The Navy service notwithstanding, he was no warrior. No killer instinct. Heck, he didn't even dispatch the "killer rabbit" that was trying to get in his boat. :)
but incumbency has its inertia and Chappaquidick Ted did not have much of a chance on the national stage. The differences on national health care approaches between the two survive to this day. Carter still hasn't let go of that because it was a missed opportunity causing a 30 year delay of Cartercare. :)