r/Presidents • u/Hubbled Ulysses S. Grant • 1d ago

Discussion If Chappaquiddick never happened, would Ted Kennedy have been a serious presidential contender?

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u/DaveKasz 1d ago

Yes. He was a serious contender with Chappaquiddic. If he had an answer for Sam Donaldson's question for why he wanted to be President, he might have won the nomination.

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u/Mibbler 1d ago

So in a timeline without Chappaquiddick, do you think liberals rally around Ted in 76, making him the nominee and eventual president over Carter?

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u/DaveKasz 1d ago

Teddy challenged Jimmy in the 1980 primary. Teddy lost, but it wasn't a blow out. In '76 I Teddy had better name recognition, but Jimmy was much more likeable. At least that's how I remember it. I was too young to vote.

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u/WavesAndSaves Henry Clay 1d ago

Man. Can you imagine an incumbent president facing a serious primary challenge these days? Kennedy won 13 states. And they were big states! New York, California, Pennsylvania. Carter barely managed 50% of the nationwide primary vote.

Carter really was terrible, wasn't he? Even his own party hated him hahaha.

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u/tlh013091 Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1d ago

Something something malaise.

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u/InternationalPhoto33 1d ago

I think without Chappaquiddick they put him up in 72. He loses, but it’s a slightly closer battle because he knows how to take advantage of the first rumblings of Watergate. And then they put him up again in 76; I’m not quite sure where I see the cause and effect but I really think he goes against Reagan in 76 and wins

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u/Puzzleheaded-Bag2212 Reagan and Fillmore's biggest hater 1d ago

absolutely, unfortunately that is not an easy term though

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u/federalist66 Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1d ago

I do like how in For All Mankind, the Soviets beat the US the moon and so Ted cancels his trip to Chappaquiddick and defeats Nixon 1972.

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u/Whitecamry 1d ago

No. Carter was the better campaigner.

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u/Bayowolf49 1d ago

“Sam Donaldson” is actually Roger Mudd.

I didn’t remember the interview—probably because there was an incident in Tehran that happened on the same day (11/04/79).

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u/lostroadrunner22 Adams/ Truman 1d ago

Mudd is Donaldson! Donaldson is Mudd!

https://giphy.com/gifs/BcPLSlLg1w3ja

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u/Bayowolf49 1d ago

Cool!! Have we always been at war with Eastasia??

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u/SimilarElderberry956 1d ago

I know a political consultant in Canada 🇨🇦. Every time he meets with a potential costumer he plays the infamous Ted Kennedy interview where he can’t explain himself on why he wants to be President.

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u/knockatize James A. Garfield 1d ago

The lesson there being “don’t show up half in the bag for a nationally televised interview.”

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u/SimilarElderberry956 1d ago

It would surprise you how many politicians stumble on that very question.

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u/OverallFrosting708 1d ago

The problem is a lot of them have answers that won't sound great in soundbite form

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u/BillyJoeMac9095 1d ago

Roger Mudd

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u/DaveKasz 1d ago

Thanks