Customer Reviews

"What the Heck Are You Up To, Mr. President?": Jimmy Carter, America's "Malaise," and the Speech that Should Have Changed the Country

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This is a good look back at an interesting and chaotic time, but it could have been a lot better. For one thing, an editor was needed: there are problems of grammar and punctuation (starting on the first page), consistency (on p. 66 he contradicts the chronology of California governors he established one page earlier, and there are some other examples that escape me now), and so on. These are things editors were born to catch. I'll also add that the book goes on a little too long, repeating its basic points over and over. These flaws don't sink the book but they are indications of sloppiness, shoddiness and possibly a national malaise in publishing. Tune in for my speech tonight.

The central message, though, is very simple and, in my eyes, very true, and it's something I myself have said for years: Jimmy Carter in 1979 was very honest with us and told us about some not-so-pleasant flaws in our national character. At first we took the medicine well (which surprised me...I'd thought the speech was rejected right off) but quickly the resentment boiled, and populist politicians who were willing to sink morally lower than Carter (while, ironically, positioning themselves on higher ground, as is usually the case) twisted the meaning of the speech to score points with a nation raised on "I'm OK, You're OK" and that crap about America's manifest destiny.

An appendix in the back of the book reproduces the (in)famous speech (it can also be googled), and in it Carter voices his concern that we do not have a coherent energy policy, that we are consuming more than we are producing, that we are becoming accustomed to immediate gratification without sacrifice (or only the cheap illusion of sacrifice--we put magnetic ribbons on the backs of our SUVs that say we "support" our troops), and that this is unsustainable long-term. Well, Ronald Reagan came to power shortly thereafter and basically, through word and deed, laughed off all of this warning, appealing instead to Americans' proud dreams of exceptionalism and ever-increasing bounty. As the 80s wore on Reagan's dreams themselves turned into narcissism, though of a different sort, one clothed in patriotism, religion, and love of country, held together by easily-debunked myths. The Right calls it American Exceptionalism, and they assure us it's good, because it's blessed by God. (You know, that guy on the money.)

Three decades years later, and we still don't have a coherent energy policy, we still consume far far more than we produce, we still feel we are "entitled." We get angry at "others" when we can't automatically have what we believe is ours by birthright. In short, Carter's warnings have come home to roost, after thirty years of subsequent presidents dodging his very real moral and spiritual concerns by more or less charging the future to the country's credit card. Now that card is due and we don't have the money to pay the bill. Don't fret, though--China is offering us a "payday" loan. Just don't ask about the interest rate.

Kevin Mattson makes these points well, but he stretches them rather than digging in depth. This is a good but rather superficial book. I was a mere child when this stuff was happening, and I haven't studied it in any depth since then (which is why I so eagerly-awaited this book) but I didn't get too much I didn't already know just through the osmosis of hearing my parents talking about it back in the late 70s. I guess I was waiting for a David Halberstamian depth of analysis, which I only got in spots, such as a few sections of Chapter 5.

There are some sections of sloppy or lazy writing that bothered me. Sometimes Mattson writes in very broad statements that use slang and are nonsensical, such as stating at points that the president's staff "went insane" when they heard some news or something bad happened. Now, they literally didn't go clinically "insane," so it would have been nice if he'd gotten into detail about what they *did* do. More annoying, though, was the author's frequent references to pop cultural of the time: his links of songs, films and other events to the politics and the speech in question are weak at best. Too much is made of the "meaning" behind Blondie and "Heart of Glass," the decadence of Studio 54, Apocalypse Now, and Woody Allen's New York, and if I read one more reference to The Deer Hunter I was going to throw the book across the room. But amazingly, there is one really major cultural link that begs for inclusion, and the author completely misses it. And it came out in December of 1979, right during the period he chronicles, and it deals with a feisty but weak president who is preparing a big speech for a distressed nation and who travels to the mansion of a rich friend for advice and council. It's eerie today how well Hal Ashby's brilliant satire Being There, starring Peter Sellers, captures the mood and parallels many of the events Mattson describes. Yet he overlooks this movie entirely. (Anyone curious enough to read this far into the reviews for this book should do themselves a favor and rent the film as well.)

Despite my reservations, I would actually recommend this book for people interested in this time and this president, and for all that's gone wrong since then, simply because there aren't a lot of competing works to choose from. But, with a little more effort, "What the Heck" could have been a better book, a true classic. Maybe the author needs to reread Carter's speech exhorting us to be better and work harder, and apply it to himself just a bit.

I was in high school back in the 70's when Jimmy Carter was president, and I'd forgotten how bad things actually WERE. Mr. Matson tries to resurrect Brother Jimmy's reputation by showing how prescient the "malaise" speech was, but in my mind only reinforced the image of Jimmy Carter as perhaps the most - or nearly so - inept president in US history. While truckers were on strike and crops rotted in the fields from lack of transporation and while everybody else was busy buying gas on even and odd days, Jimmy was running around the world trying to broker peace deals; almost a modern day Nero.

That said, and ignoring the attempt at tilting history in Jimmy's favor, it is a well-written and enjoyable book. It's rather short, a one-nighter - but I found it hard to put down.

This is a fantastic book, reporting events of 30 years hence which resonate to the present day, e.g.: energy, Iran, Afghanistan, even gay marriage.

I was in my late twenties at the time, and present at least at one of the reported events - "the disco riot" at Comiskey Park - but the author evokes far more detail than I am able to recall myself, and it rings true.

He also does good work in publishing the transcript of the Carter speech as an appendix. This is well worth reading, whether one agrees with it or not. It shows how many of our present concerns are linked to the past, and also how many things in this country have changed.

While it is clear that the author is broadly sympathetic to the Carter administration, this book seems to me to be a balanced and insightful account of the late 1970s - and also engaging and entertaining.

This is a fine exemplar of political and cultural analysis. In 1979, the United States was suffering an energy crisis and about to engage in full scale political realignment. Both were probably unavoidable, but nonetheless the product of decisions and realities long in the making. Mattson's focal point of the so-called "Malaise" speech by Jimmy Carter allows him to recreate the pressures of the time in an expert and compelling tale.

And pressure is what this book is about. Pressure from inside and outside of the White House, both real and imagined. The strongest aspect of this very strong book is how Mattson writes about emerging New Right and the Kennedy championed liberal left clamped onto the Carter Administration and squeezed from both sides -- only to show how the internal decision-making within the White House finished off the Administration.

Mattson builds out from there to show how the trends of the day (Studio 54) and expressions of political reality at the street level (energy crisis riots and gas line violence) required a political response. But that response, in large part, was a speech that departed from traditional American political norms and instead mined another distinctly American vernacular.

In another excellent moment, Mattson traces the evolution of the Moral Majority, Mattson demonstrates how the "New Right," often credited with conservative political accountability, is really the partisan creature its opponents (rightly) believe it to be.

There is another tradition, less radical, partisan or strident, that the malaise speech embodies. And this is where the author is most expert by bringing together the "culture of narcissism" debate and the "new covenants," amongst other manners to describe what American life is, isn't and ought to be. And these beliefs and attitudes resist easy reduction to media talking points, policy platforms or plans of action, but is no less powerful for its resistance.

The malaise speech was that accountability moment, where the political system took responsibility for its limits and the citizenry was called out for its complicity in our problems. The proof of how difficult this approach is to employ, Carter himself blew away the momentary credibility he earned through self-inflicted political wounds.

Right now, I would tell you that this book is very good. If I had to guess, if you ask in five years, I'd say it is excellent. If you prefer your non-fiction clearly written, expertly argued and possessing that knack for keeping your attention, this book is highly recommended.

I could not have enjoyed this book more. I am no fan of Jimmy Carter, and I was wary in approaching the book.

But I am glad I did. Like or loathe Carter, this book is balanced and impartial. If you like Carter, there are things to

like, and if you dislike Carter, there are things to confirm your opinion. What a remarkable thing a balanced book really is.

This book is fun reading on many levels. What appealed to me the most was the review of the popular culture of the 70s-----from movies, to books, to disco. I had forgotten a great deal of what happened, including the incredible gas riot in Pennsylvania, and the disco riot. Both riots are described well, and make fascinating reading. You find yourself wondering how in the world it happened.

I had forgotten just how serious the gas shortage was, and how long it went on. Some of the things that went on in

the gas lines were truly bizarre----like the woman who put pillows in dress to make people think she was pregnant .

There are other strange tales of gas lines---including the liquor store which gave free beer to those who were waiting to gas their cars. All of it is fascinating reading.

I recall the famous "malaise speech," even though Carter did not use the word "malaise." I recall the backlash as well, and the story of the rabid rabbit attacking Jimmy in his boat. How it all came together to harm his image and chances for re-election is amazing.

Like or loathe Carter, this book is a must. What a wonderful reading experience it was. Many thanks to the author for his balanced and fascinating book.

We aren't past the malaise yet. Many of the national maladies outlined by Jimmy Carter in his July 15, 1979 "Crisis of Confidence" speech continue to ring true today. We still "worship self-indulgence and consumption." Most people still feel disassociated, even alienated, from politics or from a sense of civic pride. In the ensuing Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, and now Obama years that alienation hasn't seemed to wane an iota. Not only that, energy and other crises that could undermine our civilization loom but many people, like many back in 1979, don't seem to believe them or dismiss them as hoaxes. Worst of all, the United States has become a deeply and dangerously polarized nation. Each "side" has developed a crisis of confidence in the "other side." Thirty years ago Carter spoke to the American people directly. He asked and expected things from them. Leaders rarely speak like that now. Unfortunately, Carter spoke from within a flagging presidency. In retrospect, given the intervening Iran Hostage crisis and his 1980 slaughter at the polls, Carter's message seems to suffer from a crisis of confidence in itself. And though it did in effect help open the door for Reagan to waltz into power, it remains an impressive gem of a speech. There's simply nothing like it in Presidential history. This short and highly readable book provides a biography of that speech. From its origins in the mind of Pat Caddell, a DNC pollster, to the havoc it wreaked in the cabinet (Carter supposedly had to take VP Mondale for a walk to keep him from having a nervous breakdown), to its unfulfilled potential, the book tells an inspiring, bittersweet and sometimes heartbreaking tale of a speech that would both make and break President Jimmy Carter.

The book starts in April 1979. Things aren't well, but they will get worse. The "me" generation is in full swing. "Dallas," a thank-god-we're-not-like-that class anti-fantasy show fills millions of television sets. Blondie's disco classic "Heart of Glass" serves as a theme of detachment and self-orientation. Three Mile Island scares the pants off of everyone. Meanwhile, Pat Caddell writes a 75 page "memo" called "Of Crisis and Opportunity." Many White House staffers find the whole idea wacko. Tension follows the summer heat as gas lines form in California and spread across the nation. Carter calls for and then cancels a June 5th speech. People wonder what he's up to, which prompts a New York Post headline (and subsequently the book's title). Trucker protests turn violent and almost rebellious in June. Carter's approval drops below even Nixon's lowest margin. Things are bad. If that wasn't enough, Conservatives rally around the unpopularity and ineffectiveness of the Democratic Congressional and Executive branches. Jerry Falwell comes into the spotlight and helps form the "Moral Majority." And threats rise even from the Democrats as Ted Kennedy announces a run against Carter in 1980. Everything seems headed for collapse or chaos. The book admirably balances multiple threads as these rather unsettling, and often outright awful, happenings unfold (and strangely all the chapters have 13 sections). These events lead to the turning point of the 1980s, but not before July 15th. To get in touch with people, Carter invites diverse groups to Camp David to evaluate the nation's psychic state. Out of these talks the "Crisis of Confidence" (often misnamed the "malaise" speech by the press - even the author slips once on page 195) speech is finally delivered to a mostly receptive public. The book does not sugarcoat what happened next: "On July 17th, just two days after his speech, Jimmy Carter took a good situation and messed it up." Though the author obviously supports Carter, he remains forthright about the foibles of his presidency. Of course everyone knows the outcome of the 1980 elections, but the author reflects on whether the nation went in the right direction.

Using a combination of politics, popular culture, party politics and insider stories the book reads like a whirlwind. Anyone who was there will relive some cruddy times. Anyone who was not there may wonder how 1979 compared with 2009 and even how the nation survived that chaotic summer thirty years ago. Carter's now famous/infamous speech receives a fresh coat of paint and a reevaluation at the book's end. The author argues that Carter was not blaming the American people for the crises that plagued their country. Nonetheless, he was asking for help and expecting something from them. His was an anti-individualistic message in stark contrast to the rampant individualism that prevailed, and largely still prevails. A fair evaluation of the speech likely requires a context outside of what many see as an unsuccessful presidency. But of course that's a difficult, almost impossible, task. Ultimately, the book provides a convincing argument that Carter's greatest presidential speech deserves another look, particularly in light of his considerably more successful post-presidency. It makes a good case that we still can learn from the speech that provided Carter with one of his moments of glory as well as his inevitable downfall. Jimmy Carter was an enigma while in office and his presidency still remains somewhat elusive. What did it mean? He represents the kind of person many people want to see in high political office, but the results were at best mixed. In any case, Carter remains the last president to speak to the people in an introspective and reflective manner. He tried to get us to see the shortcoming of our changed culture. Unfortunately, he paid a huge price for this risk. It remains to be seen whether the turn the nation took in 1980 was the best option. One thing is certain, Carter's "Crisis of Confidence" speech will remain in the country's consciousness for some time. And this fascinating little book will help keep it there where it belongs.

I randomly picked up this book a while ago. It took me some time to get to it, but once I did I couldn't put it down. I did not know much about Carter's malaise speech (I was only nine at the time), but after reading this book I am convinced it is one of the most prophetic (if politically disastrous) Presidential speeches in American history. The book is very well written and full of fun anecdotes about he 1970s (being a child at the time, it made clearer some of my memories about the time). More importantly, it provides an insightful analysis of the economic, political, and cultural environment of the era, and shows how this period ushered in the Reagan years (and everything he stood for). It also has an ominously subliminal message to it. Without directly making the case, Mattson (whom I'd never heard of before) makes it clear that, with 30 years of retrospect (and one massive economic crisis later), Carter's message about what was (is) wrong with America was bang on. The only problem was that the American people didn't like the message, so they shot the messenger. I know that history is beginning to look more favourably on the Carter administration, and judge him as a President who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Certainly, my impression of him has improved enormously after reading this book (even though it is not written as a vindication of Carter). I would argue that Carter was too honest, too moral, too perspicacious--perhaps simply too good--for America.

The apparently widely-held, oft-repeated "truism" that Jimmy Carter's Presidency was a failure simply didn't wash for many of us in 1980, and especially when seen from the new millennium, the hostility aimed at the former President seems like a beaten dead horse that only the most desperate right-winger or Fox News ranter would mount. I'll concede the recollection of several lengthy waits (maybe 30 minutes each) in the gas lines (when the cost of a gallon was still in the double digits) and, of course, the abortive attempt to rescue the hostages which, unlike the recent "shock and awe campaign," was executed with anything but surgical precision. But if the years 1976-80 represented the country's nadir (the Dow hadn't even reached 1000 though few cared), we should all be so lucky.

Clearly, luck wasn't with the President. There was no "mission accomplished" for Jimmy Carter, but Mattson's book makes you wish the man had been given another four years to carry out what might seem like an impossible task: awakening the American people to the cost not merely of terrorism but of consumerism, self-indulgence, narcissism (what a contrast to the message of his "morning in America" successor or to the recent chief executive who, after 9/11, urged us to go out and spend money as a patriotic duty). Mattson's dissection of Carter's "malaise" speech is, on the one hand, a glimpse of the vibrant, perspicacious, self-examining mind of a moral leader and, on the other hand, an analysis that helps explain the remarkable vision and achievements of the man since he left office. After reading it, I was less surprised by the speech (though it reads better than I remembered it--public speaking was not Carter's forte) than the public's initially positive response to a leader not afraid to speak the truth. As the recent fallen King of Pop once sang, it all starts with the man in the mirror, and had we seen ourselves as we truly were, it's highly unlikely our journey home would have gotten side-tracked by missions less reflective of a courageous people than a nation in its dotage.

I knew Carter never used the word "Malaise" in his famous Malaise speech.

However, I was not aware that the speech was initially lauded and that Carter actually received an 11 point bump in approval ratings overnight.

Carter is probably living proof that a good man does not necessarily make a good or inspirational president. This book takes you through the logic of his speech, provides a reminder of just how "messed-up" the United States was in the late 70's and shows that actions and demenour are way more powerful than words.

I didn't find it the easiest book in the world to read, but if you are interested in that period, it is a must.

I am too young to have hardly any meaningful memories of the 1970's. I was three years old at the outset of the Iran hostage crisis. When I would happen to see images of the Ayatollah Khomeini on TV, his appearance frightened me, and I was always happy when President Carter's picture was shown next to his. Not really understanding what was going on, I thought of the Ayatollah as the evil president, and Carter as the good president.

Mattson does an excellent job at analyzing the events that led up to Carter delivering the crisis in confidence speech, and putting into perspective the problems that the country faced in 1979, how Carter tried to solve the country's problems, how his opponents (Reagan and Kennedy) capitalized on the speech and used it to their advantage, how Carter managed to rally the country together, but quickly managed to "blow it."

Although some critics of Mattson state that he is tilting history in Carter's favor, in my opinion he outlines Carter how he best fits into the grand scheme of our history: a president who handcuffed himself by trying to heal the wounds of Watergate and Vietnam, who in the end proved his ineptitude in office by trying to please everyone, and in the end lost everyone's support. But Carter continued his work as a citizen after his Presidency, and although he may not go down in history books as one of our better Presidents, he certainly will as a person whose example as an individual we should all strive to emulate.