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Jimmy Carter, Dead at 100
James Earl Carter, the nation’s 39th President, has died at age 100.
He served a single term between 1977-81, losing to Ronald Reagan in 1980. His term was marred by high inflation and the hostage crisis after the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The signature accomplishment of his administration was negotiating the Camp David Accords that saw peace declared between Egypt and Israel.
His wife, Rosalynn, passed in November of 2023.
Carter remains the only graduate of the United States Naval Academy to be elected President.
Published in General
RIP Jimmy. His legacy would be all the great work he did for Habitat for Humanity.
At least Jimmy lived long enough to see someone who sucked more than he did as President.
Carter did some deregulation and sicced Paul Volker on the LBJ-Nixon legacy of inflation. Basing US foreign policy on human rights but wimping out regarding the greatest violators wound up as kneejerk, destabilizing hostility to our authoritarian allies. Sneering at “the inordinate fear of communism,” deference to the hapless Cyrus Vance on Iran and the oddly passive response to OPEC doomed his presidency and weakened the entire Western world.
One of the things that gets glossed over with Jimmy Carter, was after he got burned with the Soviets invading Afghanistan, he was the one who started the defense buildup that Ronald Reagan continued.
And yes, as the last poster noted, he did appoint Paul Volker as Federal Reserve chair, who started his anti-inflation efforts during the latter part of his term.
For him, it was too little too late, which is a reason he lost re-election.
RIP.
He gave up our canal.
Steve’s contribution
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2024/12/the-under-and-over-estimated-jimmy-carter-rip.php
He lived long enough to be replaced as the worst president in my lifetime.
I think Trump and Vance got it right.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/3271983/trump-expresses-gratitude-for-jimmy-carter-after-his-death/
It was actually the Senate that did that on April 18, 1978, voting 68 to 32 in favor of the treaty negotiated by Carter.
Excellent cold-eye reflection on the man. Democrats abused two elderly politicians this cycle. And, sad to say, to some degree their histories made it karma. Not great for Americans, however.
I think Trump and Vance got it right.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/3271983/trump-expresses-gratitude-for-jimmy-carter-after-his-death/
Yes. The Senate was complicit in Carter’s idiocy.
Pretty good. It’s obvious that Steve wrote this some time ago and was saving it for when Carter passed.
RIP
Good read. Thanks for the link.
The New York Times says that Biden is expected to give a eulogy at the funeral, which is common for sitting presidents to do in these circumstances.
Sigh.
Agreed, although it’s conceivable that our identifications of the usurper might not be congruent.
Carter was right. We should have transitioned to coal.
I only read the interview with Jimmy Carter for the pictures. (JK)
Kennedy was the first US Navy officer elected President. Every President between him and Carter (inclusive) were former Navy officers. Carter broke the string. After Carter we had a former Army Air Force officer (Reagan) a final naval officer (George H. W. Bush) and an Air Force officer (W.) Oh yeah, and three anti-American civilians (I am not mentioning their names) and a pro-American patriot (Trump).
He’s the only president who graduated from Annapolis (Naval Academy). Two presidents graduated from West Point.
So far there have been no former Admirals that became president, while 12 former generals have. No former enlisted members have become president.
From our president just a few moments ago.. You know aghh, its’s a sad da but it uh nah an incredible amount of memories today and the world in my view lost a markable leader. He was a statesmen and a generaltarian. I was hanging out with Jimmy Carter for over 50 years it dawned on me. And I had accountants conversations over those years, and I’d always to be proud to say that dah, I was the first national notional contributor to endorse him since 1976. There is an overwhelming reason for it. He’s a character. Bla, bla, baa…
Now that we are way into comment #22 I think he was a terrible president but a man with a good heart. G-buy and wish you all the best. I am completely on his opposite side politicly but I hope he finds eternal peace. When someone dies you need to look at the big picture. Personally I give him a 24 hour pass and hope someone has the grace to give me the same when I go.
George H. W. Bush, when he turned 18, enlisted in the Navy as a seaman second class and signed up for the Naval Aviation cadet program.
FIFY
Biden was just the front man for the sequel to Obama’s anti-American presidency. Jimmy may have been a mostly bad president, but at least he seemed to care for the country.
RIP
Actually Buchanan was an enlisted man in the War of 1812, a trooper in a cavalry unit. He is the only President with military service who was not a commissioned officer.
So did every other officer who went through ROTC or the V12 program. Every reserve officer joins as an E-1. (I think that is also true of anyone admitted to the service academies, too.) You have to graduate from the officer training program to get your commission. So that means Kennedy, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and George W. Bush were enlisted men at some point in their military careers.
As I graduated from high school in 1976, my memory is that Jimmy Carter came out of nowhere to challenge the Democrat party titans. He was an anti-politician politician in an age that craved honesty and integrity. His homespun style clicked with a nation tired of the angry wrangling of the Watergate era. Gov. Carter was a fresh faced, soft-spoken, Christian-sounding, different cat than the national politicians of the age. That played well with a majority of the electorate, though I still voted for Ford.
My favorite memory from the autumn of 1976 though was my first day in college Biology 101. The professor was taking attendance that first hot Fall day. As he called out, “Carter, James” we all turned to see the young man responding wondering if…nahhh. The young man with the same name sported a bushy blonde head of hair, displayed the muscular physique of a linebacker (which he was) bursting out of a sleeveless t-shirt and cut-off jeans. The room erupted in laughter.
I don’t like to speak ill of the so recently deceased.
Thus I will make no comment about Jimmy Carter. Maybe next month is long enough for propriety. I just can’t think of anything good about him.
You guys are all romanticizing the worst POTUS before Biden. He ruined the economy, destroyed our foreign policy, set up Iran as an enemy. As ex POTUS he interfered in Iraq, Kuwait, NoKo and Israel. He should have been tried under the Logan act.
I will not wish ill on the dead, but this man was no friend to America. He was a rat fink who should be remembered with disdain.