Peter Baker

And the problems began to mount. And they were the problems of his own creation and the problems that were not of his own creation.

Shortages mean that you can't fill your tank on any given day. Lines stretch out around the block at gas stations. Nightmarish scenes on the evening news.

Shortages mean that you can't fill your tank on any given day. Lines stretch out around the block at gas stations. Nightmarish scenes on the evening news.

And Carter responds by giving a series of energy speeches. All of us

And Carter responds by giving a series of energy speeches. All of us

And people are just not hearing it. His approval ratings are tanking. So he knows his presidency isn't going smoothly. And he's talking about giving another energy speech. And everybody says, not another energy speech. Even Rosalind, his wife says, nobody wants to hear you give another energy speech. They just want to know that you're going to fix the problem.

And people are just not hearing it. His approval ratings are tanking. So he knows his presidency isn't going smoothly. And he's talking about giving another energy speech. And everybody says, not another energy speech. Even Rosalind, his wife says, nobody wants to hear you give another energy speech. They just want to know that you're going to fix the problem.

causes him to think through what's going on here. And his advisor, Pat Cadell says, you need to talk about where the country is. The country is having a crisis of confidence. And Carter takes that to heart. He goes up to Camp David and he basically retreats from the world for about 10 days.

causes him to think through what's going on here. And his advisor, Pat Cadell says, you need to talk about where the country is. The country is having a crisis of confidence. And Carter takes that to heart. He goes up to Camp David and he basically retreats from the world for about 10 days.

He won't come back out of Camp David while he's thinking through what he wants to do, what he wants to say to the country. And he brings dozens of people in and out of this mountain retreat through the course of more than a week. Jesse Jackson shows up, Bill Clinton shows up. He was the governor of Arkansas at the time to give them their ideas of what they think is going on in the country.

He won't come back out of Camp David while he's thinking through what he wants to do, what he wants to say to the country. And he brings dozens of people in and out of this mountain retreat through the course of more than a week. Jesse Jackson shows up, Bill Clinton shows up. He was the governor of Arkansas at the time to give them their ideas of what they think is going on in the country.

And there's Jimmy Carter in the lodge at Camp Davis, sitting on the floor, taking notes as people are, you know, giving him their ideas. And he's crafting this speech he wants to give to the country. He's crafting this address. He wants to connect to the country and address They're shared issues.

And there's Jimmy Carter in the lodge at Camp Davis, sitting on the floor, taking notes as people are, you know, giving him their ideas. And he's crafting this speech he wants to give to the country. He's crafting this address. He wants to connect to the country and address They're shared issues.

And so he comes down off the mountain at last and he tells his staff, I'm ready to speak to the country. I think it's time. And they arrange with the networks to have him get an address from the Oval Office. He puts on the suit and he sits at the desk, the Resolute desk, in the summer of 1979. Good evening. This is a special night for me.

And so he comes down off the mountain at last and he tells his staff, I'm ready to speak to the country. I think it's time. And they arrange with the networks to have him get an address from the Oval Office. He puts on the suit and he sits at the desk, the Resolute desk, in the summer of 1979. Good evening. This is a special night for me.

And for 30 minutes, he tells the country what he thinks is going wrong.

And for 30 minutes, he tells the country what he thinks is going wrong.

And he delivers this very risky speech, the kind of speech you never hear from a president. It's a president who, in a very bracing and blunt way, is telling the country to get its act together. It is a crisis.

And he delivers this very risky speech, the kind of speech you never hear from a president. It's a president who, in a very bracing and blunt way, is telling the country to get its act together. It is a crisis.

He's diagnosing a larger problem with the American public, not just politics.