The 1970s were a difficult time in American history, filled with chaos, national and international crises, and very little presidential leadership. Richard Nixon was president in the early seventies and was far from popular in the eyes of the American people. With inflation rapidly rising, Nixon soon became out of favor, and due to the controversy surrounding his actions regarding the Watergate crisis, he was impeached and forced to resign. His vice president, Gerald R. Ford, soon took his place in the White House. However, Ford was unable to handle the crippling events that occurred in the United States; his approval dropped dramatically within a few months and, like Nixon, he lost the support of the American people. When the 1976 presidential election occurred, the American people needed a new hero they could trust and who could lift the nation out of its current state of misery. To fill this position, the American chose to elect James Earl Carter, Jr., governor of Georgia. Jimmy Carter began his presidency in the full glare of public support built on his promise to bring honesty and morality back to politics; but unable to successfully address conflicts outside his control regarding domestic and foreign affairs, his tenure as president ended under a dark cloud of public disapproval. Jimmy Carter entered the White House in 1977 with the shining sheen of public support from the American people, resulting from his outspoken and admiring charisma. He was seen as the hero who could bring the nation out of disparity and return it to its golden years. He guaranteed that his government “would be as full of love as the American people are” (qtd. in Slavin 58). Carter characterized himself as honest and aggressive... middle of paper... in their once beloved hero. They no longer saw him as the man who could cure the country's problems and return the nation to its golden years. In the 1980 presidential election, Carter faced even more problems as the Democratic Party split. Senator Ted Kennedy, a member of the liberal Democratic wing, stole much of Carter's Democratic support; although Jimmy had won the Democratic primary, he had lost much-needed Democratic support and faced a severe disadvantage heading into the election ("Elections of 1980" 1). Not surprisingly, dissatisfied voters did not reelect him to a second term, and many openly expressed their dissatisfaction with his management of domestic and foreign affairs (“Outline of American History” 3). Ronald Reagan won the election, and Carter was forced to return to Georgia under a dark cloud of public disapproval.