ABSTRACT
The year 1979 proved to be a tough one for Jimmy Carter. On the domestic front, he was beset by runaway inflation and persistent unemployment. His poor approval ratings tempted Ted Kennedy, the lion of liberalism, to challenge him for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. Foreign affairs offered little respite, as the arms-control agenda with the Soviet Union had stalled and the glow of the Camp David peace agreement between Israel and Egypt was rapidly fading. Most importantly, Iran was coming undone.
