# Jimmy Carter **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 13, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748 "2015-08-13T15:39:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/41 "2015-08-14T14:36:54Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Remember his “malaise” speech? How is it that _you_ do? [That word never appeared.](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/carter-crisis-speech/) > [@](#): > > He was blaming the American people. The closest he came in the speech you seem to be referring to was “In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does but by what one owns.” Was he wrong? > [@](#): > > Instead of dropping interest rates and expanding spending, he foolishly thought that tight money was the way to go. The result was a severe depression. The speech was about the energy crisis. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/42 "2015-08-14T14:50:45Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > But Carter made it many times worse-in From my previous post: ‘the economy was expanding from 1975’. > [@ralph124c](#): > > Remember his “malaise” speech? He was blaming the American people. Instead of dropping interest rates and expanding spending, he foolishly thought that tight money was the way to go. The result was a severe depression. Carter said, ‘In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does but by what one owns.’ He was right. He still is. Carter spoke the truth to the American people. [And the speech was popular](http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2013/08/09/jimmy-carters-malaise-speech-was-popular/). > [@](#): > > The speech _worked_. It prompted an overwhelmingly favorable response. Carter received a whopping 11 percent rise in his poll numbers. The mail that poured into the White House testified that many citizens felt moved by the speech. One man wrote to Carter, “You are the first politician that [sic] has said the words that I have been thinking for years. Last month I purchased a moped to drive to work with. I plan to use it as much as possible, and by doing so I have cut my gas consumption by 75%.” Where he failed was in ‘cleaning house’. > [@](#): > > In the end, Jimmy Carter did blow the situation, but it wasn’t because of the speech itself. Rather, he blew the opportunity that the speech opened up for him. Just two days after July 15, Carter fired his Cabinet, signifying a governmental meltdown. The president’s poll numbers sank again as confusion and disarray took over. Carter could give a great speech, but there were two things he couldn’t manage: to govern well enough to make his language buoy him or to find a way to yoke the energy crisis with concrete civic re-engagement initiatives. Yes, he erred in trying to reset and rebuild. He erred in giving Americans more credit than they deserved, assuming that we’re all rational and will take steps to reform our bad habits once they have been pointed out. Unlike Carter, Americans are not deep thinkers. But you can’t really blame him for the recession that started four years before he took office; nor for things that had Americans on the ropes that he had nothing to do with such as Vietnam, Watergate, the Oil Embargo, and inflation. And he facilitated peace between Israel and Egypt, and closed the SALT II treaty. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/43 "2015-08-14T14:54:00Z")
His work with Habitat for Humanity, in my opinion, erases any mistakes he made as a politician. How many families have a home to call their own, a slice of stability, that they wouldn’t have had without his involvement? Think of all the kids that have grown up in Habitat homes, passing them along to _their_children, and making education and success and home-ownership the new normal in their families rather than something other people can do. And really, what exactly did he do that was so awful as president? His intentions were good, he was more honest than your average politician. Pulling the US out of the 1980 Olympics was, indeed, very unfair for the athletes that had trained and qualified and were in their prime THAT year. And yes, it looked a little ridiculous on the world stage. But I do think that it started larger wheels turning that eventually led to positive things. His presidency was underrated, I think. Not the best ever, not the worst. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/44 "2015-08-14T15:27:46Z")
I’ll share my personal President Carter story, just as an example of the kind of person he was. For purposes of this story, my name is leftfield. It’s not really, but you need a name for me at the end of this story. About 10 years ago, I was waiting at the gate for a flight from Atlanta to Dallas. About 20 minutes before boarding started, two dark suited men emerged from a door marked “Authorized Personnel Only”, and with them came President Jimmy Carter. He stood near the gate waiting for the plane to board. A surprisingly few people recognized him, but no one approached him. I walked over to one of the obviously Secret Service guys, and asked (very politely) if it was okay to approach the President. He said “sure”, so I walked over an introduced myself. He immediately started talking to me like I was an old friend. He asked why I was traveling to Dallas, and etc. I think we talked about where I lived, where I was from, he was very interested that my father served in WWII. I think we “chatted” for a good 15 minutes. We shook hands and I told him how much I admired his public service, both in office and out. Something like that, i don’t remember exactly. What I do remember is what happened AFTER we were on the plane. I had gotten on this flight as a last minute change from another flight, and I had a horrible seat. Absolute last row, right next to the door to the lavatory. President Carter was in 1st Class. By the time we got on the plane I think everyone had now figured out that this was indeed President Jimmy Carter. So, we are all seated, and then all traffic at the airport gets a “ground stop” due to approaching storms. We are going to be sitting on the plane now for a minimum of 30 minutes before leaving the gate. I can see there a number of people around President Carter’s seat in first class, and eventually he stands up and begins walking back through the cabin. He is basically doing a meet’n’greet with everyone on the plane!! He is shaking hands, posing for pictures, basically back in politicking mode. So, he finally gets to the back where I am, after shaking hands and saying hello to well over 150 people. He sees me and says “Well, leftfield, you really should paid for a better seat” He had the biggest Jimmy Carter grin you can imagine. He was cracking up. I was beaming. A fucking ex-President had remembered my name. I’ll never forget that. Best wishes to him and his family. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/45 "2015-08-14T16:21:39Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > The result was a severe depression. Complete nonsense. It was an inherited recession, and not even close to being a ‘severe depression’. The closest we’ve come to a fourth depression in this country occurred during the tenure of GWB, spilling over with gusto into the present administration. It will likely be viewed as the worst recession in this country’s history. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/46 "2015-08-14T17:16:26Z")
Hearing this news made me sad. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. Carter. I feel really bad for Rosalynn, since I’m sure she can’t remember a life without him. It’s so sad when a couple has been together that long (70 years!), someone always has to be the first to go. It’s heartbreaking. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/47 "2015-08-16T01:33:25Z")
A great man. Best wishes Mr. President. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/48 "2015-08-16T02:34:49Z")
The man is 90 years old with metastatic cancer. He will not “recover” from this. He will not fight it off. He will die from it unless something else kills him first. Treatment should be being aimed at giving hm the best quality of life for what time he has and I suspect it is. I suspect that Mr. Carter can look back at his life with pride that he lived it well, according to standards that he believed in. We all should live so long and be able to look back and say that. I can only I hope I will. Heck (respect for the man’s preferences), he accomplished more after age 70 than most have done in their entire lives. To be able to say that does not strike me as so sad: a life that has been well lived eventually approaches its end game as all must, productive far beyond most. I salute your life, sir. May his remaining days be lived with dignity and as much comfort as is possible. May he suffer minimally and when it is his time may he go with peace and with the satisfaction of that life well lived. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/49 "2015-08-16T03:59:19Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > He brought peace to Israel and Egypt. That’s enough for anyone to claim. That was Henry Kissinger’s baby; the same HK that Carter had traduced in his election speeches. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/50 "2015-08-16T04:02:59Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Complete nonsense. It was an inherited recession, and not even close to being a ‘severe depression’. The closest we’ve come to a fourth depression in this country occurred during the tenure of GWB, spilling over with gusto into the present administration. It will likely be viewed as the worst recession in this country’s history. We had something like 16-20 percent interest rates when Carter left office. GWB didn’t come even close. “Spilling over with gusto into the present administration”??? Hmmm…Obama is in for 6 years, and GWB’s powers are still operative? We don’t need Obama, you need an exorcist! ninja’d by **ralph124c** ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/51 "2015-08-16T04:10:12Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Congratulations! You just earned the _Wrongest Post I’ve Ever Seen_ Award. Four swings, four misses. Wow! Who can argue with facts like these??? The worst post \*\*Gatopescado \*\*has seen! Damn! Four swings, four misses! We have another Howard Cosell. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/52 "2015-08-16T05:00:39Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > How is it that _you_ do? [That word never appeared.](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/carter-crisis-speech/) > > The closest he came in the speech you seem to be referring to was “In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does but by what one owns.” Was he wrong? > > The speech was about the energy crisis. After reading those speeches, and knowing what I do about his activities after his presidency, I get the impression that he was actually a true Christian, and that was probably why everyone says he was such a “bad” president. Most presidents are just fake Christians, which seems to suit the nation just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/53 "2015-08-16T07:39:27Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > That was Henry Kissinger’s baby; the same HK that Carter had traduced in his election speeches. So the Camp David Accords that were signed on September 17, 1978 and which led to the 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt were somehow Kissinger’s doing, even though Kissinger hadn’t been Secretary of State since January 20, 1977? The accords that came about due to 14 months of diplomatic efforts by the Carter administration? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/54 "2015-08-17T12:47:50Z")
It’s an injustice that Kissinger got a Nobel Peace Prize but Carter did not. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/55 "2015-08-17T12:49:47Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It’s an injustice that Kissinger got a Nobel Peace Prize but Carter did not. [He did get one, in 2002.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter#Carter_Center_and_Nobel_Prize) ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/56 "2015-08-17T12:53:29Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > He’s a good person, but not too good as a _president_. My stepfather used to say that Carter was too good a man to be a good president. The older I get, the more I agree with that statement. It’s sad to hear about Carter having stage IV lymphoma. But I suspect that in this case, cancer is a disease of old age where things just stop working correctly at a cellular level. (I have a more technical explanation somewhere, but I need more coffee before digging it up.) He has done great work after his presidency, and is simply a good person who gave a lot to the world. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/57 "2015-08-17T12:55:38Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > [He did get one, in 2002.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter#Carter_Center_and_Nobel_Prize) Right, I forgot about that one. It looked like a makeup call for stiffing him for Camp David. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/58 "2015-08-17T13:34:22Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Right, I forgot about that one. It looked like a makeup call for stiffing him for Camp David. I think it was more the acknowledgment of a lifetime of work. May President Carter’s last time here on earth pass with little pain and much dignity. He is a inspirational person, a man who gave his life to making the world a better place, a man who lived (as much as its possible for mere humans to do so) with honesty and integrity. We have too few of those, and I’m grateful he was as healthy as he was for so long and able to do such great things. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/59 "2015-08-17T16:25:02Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > My stepfather used to say that Carter was too good a man to be a good president. The older I get, the more I agree with that statement. I’m coming to agree with that sentiment as well. The people who want to be president are almost always people who really shouldn’t be president. However, since we can’t draft people into the presidency, we’re stuck with trying to determine which particular shitstain is the lease objectionable choice. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748/60 "2015-08-17T17:52:35Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > . . . It’s sad to hear about Carter having stage IV lymphoma. But I suspect that in this case, cancer is a disease of old age where things just stop working correctly at a cellular level. (I have a more technical explanation somewhere, but I need more coffee before digging it up.) . . . . Have they announced that it’s lymphoma? I haven’t found the type listed anywhere. Orac’s blog was [speculating](http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2015/08/13/jimmy-carter-has-announced-that-he-has-cancer-and-it-has-spread-what-does-that-mean/) the other day. He is careful to state both that he’s speculating and what his speculations are based on. One of the articles that I ran across while checking to see if they’d announced a diagnosis said that he would continue teaching Sunday School classes. That sounds so very like him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-carter/727748.md?page=4)