An Uphill Battle

Abstract This chapter relates how, when Ronald Reagan won the Republican nomination instead of Gerald Ford, the Carter campaign prepared for an uphill battle to win reelection. First, he had to get the Democratic nomination from the determined Ted Kennedy, who neither withdrew nor conceded until after Carter had easily won at the Democratic National Convention. It goes on to show that despite the efforts of Tip O’Neill and Robert Strauss to maintain party unity, Kennedy did not cooperate and weakened the Democrats as they went into the national election. Carter scored domestic victories with the Alaska Lands Act and the Mental Health Bill, but the hostages remained in captivity, and the energy crisis was unresolved. Nevertheless, Rosalynn and others in the Carter camp fought long and hard to keep Carter in the White House.