address the country's increasing sense of doom. >> by july of 1979 carter was feeling along with many americans that things were falling apart. general sense of uncertainty and disease within the country. >> it seemed like the american dream was over. and that's the context in which carter decides to now give this speech addressing what his advisers are call the malaise. >> it is a crisis of confidence. it is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. >> he wanted to kind of shake americans and say listen, we need to get ahold of ourselves, we need to understand who we are and what our collective purpose is. >> first of all, we must face the truth. and then we can change our course. >> in a time when a president won't admit to error about anything, it's almost unimaginable for the american