ABSTRACT
Reactions to Jimmy Carter's 1978 State of the Union address reflected different journalistic expectations for Carter's second year and the persistence of particular themes in evaluating the president. The Wall Street Journal agreed that the most credible claim against Carter was that he failed to fulfill the promise of a merit only criterion for Justice Department appointments. The Journal claimed that the incident was sensationalized by the media, and defended the firing. Prior to the Camp David Accords the major theme in the journalistic assessments of the Carter administration in 1978 was the "failing" presidency of Jimmy Carter. The result was that "Carter saw much of his 1977 legislative program passed—but got little credit for it because of a few conspicuous failures. His reputation for accomplishment and competence were diminished, not enhanced." Broder expected Carter to adopt a limited, achievable policy agenda in 1978.
