I have to say that on Election Night, November 1980, I was so damn mad at Jimmy Carter that, if someone had shot him that night, I would have said “The sonofabitch deserved it.”
I've been sorting through a lifetime of papers and photos today. I came across some pictures from the year I worked for the DOJ in Washington, D.C. I couldn't remember if Jimmy Carter was president then, so I googled it at 4:30 PM. A huge banner appeared at the top of the screen, which said "JIMMY CARTER DIED AT 4:20 PM TODAY". I literally felt in shock, as if I were in a time warp. He was the most wonderful person to be president in my lifetime. We were beyond blessed to have him in this sad world. Jimmy is reunited with his beloved Rosalynn.
I was in Alaska when Carter lost. It was heartbreaking to know that the extraction moguls would be back to shred the Alaskan wilderness. Pres Carter set aside huge amounts of wilderness and the miners and oil companies were furious😥.
I did vote for Jimmy Carter in 1976 and 1980. That was when I realized as I did again with Joe Biden, Americans don't really want a "good, decent, honest man" as President; they want a "celebrity" a ham actor who makes them look tough - the 'Marlborough Man'. The wealthiest Americans don't want a "good, decent, honest" man either; they prefer a sniveling imbecile who will destroy "regulated" capitalism and allow them to live tax free on the rotting carcass.
For myself, I prefer Honesty BUT strength of character to not hunger after wealth and fame, but feels necessary to protect and defend ALL Americans from the poorest sod on the reservation to the responsibly wealthy corporate like Mr. Chouinard former owner of Patagonia. We have never had a truly "good" President, but we've come close, Lincoln, Washington, the two Roosevelt's, and Biden. Jimmy Carter, was too good, too giving and too honest. Presidents also need to be keen "traders" in order to succeed, that's the nature of Democracy.
I am sorry to hear President Carter has passed away. As I said, he was too good of a human being to ever be a good President.
I fully agree with your sentiments about Jimmy Carter both while he was president — sadly — and again as our greatest elder statesman!! His is a mature legacy very few can surpass!! May he rest in peace.
My first vote ever was for Jimmy Carter. No regrets. Yes, as a Californian I was disappointed on election night 1980. Wasn’t a fan, even at the time, of the first steps into deregulation and left-center neoliberalism. But the Panama Canal was the right call and the Israeli-Egyptian peace provided real dividends for the world and at least gave successors something to build on. That they didn’t is on them. He was right so much of the time, even though elite commentators assumed he was a bumpkin, even in his post-presidency. He tried to be a good man, a principled man, and I respect that.
Interestingly, historians are increasingly thinking he was a better president than he got credit for being (though not great) and a bit less of a great ex-president since he had the habit of going rogue, so to speak. But people tend to think he was a paragon of total goodness when you do not get elected to the offices to which he was elected without chopping up a few folks along the way. That's not a criticism of him--that's politics.
I woke up depressed this morning and couldn't remember why. Then I read this, and remembered yesterday's replay of Reagan's "affair" with the contras, setting the stage for the horrors of the 80's, and the betrayals to this day. At least Jimmy Carter rests in peace.
Good post. Thank you, Tom, for expressing my various feelings about Jimmy Carter and sadness at his passing. I only wish he had been able to cast his vote and lived to see
Jimmy Carter when elected President was a Multi-Valent national vaccine to the Nixon systemic virus & Ford's pardon of the Crook which was the start of many attacks to come on the Rule of Law.
I do remember Jimmy's early concession as it rippled through the bright Blue Bay Area & some D-voters & others did abruptly fail to vote. Yet more reasons to vote before Election Day which I had done on that fateful day.
Jimmy Carter was the best president in my voting life until Obama. Neither were perfect, but the alternatives were just awful. Others can trash his legacy as president. His legacy as a human is more than most ever dream of accomplishing.
Yeah, both are and were better humans than presidents. Which still ticks me off because both had the opportunity at the outset to make different choices that would have changed their presidencies.
I've been sorting through a lifetime of papers and photos today. I came across some pictures from the year I worked for the DOJ in Washington, D.C. I couldn't remember if Jimmy Carter was president then, so I googled it at 4:30 PM. A huge banner appeared at the top of the screen, which said "JIMMY CARTER DIED AT 4:20 PM TODAY". I literally felt in shock, as if I were in a time warp. He was the most wonderful person to be president in my lifetime. We were beyond blessed to have him in this sad world. Jimmy is reunited with his beloved Rosalynn.
It’s wonderful to shake hands with the past❤️.
It is. The timing was just so incredible. Jung used to say, "God speaks in synchronicities."
I was in Alaska when Carter lost. It was heartbreaking to know that the extraction moguls would be back to shred the Alaskan wilderness. Pres Carter set aside huge amounts of wilderness and the miners and oil companies were furious😥.
He did everything right -- but got blamed for things that were completely beyond his control.
Considering the comparison of Jimmy Carter & doofus-elect now?
My how far we have come - what it says about the voters of this country? pretty g d sad.
A downward spiral, I'm afraid. What is wrong with people?
More like a very deep dive!
40 years of unrelenting lies via Rupert Murdoch, Roger Ailes and all the rest of the lying heads at Fox Fake News.
Add to that the insatiable American appetite for mindless reality TV entertainment, which explains why so many of them think 45 is "authentic".
I did vote for Jimmy Carter in 1976 and 1980. That was when I realized as I did again with Joe Biden, Americans don't really want a "good, decent, honest man" as President; they want a "celebrity" a ham actor who makes them look tough - the 'Marlborough Man'. The wealthiest Americans don't want a "good, decent, honest" man either; they prefer a sniveling imbecile who will destroy "regulated" capitalism and allow them to live tax free on the rotting carcass.
For myself, I prefer Honesty BUT strength of character to not hunger after wealth and fame, but feels necessary to protect and defend ALL Americans from the poorest sod on the reservation to the responsibly wealthy corporate like Mr. Chouinard former owner of Patagonia. We have never had a truly "good" President, but we've come close, Lincoln, Washington, the two Roosevelt's, and Biden. Jimmy Carter, was too good, too giving and too honest. Presidents also need to be keen "traders" in order to succeed, that's the nature of Democracy.
I am sorry to hear President Carter has passed away. As I said, he was too good of a human being to ever be a good President.
Your first paragraph is horrifyingly accurate.
In light of what is coming I like George Bush’s comment about Jimmy....”he dignified the office.”
Unlike Gdubya.
I fully agree with your sentiments about Jimmy Carter both while he was president — sadly — and again as our greatest elder statesman!! His is a mature legacy very few can surpass!! May he rest in peace.
Not our best president but heads and shoulders about others, and the worst, who is about to get a second term. God, and all the gods help us.
Jimmy Carter was a true public servant with immense honesty and integrity. Qualities not in sync with politics.
He was a good man
Pretty damn good post, Tom.
Thank you Susan.
Yes TC, a solid vein of political history.
My first vote ever was for Jimmy Carter. No regrets. Yes, as a Californian I was disappointed on election night 1980. Wasn’t a fan, even at the time, of the first steps into deregulation and left-center neoliberalism. But the Panama Canal was the right call and the Israeli-Egyptian peace provided real dividends for the world and at least gave successors something to build on. That they didn’t is on them. He was right so much of the time, even though elite commentators assumed he was a bumpkin, even in his post-presidency. He tried to be a good man, a principled man, and I respect that.
Interestingly, historians are increasingly thinking he was a better president than he got credit for being (though not great) and a bit less of a great ex-president since he had the habit of going rogue, so to speak. But people tend to think he was a paragon of total goodness when you do not get elected to the offices to which he was elected without chopping up a few folks along the way. That's not a criticism of him--that's politics.
I woke up depressed this morning and couldn't remember why. Then I read this, and remembered yesterday's replay of Reagan's "affair" with the contras, setting the stage for the horrors of the 80's, and the betrayals to this day. At least Jimmy Carter rests in peace.
An interesting memoriam, and one that I substantially agree with. Your comparison of Carter to Aurelius is apt, and a credit to both men.
Good post. Thank you, Tom, for expressing my various feelings about Jimmy Carter and sadness at his passing. I only wish he had been able to cast his vote and lived to see
the first woman elected President. xoDeborah
He did get to cast his vote! He said that he was living to 100 so that he could vote for Kamala. And he did!
Jimmy Carter when elected President was a Multi-Valent national vaccine to the Nixon systemic virus & Ford's pardon of the Crook which was the start of many attacks to come on the Rule of Law.
I do remember Jimmy's early concession as it rippled through the bright Blue Bay Area & some D-voters & others did abruptly fail to vote. Yet more reasons to vote before Election Day which I had done on that fateful day.
Jimmy Carter was the best president in my voting life until Obama. Neither were perfect, but the alternatives were just awful. Others can trash his legacy as president. His legacy as a human is more than most ever dream of accomplishing.
Yeah, both are and were better humans than presidents. Which still ticks me off because both had the opportunity at the outset to make different choices that would have changed their presidencies.
your slightly jaundiced view of Carter sounds a lot more realistic than other tributes I've been seeing.
this makes it register with a lot more force. to me, anyway.