1978 Democratic Midterm Conference
The 1978 Democratic Midterm Conference was held at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee on December 7-10, 1978. At the time, the Democratic National Committee was in debt due to the cost of the Jimmy Carter 1976 presidential campaign. Compared to the previous midterm conference held in Kansas City in 1974, the DNC voted to cut the number of delegates to be credentialed at the 1978 conference to 1,633 delegates. The DNC voted in favor of Memphis over Denver, Honolulu and Seattle. President Jimmy Carter attended the event and delivered a keynote speech despite his polling numbers declining. On December 9th, Arkansas Attorney General Bill Clinton introduced Senator Ted Kennedy who delivered a speech which discussed health care and criticized the Carter administration's fiscal and economic policies. Journalists noted the quieter mood compared to 1974.
The 1978 Democratic Midterm Conference was held at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee on December 7-10, 1978.[1] At the time, the Democratic National Committee was in debt due to the cost of the Jimmy Carter 1976 presidential campaign.
Compared to the previous midterm conference held in Kansas City in 1974, the DNC voted to cut the number of delegates to be credentialed at the 1978 conference to 1,633 delegates. The DNC voted in favor of Memphis over Denver, Honolulu and Seattle. President Jimmy Carter attended the event and delivered a keynote speech despite his polling numbers declining. [2]
On December 9th, Arkansas Attorney General Bill Clinton introduced Senator Ted Kennedy who delivered a speech which discussed health care and criticized the Carter administration's fiscal and economic policies.
Journalists noted the quieter mood compared to 1974.[3][4][5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "DEMOCRATS TO MEET IN REMPHIS IN 1978 (Published 1977)". December 10, 1977. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
- ^ Memphis, Tennessee Remarks at the Opening Session of the 1978 National Democratic Party Conference (Speech). Memphis, Tennessee: The American Presidency Project. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
- ^ "Democratic Conference AT A GLANCE (Published 1978)". December 8, 1978. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
- ^ "Kennedy Assails Carter on Budget At Midterm Meeting of Democrats (Published 1978)". December 10, 1978. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
- ^ "Delegates Are Quieter and Less Seasoned (Published 1978)". December 10, 1978. Retrieved September 17, 2025.