Jimmy Carter: A Visionary

A politician unlike any other.

In politics, candidates love to flaunt themselves as different: outsiders, populists, dark horses, anti-establishment. Barack Obama, the president who was seen by many to truly embody a break from the Washington norm – running on a campaign slogan of “Change” – still turned out to realize many of the same characteristics of the Washington machine. Rewind the clock thirty-two years before Obama’s first inauguration, and it is the first day in office for a man who will become the original “Change” politician.

James Earl Carter Jr., known more popularly as Jimmy Carter, was born on October 1, 1924 in Plains, Georgia —  a town of roughly 600 today. Carter grew up on the family’s peanut farm, living a humble country life, until he ended up at the US Naval Academy. After graduating in the top 10% of his class, Carter went on to serve for 7 years active duty in the Navy before returning home following his father’s death. The once prosperous family farm was going through a turbulent economic period, and, as a result, Carter became the first — and only — president to ever live in subsidized government housing.

After an economic revival of the family farm, Carter began his first foray into politics as the Chairman of the Sumter County school board, where he made a name for himself supporting racial integration in the deep South. In 1963, Carter was elected to the Georgia State Senate where he would serve for four years. While in office, Carter was timid on race issues, privately supporting the Civil Rights movement, but publicly having conflicting stances on the issue, not wanting to alienate himself from his constituents or other legislators. Carter ran for Governor of Georgia in 1966, but lost in the democratic primaries. Four years later, Carter tried again, this time succeeding, and became Georgia’s 76th Governor. During his campaign, Carter positioned himself as a populist, and tried to win both the black vote and segregationist white vote, meeting with civil rights leaders, while simultaneously praising George Wallace, an infamous segregationist politician. During his inauguration speech as governor, Carter stated “the time for racial discrimination is over” — betraying the large white segregationist voter block.

During his gubernatorial tenure, Carter immediately proved himself to be a political anomaly — holding both conservative and liberal views. On the left side, Carter provided equal funding to rich and poor schools, set up community centers for children with mental disabilities, fought for environmental protections, staunchly supported civil rights, and attempted to create an early childhood development program, prison reform program, and state human rights council. To the right, Carter cut state spending, disbanded and merged many state agencies, and spoke on his support of deregulation. Despite being a former state senator himself, Carter was disliked by much of the state legislature, being seen as somebody difficult to work with, and unwilling to stray from his moral compass — a theme that would follow into his presidency.

After his tenure as Governor, Carter ran for President in 1976 and was widely perceived as a dark-horse candidate. The United States was coming off the Watergate scandal, with a national feeling of distrust toward Washington. Carter, a literal outsider who had never been elected to federal office, positioned himself as a politician who “never lies.” During his campaign announcement speech, Carter espoused an optimistic message focused on change in government. Carter began his campaign polling at 2%, but went on to unexpectedly win the democratic primary, followed by the popular and electoral votes: officially electing him President of the United States.

The transition of the President-elect is a major aspect of the modern-day political machine. Carter, however, was the first President to devote major resources into the transitory process. At the time, and even to this day, major appointed political offices are often given to political allies and donors, with cabinet members being majority lawyers and general politicians. Carter broke this two century year old practice, appointing a cabinet made exclusively of experts in their fields.

Despite Carter having a democratic majority in both chambers of Congress during the entirety of his Presidency, just as during his time as governor, Congress found Carter difficult to work with. He simply refused to play by Washington’s rules. Carter saw the practice of political favors as borderline extortion and refused to participate. At the time, Ted Kennedy, the brother of late President John F. Kennedy, with presidential aspirations of his own, was the de facto head of the liberal wing of the Democratic party. With his desire to run for president in 1980, Kennedy fought Carter in congress all the time, attempting to sabotage Carter’s chance at democratic nomination in 1980. Carter blames Kennedy for blocking his healthcare plan, and believes the United States would have universal healthcare today if Kennedy had allowed him legislative success.

Carter’s presidency ran parallel to many major national crises: the Iran hostage crisis, stagflation, and an energy crisis. On July 15, 1979, Carter gave a nationally televised address meant to confront the soaring price of oil that would go on to be known as the “Malaise Speech.” In the speech, Carter asked the American people to be less consumerist and take some uncomfortable measures to conserve energy and resources. His words came off very lecture-like and were generally rejected by the American public. Carter’s failure to communicate came to the fore in the 1980 presidential election, where, after winning the Democratic nomination, he lost in a landslide to “The Great Communicator” Ronald Reagan; a former actor known for his wit, charisma, and rousing speeches.

Despite Carter’s shortcomings, he still had his share of presidential successes. He gave ownership of the Panama Canal to Panama, created the Department of Education, pardoned all Vietnam draft evaders, brokered a nuclear arms limitation deal with the Soviet Union, and brokered a peace deal between Israel and Egypt. Carter, a fairly strong pacifist, considers his greatest presidential success never taking any military action despite the Iran hostage crisis and ongoing cold war. Carter has been the only President since Calvin Coolidge to never take military action during their presidency.

After leaving the White House, Carter stayed politically involved in his post-presidency — another example of his departure from political norms. Carter critiqued future presidents, often gave advice to his successors, went on diplomatic trips on behalf of the United States government, and founded the Carter Center, a humanitarian organization focused on human rights. For his work with the Carter Center, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. The organization has eradicated preventable diseases in Africa, monitored foreign elections, and participated in other humanitarian missions. Carter himself moved back to his hometown of Plains almost immediately after his term ended, and went on to teach about the moral and ethical characters of honesty and integrity during his weekly Sunday school sermons for 38 years.

In sticking with his personality of honesty and compliance, after his loss in 1980, Carter conceded so quickly on election night that he was criticized by members of his party. Reflective of his acceptive personality, Carter maintained this attitude his whole life, opting to go into hospice care far earlier than necessary. One month in, the former President is still with us — his life defined by his stringent compliance to his moral compass, emphasizing his uniqueness as an idiosyncratic politician, president, and person.