When exactly did America stop being great and when will it start again?

I remember when Jimmy Carter gave his "malaise speech" on 15 July 1979. He spoke of a crisis of confidence in the American people. A lack of unity, a lack of optimism. He spoke of a wounded nation because of the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK. And spoke of stagnation and drift.

The conservatives tortured him for that. For daring to question, in any shape for form, American exceptionalism-- even though that was not what Carter was trying to do. Reagan used the "malaise speech" against Carter when he announced his candidacy some months later. In his words: [i]I find no national malaise. I find nothing wrong with the American people.[/i] Carter also flushed his cabinet and was tortured for that as well. It reflected a lack of leadership.

Now we have a POTUS, theoretically in the same political lineage as Reagan, at least the same party-- running on a platform that America is not great. That he can make it great again. And his staffing is so volatile that WH letterhead is "fill in the blank".