This Day in History: 1979-07-15

US President Jimmy Carter ‘crisis of confidence’ speech, also known as the ‘malaise speech,’ was given on this day in 1979. America was entering a “moral and spiritual crisis,” he said, losing faith in government, and in our own ability to participate in democracy. “Energy,” he said, “will be the immediate test of our ability to unite this nation, and it can also be the standard around which we rally.” Immediately after the speech, his popularity rose about ten points, according to historian Peter Dykstra, but within weeks the backlash dropped his numbers even lower.