Carter was elected President just as I was walking away from a career in government because of what I saw as the indecency of the Nixon administration, and the weakness of the Ford administration. I had been appointed by Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird to the MIT/Secretary of Defense Study Group on Innovation, Technology, and the Future, and by Wilton Dillion to the Smithsonian study group on the same issues, and that had led me to become familiar with the potential of solar energy. When Carter became President in 1977, the thing that stood out for me was that he was going to be a very different character. For one thing, he was a nuclear-trained engineer the first, and indeed, the only man to ever serve as President with the intellectual training to understand energy issues. When it was announced that Carter was putting solar panels on the White House, and urging the development of EVs, I was amazed. When he negotiated the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel I realized he also had a commitment to fostering wellbeing that I had never before seen in U.S. government. His death date at 100 is, in a way, his final gift to America, because it brings into focus the difference between a man of decency and integrity and the scum we, American voters, have brought onto ourselves. I hope enough of us see this difference to learn the lesson it teaches.
A mural in memory of Jimmy Carter is painted on a storefront at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Park in Plains, Georgia, on December 30, 2024 Credit: Alex Wroblewski / AFP)
The death of Jimmy Carter has brought to the fore a defining characteristic of the late US president’s life: his “decency,” seen as a product of a bygone era in today’s caustic political environment.
Joe Biden on Monday repeated the word three times while speaking to reporters about his late White House predecessor.
Biden, who will be replaced in the White House by Donald Trump on January 20, added: “Can you imagine Jimmy Carter referring to someone by the way they look or the way they talk?”
Despite the struggles he faced during his single term in office — from economic malaise to the Iran hostage crisis — Carter has emerged as a nostalgic figure.
He spent his years after the White House advocating for global democracy, fighting neglected public health scourges and teaching Sunday school.
“He was an utterly honest, transparent and healing presence in the White House, which was just what the US needed […]
Albus Eddie
on Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 5:49 am
Jimmy Carter was a good human being. A rare thing in American politics. He held clear values, and acted upon them to effect change in the world. I didn’t agree 100% with his policies, but I respected him. He was set up by a cynical and manipulative Republican party who played only for power and certainly for keeps. His like will be missed. From my point of view, he introduced the good, and positive side of evangelical culture into the country. It was this same group who have been weaponized as a dark and angry force. This dark and angry aspect does not represent the compassion and kindness at the heart of this Christian community.
Terri Quint
on Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 9:02 am
In retrospect, Jimmy Carter was a wonderful, perspicacious president and we did not appreciate him! The hostage crisis was the final moment and looking back, Americans were stupid and not realizing what a gen we had as president. On the other hand, since he had not served in a national office and was who he was, we had trouble adjusting to him. Along comes an ACTOR, and he knew how to talk to the people—-even though he was wrong on so many issues! So it’s sad to reflect what we did to ourselves and our country, but that’s the way it was!
Jimmy Carter was a good human being. A rare thing in American politics. He held clear values, and acted upon them to effect change in the world. I didn’t agree 100% with his policies, but I respected him. He was set up by a cynical and manipulative Republican party who played only for power and certainly for keeps. His like will be missed. From my point of view, he introduced the good, and positive side of evangelical culture into the country. It was this same group who have been weaponized as a dark and angry force. This dark and angry aspect does not represent the compassion and kindness at the heart of this Christian community.
In retrospect, Jimmy Carter was a wonderful, perspicacious president and we did not appreciate him! The hostage crisis was the final moment and looking back, Americans were stupid and not realizing what a gen we had as president. On the other hand, since he had not served in a national office and was who he was, we had trouble adjusting to him. Along comes an ACTOR, and he knew how to talk to the people—-even though he was wrong on so many issues! So it’s sad to reflect what we did to ourselves and our country, but that’s the way it was!