What would the ramifications have been for the United States and the rest of the world?
I remember the hostage crisis and the wavering stance the United States appeared to have. Classified documents years later showed the administration’s’shrewd operation with Canada in bringing home the six diplomats in hiding. Operation Eagle Claw was a catastrophic disaster - one that was a rescue mission similar to Entebbe in 1976. It failed to get past the first stage. It finalised the image of Carter being a weak and stumbling president for many people.
However if it succeeded Carter surely would have got a tremendous boost in approval. Ronald Reagan won in an electoral college landslide but his popular vote percentage was 50.7%. Carter’s narrow electoral college victory over Gerald Ford in 1976 saw his popular vote at 50.1%.
Of course John Anderson as a third party candidate received 6 million votes and 6% of the vote. He especially got a good rapport from young people. Then there were the Ted Kennedy liberals which split the party in the primaries.
All of this shows Carter had mounting problems at his desk in 1980.
However last night I watched his “Crisis of Confidence” speech again. I watched it on July 15th 1979 - as did an estimated 100 million people. The speech in hindsight is almost prophetic. The video below provides a short extract of relevant passages to today:
Contrary to popular opinion that speech was actually favourable among the American people in the immediate aftermath. It was Ted Kennedy who populised the "malaise" caricature - that Carter was talking that the best days are over.Carter’s energy legislation and speeches highlighted our over-dependence on foreign oil, and the problems the addiction to consumption was taking this country down to.
With his wife Rosalynn Carter’s involvement, a national commission on mental health was formed (the first of its kind). Legislation passed shortly before the 1980 election to allow federal grants to mental health centers, to improve the progress and understanding of mental health and training of mental health professionals. Ronald Reagan in his first year repealed the law.
In foreign policy he had the Camp David peace treaty between Egypt and Israel which still stands today. Granted the courageous leadership of Sadat and Begin is the most notable act for two leaders in that region to want to talk peace. The British had viewed Begin as a terrorist. Sadat paid the price through a bullet. It was Carter who mediated the talks, going through the pain-staking back and forth of writing and rewriting conditions, studying the geo-politics and who ultimately showed the most perseverance when there seemed to be no end to grid-lock. I doubt today a President would be allowed to spend 13 days in isolation with two other leaders but that was historic.
The fundamental issue of Reagan’s election is the rise of the religious right. Gerald Ford who was the last Republican president actually hated the so-called “moral majority” for using Christianity and the military as political weaponry. Trickle-down economics was made a Republican 101 by Reagan. The divide of income inequality and classism took a large jump from his administration to now. Ironically in relative terms he ran a higher deficit that Carter - which Rand Paul has noted making him an exception to the modern GOP who worship at Reagan’s altar.
I am not saying Carter was a man who metaphorically died for our sins. The buck stops with the President and he had a lot of problems. But I think it’s fair to say history has been kinder to him than his contemporaries were and perhaps if we listened to his words, the country wouldn’t have reached the division we are in today. The division is bigger than the man in the Oval Office and affects all areas of society. Jimmy Carter said that when he occupied the Oval Office and as I said - it’s prophetic words given who occupies it now and the state of affairs.
What do you say?
