"Presidential candidate is caught in a 'Chappaquiddick moment' as her supporters are explaining and losing"
"Back when Ted Kennedy challenged the then sitting US president Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic ticket, his campaign faltered for two reasons. The first was a failure on Kennedy's part to explain why he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his assassinated brothers John and Bobby in seeking to occupy the White House."
"Still, Kennedy seemed destined to take out the incumbent until questions were repeatedly raised about a fateful car crash at Chappaquiddick on Martha's Vineyard a decade earlier that left long-time campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne dead in a car submerged in a pond."
Ted Kennedy mounted a challenge against sitting US president Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic nomination. His campaign faltered for two reasons. The first reason was Kennedy's failure to explain why he sought the presidency in the footsteps of his assassinated brothers John and Bobby. Kennedy initially appeared likely to defeat the incumbent. Repeated questions about a decade-old car crash at Chappaquiddick on Martha's Vineyard undercut that momentum. The crash resulted in the death of long-time campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne when a car submerged in a pond. The incident eroded Kennedy's electoral viability and derailed his bid.
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