Jimmy Carter vs. Ted Kennedy

[TDAS04]

JC by light-years.

[Goldwater]

I can't really think of any reason to vote for Ted.

[Sir Mohamed]

Carter, pretty easy decision.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Ted was the better politician, Jim was the better person.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

Kennedy. Carter was a fiscal conservative who blocked universal health care, a federal jobs guarantee, and eliminated price controls. His disastrous policies led to Reagan which led to neoliberals taking over the Democratic party which led to the corporate dystopia we live in today.

[Vice President Christian Man]

Ted was the better politician, Jim was the better person.

[GregTheGreat657]

The one who didn't leave a woman to die

[VPH]

Ted was the better politician, Jim was the better person.

[dw93]

On balance, Carter. Ted was a good legislator, but his political instincts in terms of attaining the Presidency (that's if he even really wanted the Presidency) were terrible.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

As they say, Ted was a good Senator but a bad date.

[vitoNova]

* vomits in mouth *

Is the only rational, logical answer.

[Mechavada]

On balance, Carter. Ted was a good legislator, but his political instincts in terms of attaining the Presidency (that's if he even really wanted the Presidency) were terrible.

This.

I would even argue his terrible political instincts ironically paved the way FOR Carter to become President.  Without Chappaquiddick Ted Kennedy would probably have been a top tier candidate for the nomination in 1976.  Post Chappaquiddick he couldn't even get 38% of the vote (despite how often people talk about his performance like it's anywhere near impressive) against Jimmy Carter in 1980.  This was despite being much better looking and a much better speaker than Jimmy Carter.

It's like he forgot to ask himself WHY he didn't run the previous time.  I guess he feared an incompetent Democrat less than a Republican White House marred by the stench of Watergate .  Yes, great instincts dude.

[Lambsbread]

The one who didn't leave a woman to die

[Alben Barkley]

On balance, Carter. Ted was a good legislator, but his political instincts in terms of attaining the Presidency (that's if he even really wanted the Presidency) were terrible.

This.

I would even argue his terrible political instincts ironically paved the way FOR Carter to become President.  Without Chappaquiddick Ted Kennedy would probably have been a top tier candidate for the nomination in 1976.  Post Chappaquiddick he couldn't even get 38% of the vote (despite how often people talk about his performance like it's anywhere near impressive) against Jimmy Carter in 1980.  This was despite being much better looking and a much better speaker than Jimmy Carter.

It's like he forgot to ask himself WHY he didn't run the previous time.  I guess he feared an incompetent Democrat less than a Republican White House marred by the stench of Watergate .  Yes, great instincts dude.

"That's even if he really wanted the presidency" is key. I don't think he thought he could actually win, he just wanted to take out Carter. Because he was an elitist asshole who thought a Southern outsider like Carter didn't "belong" in DC. He hated Carter and would prefer even a right-wing Republican like Reagan to him, proving how much of a fake "liberal" he really was. I mean there's even some evidence that his staff leaked Carter's debate notes to Reagan!

Oh, also he killed a woman.

And he held on to power too long, paving the way for a Republican to replace him in Massachusetts and deprive the Democrats of 60 seats at a critical time.

He was a selfish narcissistic prick, the worst Kennedy. Carter probably wouldn't have won in 1980 anyway but he went out of his way to ensure he wouldn't. Honestly f--k Ted Kennedy.

[Devout Centrist]

On balance, Carter. Ted was a good legislator, but his political instincts in terms of attaining the Presidency (that's if he even really wanted the Presidency) were terrible.

This.

I would even argue his terrible political instincts ironically paved the way FOR Carter to become President.  Without Chappaquiddick Ted Kennedy would probably have been a top tier candidate for the nomination in 1976.  Post Chappaquiddick he couldn't even get 38% of the vote (despite how often people talk about his performance like it's anywhere near impressive) against Jimmy Carter in 1980.  This was despite being much better looking and a much better speaker than Jimmy Carter.

It's like he forgot to ask himself WHY he didn't run the previous time.  I guess he feared an incompetent Democrat less than a Republican White House marred by the stench of Watergate .  Yes, great instincts dude.

"That's even if he really wanted the presidency" is key. I don't think he thought he could actually win, he just wanted to take out Carter. Because he was an elitist asshole who thought a Southern outsider like Carter didn't "belong" in DC.

All of this is probably true, but let's not forget Carter was *painfully* inept in the way he handled Congress and Congressional leadership.

[TheTide]

And he held on to power too long, paving the way for a Republican to replace him in Massachusetts and deprive the Democrats of 60 seats at a critical time.

The Democrats likely would have won with a better candidate. But yes, Kennedy should have quit at least a few months before his death, before the midterm problems for Obama began to kick in.

[President Johnson]

James Earl Carter

[All Along The Watchtower]

Write-in: Walter Mondale (RIP)

[HisGrace]

Kennedy. Carter was a fiscal conservative who blocked universal health care, a federal jobs guarantee, and eliminated price controls. His disastrous policies led to Reagan which led to neoliberals taking over the Democratic party which led to the corporate dystopia we live in today.

I'd way rather live today than in the 70's.

[All Along The Watchtower]

I can sort of empathize with Ted on a basic human level in that all three of his older, more talented brothers died violent deaths when they were young (in his eldest brother’s case very young) and by the time of RFK’s assassination their lecherous tyrant of a father had been paralyzed by a stroke and would die a year later. And earlier in the decade Ted was seriously injured in a plane crash, even as he was gifted JFK’s Senate seat.

The guy was a classic failson who ended up being literally the last man standing in his impossibly beloved/mythologized/dynastic political family. He wasn’t the last Kennedy scion who would experience this in destructive and embarrassing ways; just look at some of his nephews, like several of RFK and Ethel’s sons (including RFK Jr in his younger days, his later turn into anti-vaccination activism and broader conspiracy theories aside).

None of this for a second excuses his criminal negligence/manslaughter at Chappaquiddick that led directly to the preventable death of Mary Jo Kopechne—Ted should have been prosecuted for it—but with the broader context of his family background and his brothers dying so violently in the public eye, it’s all just very…sad.

[Havana44]

Jimmy Carter. I can not forgive Ted Kennedy for what he did to that woman .

[pabloni21]

can i write in Bobby

jimmy’s a nice guy though. not my favorite politician policy wise but certainly the best of ‘em personally

why not the best indeed