Let's look at the first three paragraphs here.

This is a special night for me. Exactly three years ago, on July 15, 1976, I accepted the nomination of my party to run for President of the United States. I promised you a President who is not isolated from the people, who feels your pain, and who shares your dreams and who draws his strength and his wisdom from you.

During the past three years I've spoken to you on many occasions about national concerns, the energy crisis, reorganizing the Government, our Nation's economy, and issues of war and especially peace. But over those years the subjects of the speeches, the talks, and the press conferences have become increasingly narrow, focused more and more on what the isolated world of Washington thinks is important. Gradually, you've heard more and more about what the Government thinks or what the Government should be doing and less and less about our Nation's hopes, our dreams, and our vision of the future.

Ten days ago I had planned to speak to you again about a very important subject—energy. For the fifth time I would have described the urgency of the problem and laid out a series of legislative recommendations to the Congress. But as I was preparing to speak, I began to ask myself the same question that I now know has been troubling many of you. Why have we not been able to get together as a nation to resolve our serious energy problem? (1-3)

The first paragraph is sort of like a love fest, a pleasant reminder of better days before the oil crisis, when Carter first accepted the Democratic nomination for president.

After this trip down memory lane, Carter actually has a bit of explaining to do. He's late. And like a student walking into class without a pass, he's got an excuse. No it wasn't a fight in the hallway (although there were fights going happening in the gas lines). Carter tells the American people that he pushed back his speech by ten days in order to reevaluate the issue. He hints at his later message (you know, the whole crisis of confidence thing) by explaining that he just didn't have it in him to give another boring old policy speech.

He hints at the limitations of laws to address this pressing issue. He sets the stage for his push to deal with the oil crisis on a moral and spiritual level by asking Americans a difficult question, the one they desperately want answered:

Why have we not been able to get together as a nation to resolve our serious energy problem? (3)

Of course his answer to this question will surprise—and ultimately offend—the American people.