Petrified of Carter on the left, and they KNOW THE TRUTH

The Nation today rushed to defuse comparisons of Obama to J Carter, by defending Carter and his ‘malaise’.

Republicans love to compare Barack Obama to Jimmy Carter, for no apparent reason other than that Carter was the last Democratic one-term president. So, naturally, Mitt Romney pounced on Obama’s comment that “America is stressed out.” On Friday July 15, the thirty-second anniversary of Carter’s infamous “malaise” speech, the Romney campaign was quick to make every possible comparison between then and now. Romney’s campaign sent multiple press releases invoking President Jimmy Carter’s First they declared “President Obama’s ‘Stress’ equals Jimmy Carter’s ‘Malaise.’ ” Within a few hours they were simply referring to “President Obama’s Malaise.”

Unfortunately for Romney, the “malaise” speech is more myth than fact. Carter never actually used the word “malaise” and the speech wasn’t actually the failure as which it is widely remembered. Kevin Mattson explained in The American Prospect in 2009, Carter’s speech was actually a success. “Carter received a whopping 11 percent rise in his poll numbers,” Mattson writes. “The mail that poured into the White House testified that many citizens felt moved by the speech.”

Don’t worry Katrina, he’s not Carter.

He’s Carter on crack

UPDATE FROM PASTORIUS - Sorry to cut in here, but I think it is necessary that the history is known. It is true that Carter never used the word "malaise" in his speech, though his speech was one of the most pathetic, depressing displays ever put on by an American President.

The American people were treated to the sight of a President who looked like he had been schooled by handlers in making forceful gestures with his hands, but the hangdog eyes betrayed a President who, perhaps, needed to be put on 72 hour suicide watch.

From US News:

The speech is remembered as the "malaise" speech, but he never used that word?

No. He never used the term "malaise." The term gets into circulation prior to the speech. A number of people who are invited to Camp David are then interviewed by journalists, and a few people, including Clark Clifford, use that term. So journalists already even before the speech is given start to put the tag "malaise" on the speech.

Clark Clifford was an Adviser to President Carter. He was a go-to guy for a quotable quote. He used the word, because the word fit.

Here is footage from the speech itself (note the section beginning at 3:15 and in particular the look on his face at 3:31-32 and tell me that is not the look of "MALAISE"):





Here is a longer version: