The 1980 Democratic Primary Featuring Jon Ward

History Does You

Out of the turbulence of the Vietnam War and Watergate, Jimmy Carter was elected president, but after four years, his administration was floundering, confounded by inflation at home and foreign policy failures abroad. The Democrats, desperate to keep power and yearning to resurrect former glory, turned to Ted Kennedy, a member of the legendary political dynasty. 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 Primary would be an all out fight and had serious repercussions on the Democratic Party and American Politics. We interview Jon Ward who is the senior political correspondent for Yahoo News and host of the Long Game Podcast. He has covered American Politics and culture for two decades. He has been published in the Washington Post, the New Republic, Politico, Vanity Fair, the Huffington Post, and the Washington Times. He recently wrote Camelot’s End which documents the 1980 Democratic Primary and what well be talking about today.