As a candidate for president in 1976, Jimmy Carter called for a government “as honest and decent and fair and competent and truthful and idealistic as are the American people.” The cynics rolled their eyes. They misjudged him.
Carter believed sincerely in the potential goodness of both the government and its people, and we would all be so much better off if more politicians did. Leadership can inspire the best or worst in people. He strove for the best.
kAmw:D C64@C5 2D AC6D:56?E H2D >:I65[ 3FE 9:D C64@C5 2D 2 7@C>6C AC6D:56?E :D F?DFCA2DD65] w:D F?E:C:?8 677@CED @G6C 7:G6 564256D 7@C A6246[ 56>@4C24J[ 9F>2? C:89ED[ 72:C 6=64E:@?D 2?5 AF3=:4 962=E9 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5 C:49=J 62C?65 9:> E96 a__a }@36= !6246 !C:K6 2?5 D6E 2 E@H6C:?8 6I2>A=6 E92E H@F=5 36 492==6?8:?8 E@ >2E49]k^Am
kAm%2=< 23@FE 2 =:76 H6==\=:G65] p>6C:42’D =@?86DE\=:G:?8 AC6D:56?E :D hg 2?5 :? 9@DA:46 42C6 2E 9:D 9@>6 :? !=2:?D[ v6@C8:2]k^Am
kAmw:D 6=64E:@? :? :ED6=7 H2D 32=> 7@C 2 ?2E:@? 566A=J E@C? @G6C ':6E?2> 2?5 C6G@=E65 3J E96 (2E6C82E6\6C2 4C:>:?2=:EJ @7 E96 }:I@? (9:E6 w@FD6] pE 9:D :?2F8FC2E:@?[ r2CE6C 4@>A=:>6?E65 !C6D:56?E v6C2=5 u@C5[ H9@> 96 925 56762E65[ “7@C 2== 96 92D 5@?6 E@ 962= @FC =2?5]” xE H2D 2 F?:7J:?8 86DEFC6 E92E 42>6 7C@> r2CE6C’D 962CE]k^Am
kAmr2CE6C’D DF446DD7F= 42>A2:8? 7@C E96 ?@>:?2E:@? 925 67764E:G6=J 6?565 E96 D68C682E:@?:DE v6@C86 (2==246’D :?7=F6?46 :? E96 s6>@4C2E:4 !2CEJ[ 2?5 E96 7@C>6C v6@C8:2 8@G6C?@C’D G:4E@CJ :? u=@C:52’D 62C=J AC:>2CJ H2D 4CF4:2= E@ E92E]k^Am
kAmqFE 96 H2D DE:== “y:>>J H9@n” E@ >2?J A6@A=6[ v6@C8:2?D :?4=F565[ H96? 96 D@F89E E96 AC6D:56?4J]k^Am
kAmu=@C:52 H2D 2 4CF4:2= DE2E6 7@C 9:>] xE H2D E96 7:CDE 3:8\DE2E6 AC:>2CJ 96 H@? 27E6C x@H2 2?5 }6H w2>AD9:C6 2?5 96 925 ?@ DEC2E68J 36J@?5 u=@C:52 925 96 =@DE 96C6]k^Am
kAm{:<6 @E96C AC6D:56?ED[ 96 AC@>:D65 >@C6 E92? 4:C4F>DE2?46D – ?@E23=J E96 `hfh 6?6C8J 4C:D:D[ 49C@?:4 :?7=2E:@? 2?5 2? xC2?:2? 9@DE286 4C:D:D – H@F=5 2==@H 9:> E@ 244@>A=:D9]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@DA64ED @7 9:D C66=64E:@? 5:>:?:D965 6G6CJ E:>6 E96 ?6EH@C< ?6HD42DED 9:89=:89E65 E96 ?F>36C @7 52JD p>6C:42?D 925 366? 96=5 9@DE286 :? xC2?] qFE 7@C E96 72:=FC6 @7 2 >:=:E2CJ >:DD:@? E@ C6D4F6 @FC :>AC:D@?65 6>32DDJ A6CD@??6= – 9:D @?=J H2C=:<6 24E – 96 >:89E DE:== 92G6 H@? 2 D64@?5 E6C>]k^Am
kAmr2CE6C 925 <?@H? :E H2D C:D<J E@ 25>:E E96 6I:=65 $929 @7 xC2? :?E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ 3FE :E H2D 2? 6I2>A=6 @7 9:D 72:E9\32D65 9F>2?:EJ 8F:5:?8 9:D 24E:@?D] w6 H@F=5 ?@E 56?J >65:42= EC62E>6?E E@ 2 5J:?8 >2?]k^Am
kAmw:D A2C5@?:?8 ?62C=J d__[___ ':6E?2> H2C 5C27E 6G256CD H2D 2?@E96C 4@FC286@FD 24E 7@C E96 D2<6 @7 4@>A2DD:@? 2?5 ?2E:@?2= F?:EJ]k^Am
kAmw:D 25>:?:DEC2E:@? H2D 92C5=J =24<:?8 :? D:8?:7:42?E 249:6G6>6?ED] %96 r2>A s2G:5 p44@C5D AFE xDC26= 2E A6246 H:E9 :ED >@DE A@E6?E 6?6>J[ t8JAE] xE H2D 2 EC:F>A9 @7 DE2E6D>2?D9:A E92E @H65 6?E:C6=J E@ r2CE6C’D E6?24:EJ :? <66A:?8 |6?2496> q68:? 2?5 p?H2C $252E 2E E96 E23=6 7@C `b 52JD]k^Am
kAm#2E:7:42E:@? @7 E96 !2?2>2 r2?2= EC62E:6D H2D 2?@E96C] r2CE6C[ H9@ 925 @AA@D65 E96> 2D 2 42?5:52E6[ 42>6 2C@F?5 2?5 6IA6?565 4@?D:56C23=6 A@=:E:42= 42A:E2= :? A6CDF25:?8 E96 AF3=:4 2?5 $6?2E6 E92E :E H2D ?646DD2CJ E@ C64E:7J 2 =6824J @7 :>A6C:2=:D>]k^Am
kAmr2CE6C 2AA@:?E65 >@C6 q=24< 2?5 H@>6? 7656C2= ;F586D E92? 2?J @7 9:D AC65646DD@CD @C 9:D DF446DD@C 5:5] %96J :?4=F565 y@D6A9 (] w2E496EE yC][ 2 u=@C:52 $FAC6>6 r@FCE ;FDE:46 H9@ 3642>6 E96 7:CDE q=24< ;F586 @7 2 7656C2= 2AA62=D 4@FCE :? E96 s66A $@FE9]k^Am
kAmqJ C6A62=:?8 64@?@>:4 C68F=2E:@? @7 E96 2:C=:?6 2?5 DFC7246 EC2?DA@CE2E:@? :?5FDEC:6D[ r2CE6C C:5 E96 ?2E:@? @7 AC@E64E65 >@?@A@=:6D E92E 925 <6AE 4@>A6E:E:@? =@H 2?5 72C6D 2?5 C2E6D 9:89]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D E96 7:CDE AC6D:56?E E@ >2<6 C6?6H23=6 6?6C8J 2 ?2E:@?2= AC:@C:EJ] w:D DF446DD@C 8FEE65 E96 3F586E 7@C E92E 2?5 C6>@G65 E96 ba D@=2C A2?6=D r2CE6C 925 AFE @? E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 C@@7]k^Am
kAmxE H2D :? 9:D A@DE\AC6D:56?4J E92E 96 249:6G65 8C62E?6DD 2?5 H2D 2H2C565 E96 }@36= !6246 !C:K6 E92E >2?J E9@F89E 96 D9@F=5 92G6 D92C65 :? `hfg 2=@?8 H:E9 q68:? 2?5 $252E]k^Am
kAm%96 r2CE6C r6?E6C[ H9:49 96 2?5 9:D H:76[ #@D2=J??[ 7@F?565 :? pE=2?E2 :? A2CE?6CD9:A H:E9 t>@CJ &?:G6CD:EJ[ 92D @3D6CG65 ``b 6=64E:@?D :? bh ?2E:@?D 2?5 =65 2 4@2=:E:@? E92E 92D 2== 3FE 6C25:42E65 vF:?62 H@C> 5:D62D6[ 2 4C:AA=:?8 A2C2D:E:4 :?764E:@? DAC625 :? p7C:42 3J 4@?E2>:?2E65 H2E6C] (96C6 :? `hgh E96C6 925 366? >@C6 E92? gh_[___ 42D6D C6A@CE65[ :? a_a`[ E96C6 H6C6 ;FDE `d]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 96 H2D ?@E65 7@C 9:D C6=:8:@FD 72:E9 2?5 7@C 92G:?8 366? “3@C? 282:?” 2D 2 r9C:DE:2?[ 96 ?6G6C D:565 H:E9 E96 C6=:8:@FD C:89E[ 2D >2?J @E96C 6G2?86=:42=D 5:5[ 2?5 5:5 ?@E ECJ E@ :>A@D6 9:D 72:E9 @? @E96CD] w6 >256 4=62C E92E :E 8@G6C?65 @?=J 9:D A6CD@?2= 4@?5F4E]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 @?6 =:76 2?5 @?6 492?46 E@ >2<6 :E 4@F?E 7@C D@>6E9:?8[” 96 D2:5] “|J 72:E9 56>2?5D E92E x 5@ H92E6G6C x 42?[ H96C6G6C x 2>[ H96?6G6C x 42?[ 7@C 2D =@?8 2D x 42? H:E9 H92E6G6C x 92G6 E@ ECJ E@ >2<6 2 5:776C6?46]”k^Am
kAmw6 5:5]k^Am
kAmp G6CD:@? @7 E9:D 65:E@C:2= 7:CDE 2AA62C65 :? E96 $@FE9 u=@C:52 $F?\$6?E:?6=]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.