Former President Jimmy Carter passed away earlier today (December 29, 2024) a month after celebrating his 100th birthday.
The love of his life and wife of over 75 years, Rosalyn, passed away last year.
The man who many said “Jimmy who” when he announced his run for the 1976 Democratic Presidential Nomination, (Apparently his mother reportedly said “President of what” when her son told her he was running for the Presidency,) beat a field of well known Democrats in the primaries (including Scoop Jackson, Jerry Brown, and Mo Udall) and announced in his victory speech at his parties convention “My name is Jimmy Carter and I’m running for President.
In a close election, Carter, the former one term Governor of Georgia, bested President Gerald Ford (who was weakened by his pardon of Richard Nixon and a primary challenge by former California Governor Ronald Reagan) in the 1976 Presidential Election.
Historically, Carter’s Presidency was, honestly, a mixed bag.
On the positive note, in his Administration:
- The Departments of Education and Energy were created.
- He helped create the modern Vice Presidency by giving his number two, Walter Mondale added responsibilities denied previous occupants.
- Over ten million jobs were created during his Administration.
- He helped secure peace in the Middle East between Egypt and Israel through the Camp David Accords, a peace that still exists today.
- He oversaw the approval of the Panama Canal Treaty that gave control of the waterway to Panama.
- He finalized Nixon and Ford’s moves to normalize relations with the People’s Republic of China.
- He signed S.A.L.T. II with the Soviet Union.
- He took the first steps to fight back against the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
- He was a leading advocate of conservation and clean energy, installing solar panels on the White House roof (which oil industry friendly Ronald Reagan took down,) and wanting American car owners to start the transition to non gas guzzler vehicles and electric cars 30 years before it became fashionable.
- He was a champion for human rights.
- He appointed 57 minority and 41 women judges which was more than the previous 38 Presidents combined.
However, President Carter had several miscues. Those included:
- Not playing the political D.C. Power Game. There are several accounts about Congressional Democrats, including then House Speaker Tip O’Neil (who Carter put in the back bleachers at his inaugural) were miffed at how Carter and his staff treated them badly during his four years in office and how bad they were, despite noted legislation in Energy and the Panama Canal, at the legislation game.
- Not being the personification of hope. The speech, historically known, even though the word is not included, “Malaise” Crisis of Confidence address in 1979, was seen soon after the presentation as a talking down to of the American People. That what he said was totally on point did not matter. People want hope, not a dressing down.
- The Iranian Hostage crisis coupled with the 1979 Energy Crisis which lasted over a year that saw rising prices, especially at the gas pump, and a weakened Presidency where Carter could not get the hostages home militarily (a mission to do just that met with disaster in the Iranian desert) or bring prices down.
With charismatic Ronald Reagan’s famous line “Are you better off than you were four years ago” at their one debate, Carter, who was weakened by a Ted Kennedy challenge in the primaries that year, was beaten in a landslide a week later in the 1980 Presidential Elections.
After losing the Presidency, Carter and his team, in their last days in office, were able to secure the release of the Americans being held hostage in Iran.
Retiring to Georgia, he stayed committed to public service by helping create Habitat for Humanity to build affordable housing for working families and the Carter Center to fight disease and advance Democracy around the world and secure honest elections. While getting acclaim for his work, he did ruffle the feathers of some of his successors, mostly for good reasons, including Presidents Clinton (who really wanted nothing to do with his Democratic Predecessor except photo ops) and Bush II.
He also became a good friend to former President Ford.
For his Post-Presidency efforts, Mr. Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in 2002.
A true Christian who resumed Sunday school teaching as often as he could in his home town, Jimmy Carter, who rose from relative poverty to became a Naval engineer, then a State Legislator, then Governor, then President, and finally a lifelong public servant, epitomized the American Dream.
Please watch President Joe Biden pay tribute to the Carter legacy below.
Vice President Kamala Harris posted:
Among Arizona leaders who paid their respects to the former President:
Rest in Peace with the love of your life Mr. President. You both deserve it.
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