Piers Morgan Praises Jimmy Carter for 'Malaise' Speech
According to CNN's Piers Morgan, former President Jimmy Carter was "right" for criticizing the "self-indulgence and consumption" of many Americans in his infamous 1979 "Malaise Speech."
Morgan might find himself with a minority of Americans who actually favored Carter pointing the finger at the country, but that didn't stop him from blaming the recent financial meltdown on a failure to listen to voices like Carter's. [Video below the break. Click here for audio.]
"But the reality is that Americans carried on consuming and many of them carried on being self-indulgent and we ended up $13 trillion in debt with a catastrophic financial meltdown," Morgan surmised, before kissing up to the former one-term Democratic president. "So, you know, the grassroots were there, which you picked up on, but nobody listened?"
He even asked Carter if he would want Obama to give a similar "Malaise Speech" for his upcoming State of the Union Address. Republicans could only hope that Obama would deliver such a speech.
"When President Obama makes his State of the Union speech next week, would you like to see him do that kind of speech, what they called the 'Malaise Speech,' but actually was a direct message to people," Morgan posed to Carter.
To read more, click here. A brief transcript of the segment, that aired on January 19 at 9:27 p.m. EST, is as follows:
(Video Clip)
JIMMY CARTER, former President of the United States: I want to talk to you right now about a fundamental threat to American democracy.
Too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption.
(End Video Clip)
PIERS MORGAN: That was President Jimmy Carter delivering his so-called "Malaise Speech" in 1979, which didn't go down very well with the American people. And President Carter is back with me now. I mean, you were right then and you would be right to say that today, wouldn't you?
CARTER: As a matter of fact, the immediate response of that was the most favorable that I ever had to a speech. But later, then-Governor Reagan and my Democratic opponent Ted Kennedy attacked the speech. I never called it "Malaise" speech. It was just a frank analysis of how America needed to change and that we still had resilient strength to overcome any difficulty if we worked together.
MORGAN: But the reality is that Americans carried on consuming and many of them carried on being self-indulgent and we ended up $13 trillion in debt with a catastrophic financial meltdown. So, you know, the grassroots were there, which you picked up on, but nobody listened?
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Comments
Now Ive seen everything..
Submitted by NJRightWinger12 on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 1:52pm.
But then again, who really pays attention to this witless Brit who apparently, not only didnt live here back then, but probably has heard nothing but praise about the Peanut Man all these years from his hip Brit and Follyweirdo buddies! Deport this jerk NOW!
Had Carter been British Prime Minister in 1940 instead . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 6:05pm.
. . . of Winston Churchill, Morgan would've grown up speaking German.
There are very few Americans who feel that the Carter Administration left us better off, and those that do are mostly his family.
CRA
Submitted by Fredy on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 2:21pm.
Did the crack journalist Morgan ask Carter about the community re-investment act?
... chirp .... chirp ... chirp ...
So, consumer spening is the problem?
Submitted by CobraMan on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 2:41pm.
"But the reality is that Americans carried on consuming and many of them carried on being self-indulgent and we ended up $13 trillion in debt with a catastrophic financial meltdown"
So, Obama is wrong and consumer spending is the problem and not the cure for our financial woes? That IS what Carter claimed, (which is probably why the recession worsened during Carter's single term, but improved under Reagan's just two years later. Unlike YOU, Piers, I lived though that recession!) and you seem to agree with him.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
The U.S. Economy runs on consumerism
Submitted by ahusser on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 5:22pm.
(maybe self-indulgent, maybe not) how else do businesses grow and get to hire people so they can spend and so on. I recall Carter also told us (concerning relatively high gas prices and the gas crunch in 1980) to live closer to where we work. That coming from a guy who walks down a flight of stairs to his office.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
Didn't he also tell us
Submitted by ProudAmerican58 on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 7:17pm.
all to wear a sweater?
⇒ Yes, he said that
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 7:23pm.
And privately told Amy to put on a Burka.
Yes, that must have been just after he told
Submitted by ProudAmerican58 on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 8:15pm.
all those American hostages in Iran to sit tight and be patient -- help was on the way!
Yes...
Submitted by CobraMan on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 8:31pm.
Yes, he did. Right after he caused the Oil shortage with his ban on imported Middle East oil. But that's ok, for he switched our energy production from oil to coal. Who cares if it took about a decade to accomplish, and that we all had to suffer in the mean time? At least people didn't over-consume the sweater industry, which was already losing it's American manufacturing base, ironically.
Jimmy Carter, a man for all seasons, a long as those seasons are Fall, as in the Fall of American industry. In a little less than four years, Jimmy caused the biggest exodus of industry in American history! Why is it that none of liberals remember that?
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Yeah, we were REALLY self-indulgent
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 3:03pm.
I was already in the Army when Carter was elected. I am ashamed to this day that I voted for him. In my own defense I grew up in West Virginia and didn't think Republicans actually existed. I have not voted for a Democrat for POTUS again.
That said, my first car loan, a USED car loan, had a 17% interest rate. This was from my hometown bank where a handshake was pretty much the contract. New car loans were 15%. I had friends that were buying houses with 18-20% interest. I finally got my first one in 1987 and was amazed at the LOW 10% rate that I had.
Yeah, we were pretty self-indulgent with all that easy cash flowing like a river.
Similar with me
Submitted by Galvanic on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 5:49pm.
I was in the Army in West Germany when Nixon resigned, but I was out of the service and home in August 1976 to vote (I didn't vote for either Ford or Carter).
What I came home to was a nation submerged in double-digit inflation. Fortunately, I had saved enough cash to buy a new car outright, because the interest payments on a loan would've been too much for me to afford.
Carter and his Congress created both the Department of Education and the Department of Energy -- two of the most fruitless Federal departments.
Later came Carter's Malaise address, and I felt like reaching through the TV screen and choking that invertebrate. Had the phrase "Man up!" been in the lexicon, that would've been my message to him.
In November 1980, I was serving aboard the USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN 69) in the northern Arabian Sea. We were there for the better part of seven months as a strike contingency for President Carter as the Iranians held our embassy personnel hostage. My absentee ballot was cast but neither for Carter or Reagan, but I was thankful Carter lost.
Piers is on a roll
Submitted by KornKing on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 3:27pm.
Thank you President Carter, for pointing out to Americans just what a bunch of backward, dimwitted dipshits they really are
My question is
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 4:01pm.
this. Is it possible to be pro peanut boy and not be a Jew hater as well?
If Piers is so anxious
Submitted by NOLAgirl on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 4:18pm.
to see the US become like England why the hell did he move here in the first place? His support of the Democrats would suggest a serious case of homesickness...
To escape prosecution from the UK tabloid phone hacking scandal.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 4:25pm.
Of which he is guilty.
"But the reality is that
Submitted by MightyMouth on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 5:00pm.
"But the reality is that Americans carried on consuming and many of them carried on being self-indulgent and we ended up $13 trillion in debt"
What a moronic statement. I must have missed my share of the 13 trillion debt because I had to EARN everything I consumed!
These people are totally bonkers!
Editorial correction
Submitted by Galvanic on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 5:55pm.
"But the reality is that
Americansthe Congress carried on being self-indulgent and you, President Carter, never put a stop to it, in fact, you made Washington BIGGER, so we ended up $13 trillion in debt with a catastrophic financial meltdown," Morgan surmised,There. I fixed it for you, Morgan.
I didn't think it possible...
Submitted by almostacowboy on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 5:57pm.
but Morgan is even stupider than I thought.
I'm confused.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 6:00pm.
How does the fact that people spend their own money, cause the government to be $13 trillion in debt?
Maybe Billy Carter can 'splain dat adder a coupl'a Billy beers. After all, he was the more intelligent of the Carter boys.
If Carter had served two terms, we would all be working in bananas today.
I fear that the same is once again true, if the RBFSOB is reelected.
Jimmy Carter IS a malaise.
Submitted by jkwtrading on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 6:14pm.
Jimmy Carter IS a malaise.