Many of the obituaries for Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., mention his 1978 speech in Memphis as a key step on his path to challenging President Jimmy Carter for the party's nomination in 1980. Says The New York Times:
The Boston Globe obit also mentions the "sail" speech and includes Carter's response, which would not be at all out of place in Memphis politics:
Blogger Ed Cognoski hears echoes of Kennedy's Memphis speech in today's debate over budget priorities, especially health care reform:
This 1981 article from The Atlantic mentions Kennedy's Memphis speech in its examination of the budget battle going on at the beginning of Reagan's first term (it's pretty quaint in that the budget-deficit figures they're talking about are on the order of about $50 billion).
Although Edward Kennedy supported Carter in 1976, by late 1978 he was disenchanted. Polls indicated that the senator was becoming popular while the president was losing support. In December, at a midterm Democratic convention in Memphis, Kennedy could hold back no longer. He gave a thundering speech that, in retrospect, was the opening shot in the 1980 campaign.The 1980 campaign turned out to be a disaster for Kennedy, and Carter went to on to defeat at the hands of Ronald Reagan.
"Sometimes a party must sail against the wind," he declared, referring to Carter's economic belt-tightening and political caution. "We cannot heed the call of those who say it is time to furl the sail. The party that tore itself apart over Vietnam in the 1960s cannot afford to tear itself apart today over budget cuts in basic social programs."
Kennedy did not then declare his candidacy. But draft-Kennedy groups began to form in early 1979, and some Democrats up for re-election in 1980 began to cast about for coattails that were longer than Carter's.
The Boston Globe obit also mentions the "sail" speech and includes Carter's response, which would not be at all out of place in Memphis politics:
Carter's response to a group of Democratic congressmen: If Senator Kennedy did challenge him in the 1980 election, "I'll whip his ass.''
Blogger Ed Cognoski hears echoes of Kennedy's Memphis speech in today's debate over budget priorities, especially health care reform:
Today, thirty years later, Kennedy's goal is still unfulfilled, the country still adrift. Voters have the best chance in generation to elect a President and a Congress who can do something about that. The wind is shifting.
This 1981 article from The Atlantic mentions Kennedy's Memphis speech in its examination of the budget battle going on at the beginning of Reagan's first term (it's pretty quaint in that the budget-deficit figures they're talking about are on the order of about $50 billion).
This convention had not only the normal, built-in dissatisfactions but also the issue of President Carter's budget directions and priorities to chew on. ...UPDATE: WMC-TV has a video clip of the 1978 speech. Thanks to commenter John David for pointing this out.
In commenting on the speech, Adam Clymer of the New York Times wrote, "Senator Edward M. Kennedy today confronted President Carter over the spirit that should guide the Democratic party.
"In a ringing speech to a cheering audience of 2,500, the Massachusetts Democrat seized a building mood at the conference, where unhappiness about budget proposals was heard again and again at workshops on the cities, inflation, arms control and health insurance."
Did you see the clip of the 1978 speech on WMC's website? It pretty much echos the exact healthcare debate we are having today. Very odd to hear it spoken of in a speech that's nearly 32 years old.