Ted Kennedy Or Jimmy Carter

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Poll question: Ted Kennedy Or Jimmy Carter

If you could have voted in the 1980 primaries who would you have voted for?

[MercutioATC]

1. It's all about character for me.

Definitely Carter.

[babylonsister]

2. Not a clue. I wasn't paying much/any attention then, I sheepishly admit. nt

[msongs]

3. remember "sink or swim with ted"? plus he was a womanizer

or maybe those kinds of things are not character traits.

balance that with the good things he's done.

as a popular presidential candidate likes to say when he passes judgement on everyone, even though you may not believe his religion, "we're all sinners".

Msongs

[Labors of Hercules]

4. Is this in hindsight?

Because given that Carter lost, I would vote for Ted.

[Zorro]

5. I did vote in the 1980 primaries

and I voted for Carter then.

Ted Kennedy was a very polarizing politician at that time, with the memories of Chappaquidick still relatively fresh.

He had no realistic chance to win the nomination, but he continued his campaign attacks against Carter. And IMHO by doing so he contributed to Reagan's victory.

Democrats are their own worst enemy. You can see it in action now.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. I voted for Ted. Would again.

[Rowdyboy]

7. When I was faced with the choice, I was proud to vote for Carter....

Wish Teddy had waited until 1984 when Carter's 2nd term would have ended.

[emilyg]

8. I voted for Carter.

[cboy4]

9. Boy, I like them both....even though Kennedy is endorsing

Obama.

If it were 1980 and not 2008, I think I'd go for Carter.

[sjdnb]

10. I voted for and worked my tail off

for Carter - one of my little 'lifetime achievements' I feel great about.

[The Traveler]

11. I was quite proud of Jimmy Carter

and the events of the past 27 years have only deepened that respect.

[Tashca]

12. I voted Carter in the GE in 76 and 80

I caucused for Kennedy in 80. I would again given the same choice.
I think Carter is a great man.....but he was not a great president.

[happyslug]

13. I voted for Carter in 1980, and I vote for him again.

In fact Carter was the First President I voted for in 1976 (When I turned 18, dating my self). The weird part of that Election was HOW Pennsylvania split in the Primary in 1980. Every Group that went for Kennedy in the Eastern Half of the State went for Carter in the West, that went for Catholics, Labor, blacks, etc. Pennsylvania has always had three parts, Philadelphia and the Eastern Third going as far west as Harrisburg and as far North as Allentown, the Western 1/3 going as far East as Johnstown and as far north as I-80. Then the Middle T. Erie to Scanting as the top of the T, and south to Maryland border for the body of the T. The T is overwhelmingly Republican (Except for Scanting and Erie) thus in the Democratic Primary, the State Split right down the Middle between Kennedy and Carter (The Democrats in the T, voted the same way as the nearer there were to each side of the State, Carter if nearer to Pittsburgh or Kennedy if nearer Philadelphia.

Just a weird observation at the time and it reflects the differences between the two ends of the State more than anything else. Candidates know this and run different ads in Philadelphia then in Pittsburgh. Philadelphia (And I am using the Terms Pittsburgh and Philadelphia for each area NOT in the T) tend to want taxes cut more then highways improvements, while Pittsburgh tend to want Highway improvements more than tax cuts. Philadelphia tend to support Gay rights more then Pittsburgh does (again I am using the names of the Cities for the whole region they are the center of) while Pittsburgh, while claiming to support the Death penalty, then to impose it less then Philadelphia (This difference goes back to the Labor problems of Western Pennsylvania when it was common to Railroad labor union leaders on murder charges, thus the reluctance to impose the Death Sentence in marginal cases, but will do so in cases where the crime was horrendous). A difference between the diffeenrt haves of Pennsylvania that came out in full color in the 1980 primary election between Carter and Kennedy.

[onehandle]

14. I voted for President Jimmy Carter in 1980.

No regrets here.

[David__77]

15. Kennedy. Absolutely.

He was without a doubt the progressive candidate. Carter's economic policies were not good - deregulation. The Fed was disintegrating the economy. Kennedy was for a new New Deal. That's just what we needed and this country would still be an industrial power.

[jwirr]

16. Now I have to be honest. I did vote for Jimmy Carter in that primary.

I did not want to see Ted Kennedy assassinated like his brothers.

[OmahaBlueDog]

17. Jimmy Carter was a very good man...

..but a very bad President.

I was too young to vote. My family voted for Carter in the primary, but went on to vote for John Anderson in the general election.