Idealism held hostage: Jimmy Carter's rhetoric on the crisis in Iran

Abstract

This essay argues that Carter's perceived passivity during the Iranian hostage crisis largely derived from the idealism of his rhetoric. Carter's public talk was grounded in an idealist's terminology which was distinctive because of its emphasis upon genus—specifically, his definition of who Americans were and what they were like—and the application of that genus to crisis problem‐solving. According to Carter, U.S. policies not only had to achieve pragmatic results, but also had to be consistent with his definition of the nation's moral character. Through such arguments, the President constrained his ability to take effective action and failed to provide citizens with evidence that his policies would work. Carter's discourse demonstrates the role that both idealism and pragmatism play in successful presidential crisis rhetoric.