Some off topic posts are okay, but please prefix them 'OT:' in the subject.
- Manlobbi
Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) ❤
No. of Recommendations: 12
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_...For decades the right has loved to shit on Carter, but history has been kind to him.
Look at the POTUS rankings by professional historians and he ranks between 18th and and 34th best, but mostly in the 20's.
As a reminder, Trump is always at or near the bottom in the rankings. Which makes sense. How could a POTUS who tried to overturn a legitimate election rank any higher?
No. of Recommendations: 7
Look at the POTUS rankings by professional historians and he ranks between 18th and and 34th best, but mostly in the 20's.
And when it comes to ranking a president's entire life according to decency, humility and humanity, Carter's got to be in the top 5.
No. of Recommendations: 2
Even Carter passing - body not even cold. "Trump Trump Trump!"
LOL - he owns you from the ballot box to the brain.
I dedicate 1 inch of sea level rise - to you :)
Surf's up@
No. of Recommendations: 2
But as former Presidents he will rank up there with Washington.
No. of Recommendations: 13
For decades the right has loved to shit on Carter, but history has been kind to him.
Look at the POTUS rankings by professional historians and he ranks between 18th and and 34th best, but mostly in the 20's
For the record, Carter deregulated far more than Reagan ever thought of.
The entire telecommunications industry was deregulated under Jimmy. Carter signed the Motor Carrier at which deregulated all of trucking. He took federal control off the airline industry with the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, and also deregulated rate setting and other things under the Cargo deregulation Act at a couple years later. Pipelines and later railroads were significantly deregulated under Carter.
He was the first to require agencies to consider the economic impact of their rulemakings, and while he couldn’t get through Congress it was in force while he was in office.
But the Right hated him because, you know, Democrat, plus he injured himself with the “malaise” speech (which never actually contained the word “malaise”) and by telling people to turn off their Christmas lights. Americans don’t like to sacrifice. Inflation threatened to destroy the country, and both Nixon and Ford made feckless attempts to control it, and Carter first appointed William Miller but quickly realized that was a mistake and bounced him in favor of Volker, who told him that a recession would be required to do it. Carter said OK, but hoped it would be over by the time of the 1980 election. It wasn’t, Reagan talked tough, and the rest is history.
No. of Recommendations: 2
No. of Recommendations: 7
Look at the POTUS rankings by professional historians and he ranks between 18th and and 34th best, but mostly in the 20's.
In some ways, his contributions to the Presidency and Executive branch as a whole are overlooked.
He transformed the role of the Vice President. As late as Nixon's presidency (just one election prior to Carter's) the VP was a job without duties. The main duties of the VP were to be the figurehead President of the Senate (with the only real job being that of breaking ties and ceremonially counting electoral college votes) and to hang around in case the President dies. Carter gave his Veep (Walter Mondale) actual everyday duties and made him a partner in governing. That role has continued to this day.
Carter also established the Departments of Energy and Education.
And he is the only President to actually make progress in the Middle East, helping negotiate a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that has held up for the last 40+ years.
His undisputed honesty and openness was clearly a restoration of dignity to the office after Nixon's scandal and resignation.
Unfortunately, those accomplishments were overshadowed by inflation and the Iran hostage crisis. He inherited the "stagflation" from Nixon/Ford and didn't get much help from the Fed or Congress in dealing with that, nor did he show any great leadership on that front, either.
But it was the Iran hostage situation and the disastrous rescue failure that likely sealed his fate as a one term President. I remember the 1980 election cycle pretty well, as that was my first election. Carter chose to stick with the job of working on the hostage situation instead of vigorously campaigning. He felt it was his job as President to devote most of his efforts to the hostages rather than spend lots of time on the campaign trail. Reagan was, of course, free to campaign non-stop, which he did. I knew all I needed to know about Reagan when he announced the release of the hostages mere hours after his inauguration. Their release could not (or, in hindsight, should not) be due to anything that Reagan did, since Reagan couldn't (hindsight again - shouldn't) be negotiating with Iran before he was President. If Reagan were as decent a man as I thought he was, he would have asked Carter to join him in making the announcement as an acknowledgement of Carter's contributions to the hostage release. How naive I was back then. And now, 40+ years on, we learn that there is a good chance that Reagan DID negotiate with Iran - not to release the hostages, but to hold on to them until after the election and inauguration because the hostages were working to improve Reagan's chances in the election.
I have a suspicion that future Presidential historians will look a bit more favorably on Carter that those of today.
Looking to his post-Presidency, I don't know how Carter could be anything other than the best (or maybe second best, to Washington) former President we've had. Like any former President, he wasn't going to be a poor man after his term. But he didn't go around promoting himself. Instead, he worked tirelessly to help make the lives of others better. Habitat for Humanity is his signature legacy, but he also worked around the world to relieve poverty in some little way wherever he could.
We were lucky to have Carter in that time and that place to show all of us how a US President could be after the scandal filled Nixon administration. That, more than anything else, might be his best contribution to the country and the office of President.
--Peter
No. of Recommendations: 10
Look at the POTUS rankings by professional historians and he ranks between 18th and and 34th best, but mostly in the 20's.
Don’t matter to me what Carter’s ranking as a president was/is or how good or bad a president he was.
What matters to me Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn were the most genuinely caring, honest President and First Lady to occupy the WHite House.
Maybe some here might remember I posted on TMF/PA of volunteering my time for a number of summers
working with Habitat for Humanity. The people I worked with were amazing, dedicated and
hard working, only taking time out to pray and share a meal. A very rewarding time spent.
Rest in peace Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter....
No. of Recommendations: 9
The contrast between Carter and Trump could not be more stark.
Carter, the epitome of decency, morality and integrity; Trump...well, pretty much the opposite of all that.
In 1980 I went to a non-partisan election night gathering. I asked a college student why he was voting for Reagan and his response was 'because of what he did for California'. Reagan was a piss poor governor. Why do Republicans so often go for shadow instead of substance?
No. of Recommendations: 5
Maybe some here might remember I posted on TMF/PA of volunteering my time for a number of summers
working with Habitat for Humanity. The people I worked with were amazing, dedicated and
hard working, only taking time out to pray and share a meal. A very rewarding time spent.
Saw Jimmy and Rosalynn in Detroit about 15 years ago during a Habitat “blitz build” where several houses were being built at the same time.
In his mid-eighties and wearing coveralls, he wielded a hammer and Skilsaw like a pro.
No. of Recommendations: 2
Saw Jimmy and Rosalynn in Detroit about 15 years ago during a Habitat “blitz build” where several houses were being built at the same time.
I never had the honor of seeing or meeting Jimmy and Rosalynn, but I can tell you the most rewarding build I was involved in was that of a handicapped divorced mom of two young children.
The house was built to accommodate her handicap, making life easier for her to care for her children.
When the ceremony was held turning the keys over to the mom and her children, I will always remember the celebration of happiness mixed with a few tears of joy.
No. of Recommendations: 1
An old friend wrote this almost 5 years ago. Enjoy, “ How to elect a president: Jimmy Carter, two South Georgia political novices, and the unpredictable road to the White House
Hamilton Jordan and Jody Powell proved that an improbable populist coalition could capture the presidency in contemporary America—a path Donald J. Trump would follow to the White House in 2016.
BY JOHN MERONEY -MARCH 9, 2020
“
https://www.atlantamagazine.com/great-reads/how-to...
No. of Recommendations: 5
I remember a small thing about Carter - he disagreed and left the Southern Baptists - he's seen as the last progressive Evangelical.
SNIP His sermon was usually a melange of common decency, Jesus and the Gospel -- and international human rights or current events.
"The main thing I get out of it personally, and I think what the audience gets out of it, is the relationship of biblical lessons or verses with current events or challenges or opportunities or fears or dreams in their own lives," Carter explained in a video by publisher Simon & Schuster. SNIP
He got a huge amount of respect from me when he walked away. That was a huge step - it took courage. I salute you and your faith Jimmy Carter. You are one of a kind.
SNIP Oct. 20 -- Former President Carter, a longtime Sunday school teacher, is walking away from the Southern Baptists because of the church’s stance on equality for women.
In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published today, Carter says Southern Baptist leaders reading the Bible out of context led to the adoption of increasingly “rigid” views.
“I’m familiar with the verses they have quoted about wives being subjugated to their husbands,” he told the paper. “In my opinion, this is a distortion of the meaning of Scripture. … I personally feel the Bible says all people are equal in the eyes of God. I personally feel that women should play an absolutely equal role in service of Christ in the church.” SNIP
No. of Recommendations: 0
100% AGREE with Lambo's quotes and words, and with Carter's stances and actions where it comes to this.
No. of Recommendations: 12
A few excerpts from Mike Madrid's blog:
<"....Character matters. In Presidents, pastors, priests, athletes, actors and in employers and employees. It matters for social media influencers, oligarchs and billionaires. After all is said and done, only character endures
....Jimmy Carter was the last President we had that was an evangelical Christian who honestly understood and practiced what being Christian meant. If only there were more Christians like him. Carter’s passing should remind us that he will have two legacies, one as a politician that was lacking and underwhelming and the other as a human being that was exceptional and inspiring.
...Jimmy Carter lived a life of great consequence. He lived a life of character that was above reproach. He was, in the truest sense, a leader of and among men. Rest in peace well and faithful servant."
No. of Recommendations: 2
What matters to me Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn were the most genuinely caring, honest President and First Lady to occupy the WHite House.
Have a rec. I totally agree. At the time, I couldn't vote. But I remember a lot of the problems. Not all of them his doing (in hindsight). But, yes, he was probably the most decent man ever to occupy that office.
Also, Habitat for Humanity is very cool. Didn't know that about you. They do good work. One of the better organizations out there (along with Doctors without Borders).
No. of Recommendations: 4
Don’t matter to me what Carter’s ranking as a president was/is or how good or bad a president he was.
What matters to me Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn were the most genuinely caring, honest President and First Lady to occupy the WHite House.
LM,
Great sentiment, but...it does the beg the question of why have you been a Trump supporter? Is it because you think his character isn't that bad? Or because you think character is irrelevant to whether or not someone makes a good President? Or because you think Biden/Harris' character is no better than Trump's?
Honest question.
