Jimmy Carter at 94

Bob001 said:
Jimmy Carter was not a popular or successful President. But it's worth reminding ourselves what integrity and commitment to public service look like:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...destly-in-his-georgia-hometown/?noredirect=on
Click to expand...

Though Jimmy Carter had his flaws as a president (and more than his share of bad luck), he is possibly the most decent and honest person ever to hold that office. Perhaps that was part of the problem. I think perhaps one needs to be a bit of an SOB to do well as president. Of course, that doesn't mean that being a complete SOB is conducive to a successful presidency, as the current occupant of the White House is showing on a daily basis..
 
CORed said:
Though Jimmy Carter had his flaws as a president (and more than his share of bad luck), he is possibly the most decent and honest person ever to hold that office. Perhaps that was part of the problem. I think perhaps one needs to be a bit of an SOB to do well as president. Of course, that doesn't mean that being a complete SOB is conducive to a successful presidency, as the current occupant of the White House is showing on a daily basis..
Click to expand...
I am not sure that's true. A lot of research has been done lately on what makes a good leader. The modern sample size of "effective American Presidents" is pretty small to use for comparison.
 
He is an honest and decent person, but he was a lousy President. He was a horrible administrator, a micromanager who got so caught up in the details that he failed to provide overall leadership. he tried to do everyhitng at once, and in foreign affairs, he proved to be naïve,and was totally fooled by the Russians. He is rated low as a President for good reason.
 
Well, I was a young kid during his Presidency. My father thought he was a joke.

He seems to carry a lot of respect- though he doesn't have many peers anymore.
 
Not such a good President, but an excellent ex-President. I admire his integrity and his long dedication to Habitat for Humanity.
 
He proved to be an absolute buffoon on foreign affairs and has not wised up in the years since:

Rosalynn and I share our sympathies with the Castro family and the Cuban people on the death of Fidel Castro. We remember fondly our visits with him in Cuba and his love of his country. We wish the Cuban citizens peace and prosperity in the years ahead.
Click to expand...
 
“A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his.”
-- Ronald Reagan (September 1, 1980)
 
crescent said:
What if Operation Eagle Claw had succeeded?

Did it have any chance at all?- it seemed very ambitious.
Click to expand...
It was certainly bold. It depended on getting inside the Iranian's decision loop. I think that was a very feasible objective at the time. Basically, get into Teheran, get the hostages, and get out again while the Iranians were still trying figure out what was going on and what to do about it.

But apparently there were serious logistical challenges to setting up the heist, that were not taken seriously enough by the planners - including Carter.
 
Monza said:
Not such a good President, but an excellent ex-President. I admire his integrity and his long dedication to Habitat for Humanity.
Click to expand...

My dad used to produce and direct one of the very early basic cable home improvement shows - long before HGTV became a thing - and they did a season following a Habitat for Humanity project with Jimmy Carter. I worked as a key grip for some of that and got to meet Mr. Carter. An absolutely descent, hard working and genuine man.
 
Carter ran against the Washington Establishment but never had the coat tails to replace it with his people. He was trying to be what Regan was. Regan could both run against and work with the Washington Establishment.

Carter was also hamstrung by the hollow force left to him after Vietnam. He had no good cards to play in the Iranian hostage crisis. The force he inherited could barely deter the Russians in Europe.

I will always respect him for going to visit Three Mile Island during the height of the crisis, knowing what he did as a nuclear physicist. That was a level of leadership you just don't see anymore, from either party.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom