in part, sacrifice and living within one's means?

It's going to take people doing something in their ordinary lives. And that's, again, a rarity. I think that, you know... Where do we see our government actually interacting with ordinary citizens to actually push through a policy that includes, at least in part, sacrifice and living within one's means?

It's going to take people doing something in their ordinary lives. And that's, again, a rarity. I think that, you know... Where do we see our government actually interacting with ordinary citizens to actually push through a policy that includes, at least in part, sacrifice and living within one's means?