Today was the state funeral for James Earl Carter, Jr., the 39th president of the United States who held that office from January 20, 1977 to January 20, 1981. We all know him as Jimmy Carter and probably have mixed feelings about his presidency, but you can’t negate his lifetime of service and what a kind and decent human being he was. He is much more regarded today than when he was a one term president, who was easily defeated by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election. Historians have generally not rated his presidency highly, but in recent years his approval rating and the assessments of his time in office have climbed, due in large part to the things he has done during his post-president time. Probably his work with Habitat for Humanity to rehabilitate and build homes for low-income families is the first thing that comes to mind, but he and his wife also established their own nonprofit, The Carter Center. This nonpartisan, nonprofit organization has a mission of improving life for the world’s poorest people. Jimmy and Rosalynn with the Center staff have worked to resolve conflicts nationally and internationally, promote democracy, protect human rights, and improve the health of the world’s poorest. In recognition of this work the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002 to President Carter “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”
Other notable facts about this kind and simple humanitarian:
• When he died last month, he was the first president to reach the age of 100.
• He was the first president to be born in a hospital.
• Jimmy and Rosalynn lived in the same modest ranch style house in Plains, Georgia from 1961 until their deaths, most recently assessed at just $167,066.
• Jimmy wrote 32 books, all of which were bestsellers.
• Harry Truman was Mr. Carter’s favorite president. He told The Guardian in 2011 that he admired Truman for not trying to profit off his presidency.
• Before he was a peanut farmer, state senator, governor, and president, Jimmy served as a submariner in the U.S. Navy.
As January 20, 2025 approaches and Trump is inaugurated for the second time, there are similarities to 1980 when Ronald Reagan ousted President Carter. Reagan offered optimism and hope that he would improve people’s lives, which is what people wanted to hear. The economy during Carter’s years were plagued with double digit inflation and long lines at the gas pumps. Voters were ready for a knight in shining armor to come in and fix that, which Reagan promised to do. As a result, he won by a landslide. In this election, Trump won by constantly harping on the economy and how bad it is. The voters, like in 1980, saw Trump as that knight swooping in. The difference is that our economy is not in the tank. The Biden-Harris team made a huge mistake not educating people that the economy under Biden has shown steady improvement. Unfortunately, for the majority of voters, perceptions were stronger than facts. In an opinion piece in the Washington Post today, Jennifer Rubin lambasts the media for fixating “on polls showing what voters thought about the state of the economy and its negative news bias that refused to give proper weight to Biden’s successes” and “an accurate picture of Biden’s achievements.” In the article she lists facts, not perceptions, showing where we are today in comparison to when Trump left office. Factory jobs under Biden increased by 268,000 over Trump’s time. “The rate of grocery inflation has subsided to less than 1.6%.” “Real median incomes are higher than when Trump left office.” Had Biden-Harris emphasized these facts, knowing that the economy is what voters were most concerned about, we might not be where we are going into January 20th. Let’s see how long it takes before the GOP agenda screws this up.
Anyhoo, I will leave you with words from a president who was a decent human being and worked for world peace and the betterment of all people, not for himself and his allies. Have a great day and consider a donation to The Carter Center. Ziggyman
“I want to stress again that human rights are not peripheral to the foreign policy of the United States. Our pursuit of human rights is part of a broad effort to use our great power and our tremendous influence in the service of creating a better world, a world in which human beings can live in peace, in freedom, and with their basic needs met adequately.”
-Remarks at White House by President Carter commemorating 30th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, December 1978
Mountain Man Musings 