Professor Nicole Hemmer

However, I will say that, you know, 1975, you see him take a lot of action. By early 1976, he's focused all on re-election. By that spring, he's being challenged by Ronald Reagan in primaries. And all of a sudden, he kind of pulls back on some of those more assertive measures because he's looking to kind of create political capital and political friends that can help him win re-elections.

Absolutely. So in 72, the Democratic Party, for the first time, implements these primaries and, you know, allows different voices to come in and kind of compete for the presidential nomination. And the Republican Party is moving towards that in 76 and is trying to make it a more open process.

Absolutely. So in 72, the Democratic Party, for the first time, implements these primaries and, you know, allows different voices to come in and kind of compete for the presidential nomination. And the Republican Party is moving towards that in 76 and is trying to make it a more open process.

Absolutely. So in 72, the Democratic Party, for the first time, implements these primaries and, you know, allows different voices to come in and kind of compete for the presidential nomination. And the Republican Party is moving towards that in 76 and is trying to make it a more open process.

And Ronald Reagan capitalizes on it, especially he goes to New Hampshire, but also does very, very well in the South, where this more conservative wing of the Republican Party understood that their message of small government and states' rights was that that would play very well in the South with those Southern Democrats that had left the Democratic Party over the issues of civil rights.

And Ronald Reagan capitalizes on it, especially he goes to New Hampshire, but also does very, very well in the South, where this more conservative wing of the Republican Party understood that their message of small government and states' rights was that that would play very well in the South with those Southern Democrats that had left the Democratic Party over the issues of civil rights.

And Ronald Reagan capitalizes on it, especially he goes to New Hampshire, but also does very, very well in the South, where this more conservative wing of the Republican Party understood that their message of small government and states' rights was that that would play very well in the South with those Southern Democrats that had left the Democratic Party over the issues of civil rights.

And so Ronald Reagan is critiquing his legitimacy, his leadership abilities. And so, again, a lot of these attacks on Ford begin with Reagan. And and then Jimmy Carter is able to, you know, capitalize on them because they're already out there. There are these narratives that have already emerged.

And so Ronald Reagan is critiquing his legitimacy, his leadership abilities. And so, again, a lot of these attacks on Ford begin with Reagan. And and then Jimmy Carter is able to, you know, capitalize on them because they're already out there. There are these narratives that have already emerged.

And so Ronald Reagan is critiquing his legitimacy, his leadership abilities. And so, again, a lot of these attacks on Ford begin with Reagan. And and then Jimmy Carter is able to, you know, capitalize on them because they're already out there. There are these narratives that have already emerged.

And I think, you know, when we kind of talked about this broader media environment where the press is more cynical, where entertainment shows like Saturday Night Live are, you know, poking fun at him. Ronald Reagan and his critique is tapping into that and then further escalating that as well.

And I think, you know, when we kind of talked about this broader media environment where the press is more cynical, where entertainment shows like Saturday Night Live are, you know, poking fun at him. Ronald Reagan and his critique is tapping into that and then further escalating that as well.

And I think, you know, when we kind of talked about this broader media environment where the press is more cynical, where entertainment shows like Saturday Night Live are, you know, poking fun at him. Ronald Reagan and his critique is tapping into that and then further escalating that as well.

Absolutely. There had not been a television debate since 1960. And part of that is because those debates loomed large in the mind of Richard Nixon. He firmly believed that he lost the election because of those debates. The reality is much more complicated. But in his mind, it was those debates that like that really that triggered his downfall there. Lyndon Johnson in 64 is not going to debate.

Absolutely. There had not been a television debate since 1960. And part of that is because those debates loomed large in the mind of Richard Nixon. He firmly believed that he lost the election because of those debates. The reality is much more complicated. But in his mind, it was those debates that like that really that triggered his downfall there. Lyndon Johnson in 64 is not going to debate.

Absolutely. There had not been a television debate since 1960. And part of that is because those debates loomed large in the mind of Richard Nixon. He firmly believed that he lost the election because of those debates. The reality is much more complicated. But in his mind, it was those debates that like that really that triggered his downfall there. Lyndon Johnson in 64 is not going to debate.

He's, you know, he's the incumbent at that moment is running for election, right, as president. And so he's certainly not going, there's no incentive for him to debate. In 68, Richard Nixon sure is not going to do it. And he's not going to do it in 72. And so finally, you have these debates that

He's, you know, he's the incumbent at that moment is running for election, right, as president. And so he's certainly not going, there's no incentive for him to debate. In 68, Richard Nixon sure is not going to do it. And he's not going to do it in 72. And so finally, you have these debates that

He's, you know, he's the incumbent at that moment is running for election, right, as president. And so he's certainly not going, there's no incentive for him to debate. In 68, Richard Nixon sure is not going to do it. And he's not going to do it in 72. And so finally, you have these debates that

this question of will debates bring more transparency, more accountability by, you know, forcing the candidates to answer questions on TV directly to citizens. And there was a consensus that, yes, these are good things. It was about restoring accountability. And again, more of this transparency to the political process.