Camelot's End: Kennedy vs. Carter and the Fight that Broke the Democratic Party

Written by Jon Ward

Narrated by John Pruden

From a strange, dark chapter in American political history comes the captivating story of Ted Kennedy's 1980 campaign for president against the incumbent Jimmy Carter, told in full for the first time.
The Carter presidency was on life support. The Democrats, desperate to keep power and yearning to resurrect former glory, turned to Kennedy. And so, 1980 became a civil war. It was the last time an American president received a serious reelection challenge from inside his own party, the last contested convention, and the last all-out floor fight, where political combatants fought in real time to decide who would be the nominee. It was the last gasp of an outdated system, an insider's game that old Kennedy hands thought they had mastered, and the year that marked the unraveling of the Democratic Party as America had known it.

Camelot's End details the incredible drama of Kennedy's challenge -- what led to it, how it unfolded, and its lasting effects -- with cinematic sweep. It is a story about what happened to the Democratic Party when the country's long string of successes, luck, and global dominance following World War II ran its course, and how, on a quest to recapture the magic of JFK, Democrats plunged themselves into an intra-party civil war.
And, at its heart, Camelot's End is the tale of two extraordinary and deeply flawed men: Teddy Kennedy, one of the nation's greatest lawmakers, a man of flaws and of great character; and Jimmy Carter, a politically tenacious but frequently underestimated trailblazer. Comprehensive and nuanced, featuring new interviews with major party leaders and behind-the-scenes revelations from the time, Camelot's End presents both Kennedy and Carter in a new light, and takes readers deep inside a dark chapter in American political history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette Audio
• Release date: Jan 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781549194771

Jon Ward

Jon Ward is the chief national correspondent at Yahoo! News. He has covered American politics and culture for two decades, including as a White House correspondent traveling aboard Air Force One and as a national affairs correspondent writing about two presidential campaigns. He is the author of Camelot's End: Kennedy vs. Carter and the Fight That Broke the Democratic Party and hosts The Long Game podcast. Ward has written for the Washington Post, the New Republic, Politico, Vanity Fair, HuffPost, and the Washington Times and lives in Washington, DC.

Reviews for Camelot's End

[nancyadair-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Two flawed men.

Kennedy, carrying the heavy legacy of his patriot martyred brothers, a narcissist womanizer and drunkard yet developing into the 'conscious of his party." And Carter, a devout Christian, a political maverick, a man whose wide grin disguised a bulldog tenacity.

I could see it coming. As author Jon Ward unfolded the story of the 1980 presidential election campaign, I got to the 'ah ha' point of understanding the inevitability of the Democrats losing to the Republican candidate Ronald Reagan.

Incumbent President Carter had lost credibility. He was unable to end crippling inflation--do I remember that inflation! 15 1/2% interest rate on our first house! He had done nothing to end high unemployment. The Iran hostage crisis just went on and on. The punitive oil prices caused shortages and the shortages led to riots and violence. Carter had believed that politics could be used for Christian purposes to alleviate suffering. But he never played well with others--Hunter S. Thompson declared him 'one of the three meanest men' he had ever met.

Teddy Kennedy hoped to 'save the soul' of the Democratic party. A deeply troubled man burdened by the Kennedy legacy, the last son standing, he felt he had to run. But he was haunted by one night, a car, a bridge, and a dead woman at Chappaquiddick. Kennedy did the unthinkable, challenging an incumbent president from his own party. He wanted national health care, a stimulation bill, to end the arms race.

Reagan, sixty-nine-years-old, a conservative who had provided Hollywood names to the House UnAmerican Committee, declared for states rights. Carter misjudged him as a lightweight. But Reagan had ease and charm where Carter looked like a coiled snake ready to bite.

Third-party candidate John Anderson had also thrown his hat into the ring.

The working people abandoned the Democratic Party. Carter's own church, the Southern Baptists, abandoned the Democratic Party. The Republicans had found the golden ticket: attracting working-class white Christian voters into the party of rich businessmen. Carter had lackluster support, and even after the convention, Teddy was getting cheers.

Even after Carter won his party's nomination, Kennedy didn't give him his wholehearted support.

The failed president later won the Nobel Peace Prize and his work with Habitat for Humanity is a mene going around social media as an example of presidential values. At the senator's death, Carter admitted Kennedy was one of the "best senators." They redeemed themselves in later life, becoming better people. But in 1980, they managed to cost the Democrats the White House.

Ward's book was a revealing, engrossing read. I ended up taking copious notes. I enjoyed the book on many levels: recalling the social and political climate in the lates 70s and how it affected me; as portraits of two Democratic icons; as a step-by-step retelling of a pivotal political contest; and for addressing the political issues that are still relevant today.

I received a free book from the publisher through Goodreads in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.