Ted Kennedy for President.
Image details: Edward Kennedy served by picapp.com
Throughout the 1970s Ted Kennedy resisted the “call” to run for President of the United States.
In 1972 there were rumors circulating that George McGovern would select Kennedy as his running mate. Kennedy had publicly said that he was not actively seeking the nomination, but might, if absolutely necessary, sign on to help the party. Well, McGovern didn’t pick Kennedy (or, perhaps Ted refused), he picked Thomas Eagleton (D, MO), who, incidentally, had failed to inform McGovern’s political team that he had thrice been hospitalized for psychiatric reasons and twice received electroshock therapy. McGovern’s ticket was already weak enough – and he asked Eagleton to step down, which he did. McGovern’s second choice was R. Sargeant Shriver, Teddy’s brother-in-law (husband of Eunice, father of Maria, father-in-law of Arnold).
Many speculate that events and circumstances in his private life kept him from seeking that office; others suggest that he worried that he might meet the same fate has his two brothers who had run for President.
But in 1979, Ted Kennedy announced that he would run for the Democratic nomination in 1980 against incumbent, Jimmy Carter.
Initially, Kennedy enjoyed a huge lead over Carter in the polls. He performed poorly in some televised interviews, and his advantage lessened, but he was still ahead of Carter by a good 10 percentage points in the Fall of 1979.
And then the hostages were taken in Iran.
As matter of national loyalty, voters rallied around President Carter and his approval rating jumped over 30 points.
Carter defeated Kennedy in the early primaries/caucuses, but as the campaign wore on, as did the hostage crisis, Kennedy gained more and more support at the end of the race, winning huge states like New York and Pennsylvania.
Although President Carter still maintained a commanding lead, Kennedy did not drop out of the race, or “endorse” Carter. Hmmm sounds familiar. He instead took his delegates to the convention so to have more leverage in the forming of the party platform.
Interestingly, former Governor John Connally, of Texas, who had been in the car with John F. Kennedy was shot and killed (and Connally was injured himself) was among those who ran for the Republican nomination that year. He, as did all the others, lost convincingly to Ronald Reagan.
Today on the Business Channel we’re doing a blog off. In celebration of summer solstice, several bloggers will be posting every hour for 24 hours. Our goal? To do something good and support Accion International.
