Did Ted Kennedy back Reagan in 1980?

[Moooooo]

I was watching a Democrats for Reagan ad from the 1980 campaign and it featured Ted Kennedy giving a negative Carter speech.  Did Kennedy back Reagan in 1980?

[Keystone Phil]

Uh...that was clearly Kennedy during the primary campaigning against Carter. Kennedy endorsing Reagan? Get real.

[© tweed]

No.  Kennedy opposed Carter in the 1980 primaries, that's probably where the speech was from.  It was bo doubt taken out of conext by that group.

[J. J.]

Kennedy ran against Carter in the primaries; that is probably were the speech was taken from.

[J. J.]

Uh...that was clearly Kennedy during the primary campaigning against Carter. Kennedy endorsing Reagan? Get real.

I all fairness, he didn't actually support Carter either.

[Keystone Phil]

Uh...that was clearly Kennedy during the primary campaigning against Carter. Kennedy endorsing Reagan? Get real.

I all fairness, he didn't actually support Carter either.

I understand that but to say he endorsed Reagan is silly. It was obviously Reagan's people using their heads when they used a Kennedy primary speech for that ad.

[Moooooo]

Wasnt sure.  The ad played a clip of Kennedy's anti-Carter speech, and at the end it said "Democrats for Reagan".

[Keystone Phil]

at the end it said "Democrats for Reagan".

Just some smart moves by Reagan-Bush 1980. 

[Moooooo]

Just some smart moves by Reagan-Bush 1980. 

True, a lot of Reagans ad's were great.  His 'Morning in America' ad's are probably some of the best political ad's ever. 

Wellstones were pretty good too.

[dazzleman]

Just some smart moves by Reagan-Bush 1980. 

True, a lot of Reagans ad's were great.  His 'Morning in America' ad's are probably some of the best political ad's ever. 

Wellstones were pretty good too.

'Morning in America' was from 1984, not 1980.  In 1980, voters felt that they were in the middle of a very black night.

Kennedy did not support Reagan, but he wasn't heartbroken to see Carter lose.  He gave very lukewarm, nominal support to Carter, after losing his bid for the 1980 Democratic nomination, but he even extracted a price for that support -- he refused to make a commitment to make any speeches on behalf of Carter until Carter agreed in writing to help him pay off the debt from his losing bid for the nomination.  There was no love lost between the two men.

Kennedy's positions in 1980 were very different from Reagan's, needless to say -- he supported gasoline rationing, and wage and price controls.  Neither Carter nor Reagan supported either of these measures.

[Moooooo]

'Morning in America' was from 1984, not 1980. 

I know.  I was just pointing out the fact that they were great ad's.  I was born in '84 and remember them fondly. 

[Erc]

'Morning in America' was from 1984, not 1980. 

I know.  I was just pointing out the fact that they were great ad's.  I was born in '84 and remember them fondly. 

That's some good memory you have there, then...

[PBrunsel]

That ad was controversial and (like the Daisy Girl and Convention ad) ran only once. It was not endorsed by Kennedy and not even the Reagan Democrats.

[Moooooo]

That's some good memory you have there, then...

lol .


Hey, how was the Ben Cardin 'reuben'?

[Erc]

Didn't get to try it, unfortunately...(line at the place was too long)...but I'm sure it was very good.

[Defarge]

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- Ed Kennedy's 1980 DNC Address.  One of my personal favorite non presidential nominee convention speeches.