“Wherever life takes us, there are always moments of wonder.”
December 29, 2024 1:31 PM Subscribe
Jimmy Carter, 1924-2024
'Jimmy Carter, a no-frills and steel-willed Southern governor who was elected president in 1976, was rejected by disillusioned voters after a single term and went on to an extraordinary post-presidential life that included winning the Nobel Peace Prize, died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, according to his son James E. Carter III, known as Chip. He was 100 and the oldest living U.S. president of all time.'
'Jimmy Carter, a no-frills and steel-willed Southern governor who was elected president in 1976, was rejected by disillusioned voters after a single term and went on to an extraordinary post-presidential life that included winning the Nobel Peace Prize, died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, according to his son James E. Carter III, known as Chip. He was 100 and the oldest living U.S. president of all time.'
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posted by robotmachine at 1:34 PM on December 29
posted by robotmachine at 1:34 PM on December 29
May his memory be a blessing.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 1:34 PM on December 29 [31 favorites]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 1:34 PM on December 29 [31 favorites]
I am sorry to hear this.
posted by y2karl at 1:34 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
posted by y2karl at 1:34 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
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posted by token-ring at 1:36 PM on December 29
posted by token-ring at 1:36 PM on December 29
Need more guys like him.
posted by Glinn at 1:37 PM on December 29 [11 favorites]
posted by Glinn at 1:37 PM on December 29 [11 favorites]
I cried when he lost re-election. I was five and it seemed very stupid to fire the president. Now I'm older and wiser and... [switching to narrator voice] it was extremely stupid.
RIP, sir.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:37 PM on December 29 [91 favorites]
RIP, sir.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:37 PM on December 29 [91 favorites]
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posted by TwoWordReview at 1:37 PM on December 29
posted by TwoWordReview at 1:37 PM on December 29
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posted by dannyboybell at 1:38 PM on December 29
posted by dannyboybell at 1:38 PM on December 29
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posted by lock robster at 1:39 PM on December 29
posted by lock robster at 1:39 PM on December 29
A decent man. And a better president than he was believed to be for far too long.
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posted by jokeefe at 1:39 PM on December 29 [40 favorites]
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posted by jokeefe at 1:39 PM on December 29 [40 favorites]
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posted by Samuel Farrow at 1:39 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
posted by Samuel Farrow at 1:39 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
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posted by faceplantingcheetah at 1:39 PM on December 29
posted by faceplantingcheetah at 1:39 PM on December 29
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posted by kikaider01 at 1:40 PM on December 29
posted by kikaider01 at 1:40 PM on December 29
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posted by Mister Moofoo at 1:40 PM on December 29
posted by Mister Moofoo at 1:40 PM on December 29
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posted by Inkslinger at 1:40 PM on December 29
posted by Inkslinger at 1:40 PM on December 29
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I remember Carter losing to Reagan. It made little sense, because I was very young, but I remember all the... fanfare of it. And the quiet, steady Mr. Rogers-type-guy? That was what people didn't want? I didn't understand, but it faded into the past. In recent years, seeing the chaos that's come from so many places, I've come to value even more the quiet, steady sort of leadership that keeps things running.
Godspeed.
posted by cupcakeninja at 1:43 PM on December 29 [37 favorites]
I remember Carter losing to Reagan. It made little sense, because I was very young, but I remember all the... fanfare of it. And the quiet, steady Mr. Rogers-type-guy? That was what people didn't want? I didn't understand, but it faded into the past. In recent years, seeing the chaos that's come from so many places, I've come to value even more the quiet, steady sort of leadership that keeps things running.
Godspeed.
posted by cupcakeninja at 1:43 PM on December 29 [37 favorites]
Jimmy Carter, peacemaker guided by moral vision but laid low by politics (not as hagiographic as the title suggests)
posted by lalochezia at 1:45 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
posted by lalochezia at 1:45 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
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posted by Frayed Knot at 1:45 PM on December 29
posted by Frayed Knot at 1:45 PM on December 29
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posted by Saxon Kane at 1:46 PM on December 29
posted by Saxon Kane at 1:46 PM on December 29
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posted by silverstatue at 1:47 PM on December 29
posted by silverstatue at 1:47 PM on December 29
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posted by The Great Big Mulp at 1:47 PM on December 29
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 1:47 PM on December 29
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I'm glad, at least, he was saved from having to see the year 2025.
posted by meese at 1:48 PM on December 29 [22 favorites]
I'm glad, at least, he was saved from having to see the year 2025.
posted by meese at 1:48 PM on December 29 [22 favorites]
Jonathan Alter’s biography His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life is an excellent study of Carter. I highly recommend it.
posted by lilac girl at 1:50 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
posted by lilac girl at 1:50 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
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posted by fuse theorem at 1:50 PM on December 29
posted by fuse theorem at 1:50 PM on December 29
The first presidential election I could vote in I voted for Jimmy Carter. He lost. The world is a scarier, more dangerous and fragile place because of that loss. May he rest in glory. Probably the most decent man ever to hold the office. (Which may not be saying much when you look at American history, but still, an amazing man.) Thank God Biden will get to preside over his funeral and not Trump. I bet Trump won't even show up for it! Unless he can figure out how to steal the spotlight somehow.
posted by pjsky at 1:50 PM on December 29 [48 favorites]
posted by pjsky at 1:50 PM on December 29 [48 favorites]
Best president in my life: his late-70s administration the happiest times in my experience, when we all got along.
posted by Rash at 1:50 PM on December 29 [6 favorites]
posted by Rash at 1:50 PM on December 29 [6 favorites]
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posted by skye.dancer at 1:51 PM on December 29
posted by skye.dancer at 1:51 PM on December 29
No matter what you think of Carter's politics, unless you're totally dedicated to the "my team over all", you have to admire him as an example of living your life in service. (And god, something should have come from the whole october surprise Iranian hostage sabotage)
posted by drewbage1847 at 1:55 PM on December 29 [31 favorites]
posted by drewbage1847 at 1:55 PM on December 29 [31 favorites]
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so many people are diminished by high office, and have dwindled into nothing, but he was the very opposite, a role model like few other politicians
posted by Kattullus at 1:56 PM on December 29 [25 favorites]
so many people are diminished by high office, and have dwindled into nothing, but he was the very opposite, a role model like few other politicians
posted by Kattullus at 1:56 PM on December 29 [25 favorites]
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posted by GenjiandProust at 1:57 PM on December 29
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:57 PM on December 29
BTW I'm also glad that a Democrat will preside over his funeral service. One can only imagine the disregard and disrespect with which TFG would treat that duty.
posted by Rash at 1:58 PM on December 29 [24 favorites]
posted by Rash at 1:58 PM on December 29 [24 favorites]
One of the finest, if not the finest, politician the South ever produced. Would that there were more like him. Godspeed and god bless from one Southerner to another, President Carter.
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posted by Kitteh at 2:01 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
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posted by Kitteh at 2:01 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
Saturday Night Live (1977): “Ask President Carter”
posted by New Frontier at 2:02 PM on December 29 [21 favorites]
posted by New Frontier at 2:02 PM on December 29 [21 favorites]
He was a far, far better human than I could ever hope to be...and he was a far, far, far, far better human than any President, Democrat or Republican, who came after him.
May he rest in power and glory and peace.
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posted by lord_wolf at 2:05 PM on December 29 [16 favorites]
May he rest in power and glory and peace.
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posted by lord_wolf at 2:05 PM on December 29 [16 favorites]
A truly special human being.
posted by aeshnid at 2:10 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
posted by aeshnid at 2:10 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
box, that's an extraordinary article about the jazz concert. Wow. Thank you so much for sharing that.
And thank you for this post, for this space to remember and honor the life of an honorable and good man.
posted by kristi at 2:12 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
And thank you for this post, for this space to remember and honor the life of an honorable and good man.
posted by kristi at 2:12 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
It’s hard to shake the feeling that the country is now in the terminal stage of the disease that arguably first set in when we shunted this man aside for Raygun.
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posted by non canadian guy at 2:15 PM on December 29 [35 favorites]
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posted by non canadian guy at 2:15 PM on December 29 [35 favorites]
Not my first US president (I was born at the tail end of the Nixon administration) but the first president I was keenly aware of.
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posted by emelenjr at 2:16 PM on December 29
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posted by emelenjr at 2:16 PM on December 29
For reasons I will continue to never understand, my monarchist Iranian elders are all thrilled to see him go.
From me, though: .
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 2:17 PM on December 29 [7 favorites]
From me, though: .
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 2:17 PM on December 29 [7 favorites]
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posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 2:18 PM on December 29
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 2:18 PM on December 29
You people made me give up my peanut farm.
posted by Strudel at 2:18 PM on December 29 [15 favorites]
posted by Strudel at 2:18 PM on December 29 [15 favorites]
He was a great, humble person, dedicated to the service of his community and country.
The world is lessened by his passing.
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posted by Windopaene at 2:18 PM on December 29 [4 favorites]
The world is lessened by his passing.
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posted by Windopaene at 2:18 PM on December 29 [4 favorites]
🥜
posted by sugarbomb at 2:19 PM on December 29 [4 favorites]
posted by sugarbomb at 2:19 PM on December 29 [4 favorites]
For all I know there's tons of speculative fiction that looks at a world where Carter wins a 2nd term and global history just follows an arc of moderate gains in decency and stability up to present day. Imagine a slightly more just and boring version of now, with less genocide and crypto never happened and things suck less.
The What If Kennedy Lived trope had it's day, I'm curious what a Carter Camelot looked like
posted by ginger.beef at 2:19 PM on December 29 [24 favorites]
The What If Kennedy Lived trope had it's day, I'm curious what a Carter Camelot looked like
posted by ginger.beef at 2:19 PM on December 29 [24 favorites]
It's amazing he lived to 100, and in a way more amazing to go nearly 2 years in hospice care, over a year of which was after Rosalynn died. He seemed like a genuinely good guy that had an extraordinary life.
posted by netowl at 2:19 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
posted by netowl at 2:19 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
And this appears to be the audio from the 1978 Jazz Festival Carter held.
posted by kristi at 2:21 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
posted by kristi at 2:21 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
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For a good man.
Flags are flown at half staff for 30 days after the death of a former president. Seems appropriate that flags will be at half staff for 47’s inauguration.
posted by HVACDC_Bag at 2:24 PM on December 29 [45 favorites]
For a good man.
Flags are flown at half staff for 30 days after the death of a former president. Seems appropriate that flags will be at half staff for 47’s inauguration.
posted by HVACDC_Bag at 2:24 PM on December 29 [45 favorites]
As usual, a substantial obit from Erik Loomis: Carter was a pretty bad president and then one of the two greatest ex-presidents, along with John Quincy Adams. He’s become something of a beloved figure among liberals in the last twenty years or so... But still, Carter really sucked as president.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 2:27 PM on December 29 [17 favorites]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 2:27 PM on December 29 [17 favorites]
When I learned that you could actually send a letter to the White House, I was so intoxicated by the novelty of the idea that I addressed a missive to President Carter, saying that I thought that the people who criticized him weren't being fair.
A reply attributed to Press Secretary Jody Powell thanked me for my support, apologizing that the President was too busy to write personally.
posted by Lemkin at 2:34 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
A reply attributed to Press Secretary Jody Powell thanked me for my support, apologizing that the President was too busy to write personally.
posted by Lemkin at 2:34 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
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posted by Spike Glee at 2:37 PM on December 29
posted by Spike Glee at 2:37 PM on December 29
Wikipedia: Eradication of dracunculiasis, aka Guinea worm.
In 1986, there were an estimated 3.5 million cases of Guinea worm... The number of cases has since been reduced by more than 99.999% to 14 in 2023.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 2:37 PM on December 29 [8 favorites]
In 1986, there were an estimated 3.5 million cases of Guinea worm... The number of cases has since been reduced by more than 99.999% to 14 in 2023.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 2:37 PM on December 29 [8 favorites]
The Washington Post, March 14, 1983:
Former president Jimmy Carter said tonight he got Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to withdraw troops from Lebanon in 1978 by threatening to initiate action to cut off U.S. arms sales to Israel and sponsor a resolution in the United Nations condemning the invasion.posted by Lemkin at 2:39 PM on December 29 [22 favorites]
Jimmy Carter was even a mensch about timing his death. By dying today we will be spared having to listen to whatever the hell Trump would have said at his memorial.
posted by srboisvert at 2:39 PM on December 29 [14 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 2:39 PM on December 29 [14 favorites]
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I think it's worth thinking about some of the negative aspects of the Carter approach -- arguably the precursor to Reaganism, a moralizing insistence on austerity for the working class, the beginning of the unraveling of New Deal Dem politics, the deregulation agenda, he appointed Paul Volker whose solution to inflation was profound human suffering, on and on. Even his post-presidential fixation on pretending unserious charities can meaningfully contribute to solving our most serious and morally reprehensible policy problems, it all feels like, well, liberalism I guess. A bit of the lost plot in terms of how power ought to be used, and on whose behalf.
Anyway, I understand it's common around these parts to celebrate the man. He occupied a complicated office and obviously was not among the worst of those who have done so, was probably not even a Bill Clinton in terms of harm caused. I always gathered from the news that he suffered in the last decade or so, which made me unhappy to learn about. Rest in peace.
posted by kensington314 at 2:40 PM on December 29 [15 favorites]
I think it's worth thinking about some of the negative aspects of the Carter approach -- arguably the precursor to Reaganism, a moralizing insistence on austerity for the working class, the beginning of the unraveling of New Deal Dem politics, the deregulation agenda, he appointed Paul Volker whose solution to inflation was profound human suffering, on and on. Even his post-presidential fixation on pretending unserious charities can meaningfully contribute to solving our most serious and morally reprehensible policy problems, it all feels like, well, liberalism I guess. A bit of the lost plot in terms of how power ought to be used, and on whose behalf.
Anyway, I understand it's common around these parts to celebrate the man. He occupied a complicated office and obviously was not among the worst of those who have done so, was probably not even a Bill Clinton in terms of harm caused. I always gathered from the news that he suffered in the last decade or so, which made me unhappy to learn about. Rest in peace.
posted by kensington314 at 2:40 PM on December 29 [15 favorites]
I'm thrilled that the timing spares us Trump presiding over any memorial activities, geeeeez
posted by kensington314 at 2:41 PM on December 29 [2 favorites]
posted by kensington314 at 2:41 PM on December 29 [2 favorites]
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He sincerely did the best he could, all his life. That is honorable.
posted by mumimor at 2:44 PM on December 29 [17 favorites]
He sincerely did the best he could, all his life. That is honorable.
posted by mumimor at 2:44 PM on December 29 [17 favorites]
A man too good and decent for this world.
posted by Capt. Renault at 2:46 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
posted by Capt. Renault at 2:46 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
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posted by praemunire at 2:47 PM on December 29
posted by praemunire at 2:47 PM on December 29
As usual, a substantial obit from Erik Loomis
Excellent reading for people who want to know more, especially if they know Carter mostly from his superb post-presidential career. His presidency was so long ago that the main thing people remember was that he lost to Reagan.
Loomis covers how he ran in Georgia courting the segregationist vote and positioned himself nationally as opposed to the labor/liberal wing of the Democrats. With a few exceptions--Panama, Camp David--it was a disastrous presidency, squandering a lot of opportunities to build on the good part of the '60s progressive energy.
This isn't meant to trash him. I think he really was a decent person. It's been 4 decades since his presidency ended. That's what, 500 months?, and in any one of those he's done more for the country and the world than I'll do in my entire lifetime.
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posted by mark k at 2:49 PM on December 29 [23 favorites]
Excellent reading for people who want to know more, especially if they know Carter mostly from his superb post-presidential career. His presidency was so long ago that the main thing people remember was that he lost to Reagan.
Loomis covers how he ran in Georgia courting the segregationist vote and positioned himself nationally as opposed to the labor/liberal wing of the Democrats. With a few exceptions--Panama, Camp David--it was a disastrous presidency, squandering a lot of opportunities to build on the good part of the '60s progressive energy.
This isn't meant to trash him. I think he really was a decent person. It's been 4 decades since his presidency ended. That's what, 500 months?, and in any one of those he's done more for the country and the world than I'll do in my entire lifetime.
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posted by mark k at 2:49 PM on December 29 [23 favorites]
He announced the Carter Doctrine in January 1980:
posted by Lemkin at 2:50 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.Points for honesty, I guess. But since "military force" in that context could only have meant tactical nukes, this was not an easy thing to sit with.
posted by Lemkin at 2:50 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
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posted by UhOhChongo! at 2:55 PM on December 29
posted by UhOhChongo! at 2:55 PM on December 29
Carter's birth is equidistant between us and John Quincy Adams defeating Andrew Jackson.
posted by Lemkin at 2:56 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
posted by Lemkin at 2:56 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
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posted by johnxlibris at 3:02 PM on December 29
posted by johnxlibris at 3:02 PM on December 29
I so wish that he'd been able to see a woman elected president.
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posted by brujita at 3:03 PM on December 29 [16 favorites]
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posted by brujita at 3:03 PM on December 29 [16 favorites]
The two oldest living presidents are now the incumbent and the president elect.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 3:08 PM on December 29 [17 favorites]
posted by thatwhichfalls at 3:08 PM on December 29 [17 favorites]
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posted by JoeXIII007 at 3:20 PM on December 29
posted by JoeXIII007 at 3:20 PM on December 29
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posted by mcdoublewide at 3:20 PM on December 29
posted by mcdoublewide at 3:20 PM on December 29
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posted by Winnie the Proust at 3:21 PM on December 29
posted by Winnie the Proust at 3:21 PM on December 29
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posted by Cat_Examiner at 3:28 PM on December 29
posted by Cat_Examiner at 3:28 PM on December 29
If I were to live to 100, and accomplish 1/100th of what Carter did, I would feel I lived an extraordinary life.
He was not a perfect person, but I think he lived his life according to his principles as best as he could hope to do.
I hope he and Rosalynn are happy to see each other again, somewhere.
posted by the primroses were over at 3:35 PM on December 29 [15 favorites]
He was not a perfect person, but I think he lived his life according to his principles as best as he could hope to do.
I hope he and Rosalynn are happy to see each other again, somewhere.
posted by the primroses were over at 3:35 PM on December 29 [15 favorites]
We will miss him so much.
posted by ichomp at 3:40 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
posted by ichomp at 3:40 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
Jimmy Carter / Crisis of Confidence Speech — 20th Century Women (2016)
posted by Omon Ra at 3:41 PM on December 29 [2 favorites]
posted by Omon Ra at 3:41 PM on December 29 [2 favorites]
I’m not going to nominate him for saint, but geez.
Even his post-presidential fixation on pretending unserious charities can meaningfully contribute to solving our most serious and morally reprehensible policy problems, it all feels like, well, liberalism I guess.
Dracunculiasis not serious enough for you, my dude?
posted by praemunire at 3:44 PM on December 29 [33 favorites]
Even his post-presidential fixation on pretending unserious charities can meaningfully contribute to solving our most serious and morally reprehensible policy problems, it all feels like, well, liberalism I guess.
Dracunculiasis not serious enough for you, my dude?
posted by praemunire at 3:44 PM on December 29 [33 favorites]
First president I ever voted for and am still proud of that vote. Fair sailing to a good human who did what he could.
(copy/pasted from mastodon)
posted by Devils Rancher at 3:48 PM on December 29 [4 favorites]
(copy/pasted from mastodon)
posted by Devils Rancher at 3:48 PM on December 29 [4 favorites]
This is sad. It's weird to think of living in a world without Jimmy Carter. As someone involved in politics and as an avid nerd for American political history, he's just always been there and now he's not. I know "end of an era" is a trite phrase but...
There's a lot to both credit and fault President Carter for. I think the Loomis obituary does a pretty good job of giving him his due on both counts, the good and the bad, although I think Carter's far-sightedness-- putting solar panels on the White House roof way back in 1979, recognizing the brewing climate crisis, pushing for energy reforms-- merits a bit more credit than Loomis gives.
Really, above all, I think Carter was the first and maybe the only 20th century political leader to recognize the trends in American society and culture that would eventually culminate in Trumpism. When he gave that oft-mocked "malaise" speech in 1979, I believe he was speaking really insightfully and really accurately to an undercurrent of disillusionment and anger that has driven the United States slowly over the past 50 years towards fascism and oligarchy. The "malaise" speech was an opportunity to have a conversation about that trend, and I think the country actually wanted to have that conversation-- contemporary records show that people actually did respond positively to the speech, that they were glad to finally hear a president speak frankly about what they had all been feeling for years. It was a welcome change from the Nixonian approach of using that malaise to divide and conquer for political gain.
The problem was, there was a third response between Carter's "have the tough conversation" and Nixon's "draw on the worst in people": take the easy way out. Ignore it. Stick your fingers in your ears and insistently repeat that America is great. Ronald Reagan offered America that option in 1980 and American voters chose the easy way out. I think we've been paying the price for that ever since. I wonder a lot about what would have happened if the country had chosen Carter's option instead.
posted by Method Man at 3:53 PM on December 29 [38 favorites]
There's a lot to both credit and fault President Carter for. I think the Loomis obituary does a pretty good job of giving him his due on both counts, the good and the bad, although I think Carter's far-sightedness-- putting solar panels on the White House roof way back in 1979, recognizing the brewing climate crisis, pushing for energy reforms-- merits a bit more credit than Loomis gives.
Really, above all, I think Carter was the first and maybe the only 20th century political leader to recognize the trends in American society and culture that would eventually culminate in Trumpism. When he gave that oft-mocked "malaise" speech in 1979, I believe he was speaking really insightfully and really accurately to an undercurrent of disillusionment and anger that has driven the United States slowly over the past 50 years towards fascism and oligarchy. The "malaise" speech was an opportunity to have a conversation about that trend, and I think the country actually wanted to have that conversation-- contemporary records show that people actually did respond positively to the speech, that they were glad to finally hear a president speak frankly about what they had all been feeling for years. It was a welcome change from the Nixonian approach of using that malaise to divide and conquer for political gain.
The problem was, there was a third response between Carter's "have the tough conversation" and Nixon's "draw on the worst in people": take the easy way out. Ignore it. Stick your fingers in your ears and insistently repeat that America is great. Ronald Reagan offered America that option in 1980 and American voters chose the easy way out. I think we've been paying the price for that ever since. I wonder a lot about what would have happened if the country had chosen Carter's option instead.
posted by Method Man at 3:53 PM on December 29 [38 favorites]
Can we now formalize the Jimmy Carter Ex President Award?
posted by lester at 3:55 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
posted by lester at 3:55 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
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posted by JustSayNoDawg at 3:58 PM on December 29
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 3:58 PM on December 29
If Guinea worm eradication were his only accomplishment, that would be an extraordinary story of a life well lived. He was simply one of the best people I've ever heard of.
posted by hydropsyche at 3:58 PM on December 29 [23 favorites]
posted by hydropsyche at 3:58 PM on December 29 [23 favorites]
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posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 4:05 PM on December 29
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 4:05 PM on December 29
I am Canadian and 59, so, Carter was the first president I was really familiar with and over time my own sense of Carter was that he was someone who could make adjustments as things changes or he changed.
I think Loomis wa harsh, but correct, but doesn't give him quite enough credit for certain things in his post presidency, like his stance on Israel Palestine or his take on Citizens United which I think required more courage in light of the current moment than most people would have had in his position.
"We've become, now, an oligarchy instead of a democracy. I think that's been the worst damage to the basic moral and ethical standards to the American political system that I've ever seen in my life."
- Jimmy Carter
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posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 4:07 PM on December 29 [17 favorites]
I think Loomis wa harsh, but correct, but doesn't give him quite enough credit for certain things in his post presidency, like his stance on Israel Palestine or his take on Citizens United which I think required more courage in light of the current moment than most people would have had in his position.
"We've become, now, an oligarchy instead of a democracy. I think that's been the worst damage to the basic moral and ethical standards to the American political system that I've ever seen in my life."
- Jimmy Carter
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posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 4:07 PM on December 29 [17 favorites]
What’s the flags at half mast protocol? Will they remain so for the upcoming inauguration?!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:08 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:08 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
Jimmy Carter, the Rock & Roll President (Oxford American, Summer 2023)
posted by box at 4:09 PM on December 29 [4 favorites]
posted by box at 4:09 PM on December 29 [4 favorites]
>Nothing says more about these missed opportunities than Carter having solar panels placed on the roof of the White House and Reagan then having them removed.
These were thermal water heating panels, not the modern-day PV panels we now so love and enjoy. They were also mounted on top of the West Wing, visible from the main White House proper, so I kinda agree with Nancy that they were an eye-sore.
I'll just say that in a sane world, JFK, Carter, the Clintons, Obama, and Biden would be the GOP centrist/center-right offerings vs. a more socialist opposition.
That, alas, is not the political world that has obtained currently, with conservatism aiming to claw back every millimeter of progress.
posted by torokunai2 at 4:23 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
These were thermal water heating panels, not the modern-day PV panels we now so love and enjoy. They were also mounted on top of the West Wing, visible from the main White House proper, so I kinda agree with Nancy that they were an eye-sore.
I'll just say that in a sane world, JFK, Carter, the Clintons, Obama, and Biden would be the GOP centrist/center-right offerings vs. a more socialist opposition.
That, alas, is not the political world that has obtained currently, with conservatism aiming to claw back every millimeter of progress.
posted by torokunai2 at 4:23 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
He sure looks great a few breaths from 2025, and sure looked better than Reagan, but Carter represented a conservative turn for the Democrats and ushered in a couple decades of neoliberalism. Seemed like a perfectly kind and nice fellow - Presidents should not exist.
posted by latkes at 4:30 PM on December 29 [4 favorites]
posted by latkes at 4:30 PM on December 29 [4 favorites]
My Jimmy Carter story. I was doing theater, character comedy, with a different character written and performed each week. One particular performance I was preparing a character coincidentally named Jimmy your Rastafarian polka man and I was behind in memorizing my lines. My girlfriend wanted to go a book signing by Carter shortly before the show and I stood in line mumbling over and over again, I'm Jimmy your Rastafarian polka man and getting a lot of strange looks. I was worried the secret service was going to pull me out of line and have a chat. When the time came for the signing my girlfriend was the one who started a commotion. As Carter was about to sign her book, she screamed, No don't sign there and the nearby secret service man drew his gun.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:31 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:31 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
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I shook his hand once when I was in college.
posted by Archer25 at 4:33 PM on December 29 [6 favorites]
I shook his hand once when I was in college.
posted by Archer25 at 4:33 PM on December 29 [6 favorites]
Was he the last president whose inauguration was attended by his mother?
posted by Lemkin at 4:34 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
posted by Lemkin at 4:34 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
He was the first was the first President I got to vote for and I never felt he was a centrist. Putting solar on the White House roof was a big deal at the time. Attempting to inject humanity and fairness into foreign policy was admirable. And his commitment to public service is a much better example of how to be a politician than endless fundraising and book selling. I even liked Billy.
I know that's a rosy look back at his record but I liked him more than his Democratic successors that I have voted for.
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posted by jabo at 4:37 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
I know that's a rosy look back at his record but I liked him more than his Democratic successors that I have voted for.
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posted by jabo at 4:37 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
I've come to value even more the quiet, steady sort of leadership that keeps things running.
Godspeed.
posted by cupcakeninja
Give me bland beige competence every time. In my seventh decade I am so over inspiring show ponies, no matter how noble their vision. If they cannot implement it, and most of them cannot, then they are worse than useless.
––––––––––
And this appears to be the audio from the 1978 Jazz Festival Carter held.
posted by kristi
Thanks for that. :)
posted by Pouteria at 4:37 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
Godspeed.
posted by cupcakeninja
Give me bland beige competence every time. In my seventh decade I am so over inspiring show ponies, no matter how noble their vision. If they cannot implement it, and most of them cannot, then they are worse than useless.
––––––––––
And this appears to be the audio from the 1978 Jazz Festival Carter held.
posted by kristi
Thanks for that. :)
posted by Pouteria at 4:37 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
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posted by missmobtown at 4:38 PM on December 29
posted by missmobtown at 4:38 PM on December 29
President Carter's White House Jazz Festival
posted by box at 1:58 PM on December 29 [5 favorites +] [⚑]
Wow! Cool article - I had no idea! NPR, Release the Tapes!!
posted by latkes at 4:38 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
posted by box at 1:58 PM on December 29 [5 favorites +] [⚑]
Wow! Cool article - I had no idea! NPR, Release the Tapes!!
posted by latkes at 4:38 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
Oh, thank you kristi!!
posted by latkes at 4:39 PM on December 29 [2 favorites]
posted by latkes at 4:39 PM on December 29 [2 favorites]
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posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 4:48 PM on December 29
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 4:48 PM on December 29
He was in it for us, and not for himself.
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posted by wenestvedt at 4:51 PM on December 29 [9 favorites]
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posted by wenestvedt at 4:51 PM on December 29 [9 favorites]
He tried to do the right thing. Yes, he frequently failed, but he tried, and he had the honor to be honest with the American people about the world's problems. And they punished him for it. I still remember being confused, as a small child, over how anyone could look at Carter and Reagan and choose the latter.
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posted by 1adam12 at 5:00 PM on December 29 [14 favorites]
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posted by 1adam12 at 5:00 PM on December 29 [14 favorites]
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posted by Token Meme at 5:14 PM on December 29
posted by Token Meme at 5:14 PM on December 29
Glad a state funeral will be under the current administration.
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posted by mazola at 5:15 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
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posted by mazola at 5:15 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
My great-grandmother was in her 80s and living in a nursing home in Texas. She wouldn't let her Republician leaning children manage her absentee vote because she was sure that they'd doctor it not to vote for Carter. Probably her most precious thing in life was a birthday card signed by Carter (probably by autopen).
posted by Xoc at 5:22 PM on December 29 [4 favorites]
posted by Xoc at 5:22 PM on December 29 [4 favorites]
I wish we had been able to make his last election a good one.
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posted by tzikeh at 5:27 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
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posted by tzikeh at 5:27 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
I have admired him all my life. I wish more would take him as an example of how to be a good person.
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posted by brambleboy at 5:31 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
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posted by brambleboy at 5:31 PM on December 29 [5 favorites]
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posted by gentlyepigrams at 5:32 PM on December 29
posted by gentlyepigrams at 5:32 PM on December 29
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posted by moosedogtoo at 5:33 PM on December 29
posted by moosedogtoo at 5:33 PM on December 29
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posted by mikelieman at 5:35 PM on December 29
posted by mikelieman at 5:35 PM on December 29
I think that Pres. Carter’s administration is what happens when someone with no experience in federal politics occupies the Oval Office. More recently (Dubya, Orange Shithead), that’s not been a problem because the incumbent hasn’t really been president in any meaningful way; some other agent(s) have run the government, and the incumbent smiles, clears brush, and/or tweets insane bullshit. Jimmy tried to do it himself and failed sometimes, succeeded sometimes, but he was where the buck stopped, not at Dick Cheney’s/Satan’s desk. His insistence on morality in foreign affairs seemed hopelessly naïve at the time to some, but was, really, the flipside of Realpolitik—yes, things suck, and global actors are evil, but you don’t work the system by also being evil, but by treating bad actors as evil.
His post-presidential years are beyond compare—and, srsly, BTFU with “unserious charities.” He personified “service” and projected that ideal for Americans to see and follow; that’s meaningful. He dedicated the rest of his life not to monetizing his “brand,” but to helping others; that’s important. He was one of two presidents in my seven decades I’d characterize as decent, and I wish to god that he’d won in ‘80.
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posted by the sobsister at 5:39 PM on December 29 [28 favorites]
His post-presidential years are beyond compare—and, srsly, BTFU with “unserious charities.” He personified “service” and projected that ideal for Americans to see and follow; that’s meaningful. He dedicated the rest of his life not to monetizing his “brand,” but to helping others; that’s important. He was one of two presidents in my seven decades I’d characterize as decent, and I wish to god that he’d won in ‘80.
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posted by the sobsister at 5:39 PM on December 29 [28 favorites]
Not much of a politician but a superb human being. I would settle for that epithet.
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posted by jim in austin at 5:41 PM on December 29 [2 favorites]
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posted by jim in austin at 5:41 PM on December 29 [2 favorites]
But still, Carter really sucked as president.
Considering the competition, I don't think Carter's flaws were that terrible. It's certainly true that he was going down thé néolibéral path that was undermining labor in the US. But we've had worse, and arguably he was done in by bad luck and treason.
Jimmy Carter had the bad luck to be president when Iraq and Iran went to war. Iran's oil production dropped by 2/3, leading to an oil shortage, higher prices, and inflation here in the US.
While that made Carter unpopular, an even bigger issue was that Iran took a number of US diplomats hostage. A US attempt to rescue them failed, but then further negotiations were secretly sabotaged by former Texas governor Connally, working on behalf of Ronald Reagan to convince Iran not to let the hostages go.
With the students stuck in Iran, Carter looked weak and Reagan won the election. The hostages were released literally minutes after Reagan was sworn in, thanks to Connally.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 5:42 PM on December 29 [25 favorites]
Considering the competition, I don't think Carter's flaws were that terrible. It's certainly true that he was going down thé néolibéral path that was undermining labor in the US. But we've had worse, and arguably he was done in by bad luck and treason.
Jimmy Carter had the bad luck to be president when Iraq and Iran went to war. Iran's oil production dropped by 2/3, leading to an oil shortage, higher prices, and inflation here in the US.
While that made Carter unpopular, an even bigger issue was that Iran took a number of US diplomats hostage. A US attempt to rescue them failed, but then further negotiations were secretly sabotaged by former Texas governor Connally, working on behalf of Ronald Reagan to convince Iran not to let the hostages go.
With the students stuck in Iran, Carter looked weak and Reagan won the election. The hostages were released literally minutes after Reagan was sworn in, thanks to Connally.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 5:42 PM on December 29 [25 favorites]
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posted by charris5005 at 5:47 PM on December 29
posted by charris5005 at 5:47 PM on December 29
What’s the flags at half mast protocol? Will they remain so for the upcoming inauguration?!
Technically, Biden could issue a proclamation that they are to be at full staff on that day.
Was he the last president whose inauguration was attended by his mother?
No.
posted by jgirl at 5:56 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
I should add that I am on vacation here in Panama where Carter is revered for returning the canal zone. When I got here a week ago nearly the entire nightly news was dedicated to hell no Trump, after he talked about taking back the canal.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 5:59 PM on December 29 [8 favorites]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 5:59 PM on December 29 [8 favorites]
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posted by EvaDestruction at 5:59 PM on December 29
posted by EvaDestruction at 5:59 PM on December 29
His words on the Voyager Golden Records continue onward toward the stars.
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posted by BrashTech at 6:03 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
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posted by BrashTech at 6:03 PM on December 29 [10 favorites]
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These were thermal water heating panels,
I bet the Whitehouse spends a shit load of money heating water. Thermal panels can be a lot more efficient than even modern electrical panels if all you want is to raise the temperature of water.
But more important they should have been a signal to embrace free energy. It's insane that thermal panels aren't standard equipment on buildings with southern exposure any place that doesn't regularly freeze.
Reagan removing the panels was the first time I remember seeing the banality of evil. Pre teen me drove my father crazy asking why the president would do such a thing and of course he had no answer that would satisfy.
posted by Mitheral at 6:11 PM on December 29 [17 favorites]
These were thermal water heating panels,
I bet the Whitehouse spends a shit load of money heating water. Thermal panels can be a lot more efficient than even modern electrical panels if all you want is to raise the temperature of water.
But more important they should have been a signal to embrace free energy. It's insane that thermal panels aren't standard equipment on buildings with southern exposure any place that doesn't regularly freeze.
Reagan removing the panels was the first time I remember seeing the banality of evil. Pre teen me drove my father crazy asking why the president would do such a thing and of course he had no answer that would satisfy.
posted by Mitheral at 6:11 PM on December 29 [17 favorites]
How Jimmy Carter Saved a Canadian Nuclear Reactor After a Meltdown
Carter and his 22 other team members were separated into teams of three and lowered into the reactor for 90-second intervals to clean the site. It was estimated that a minute-and-a-half was the maximum time humans could be exposed to the levels of radiation present in the area.
It was still too much, especially by today's standards. The future president had radioactive urine for months after the cleanup.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 6:13 PM on December 29 [18 favorites]
Carter and his 22 other team members were separated into teams of three and lowered into the reactor for 90-second intervals to clean the site. It was estimated that a minute-and-a-half was the maximum time humans could be exposed to the levels of radiation present in the area.
It was still too much, especially by today's standards. The future president had radioactive urine for months after the cleanup.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 6:13 PM on December 29 [18 favorites]
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posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 6:17 PM on December 29
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 6:17 PM on December 29
yeah, the ackshally about the White House roof panels whooshed me, not sure what the point of that was
And the link to show the "eyesore-ness" of the panels? My dude
posted by ginger.beef at 6:21 PM on December 29 [6 favorites]
And the link to show the "eyesore-ness" of the panels? My dude
posted by ginger.beef at 6:21 PM on December 29 [6 favorites]
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children."
posted by clavdivs at 6:43 PM on December 29 [28 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 6:43 PM on December 29 [28 favorites]
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posted by zenzenobia at 6:43 PM on December 29
posted by zenzenobia at 6:43 PM on December 29
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posted by sillygwailo at 6:47 PM on December 29
posted by sillygwailo at 6:47 PM on December 29
We will not see his like again.
posted by maxwelton at 6:53 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
posted by maxwelton at 6:53 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]
I had to google it to be sure, but yes: Eisenhower
posted by ginger.beef at 7:06 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
posted by ginger.beef at 7:06 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
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posted by crazy_yeti at 7:12 PM on December 29
posted by crazy_yeti at 7:12 PM on December 29
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posted by of strange foe at 7:21 PM on December 29
posted by of strange foe at 7:21 PM on December 29
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posted by procrastination at 7:54 PM on December 29
posted by procrastination at 7:54 PM on December 29
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posted by estherbester at 8:06 PM on December 29
posted by estherbester at 8:06 PM on December 29
The 1976 presidential election was the first I experienced that I remember (I was 9). I struggled then to understand the contest and the candidates, but I recall the initial sense of optimism from Carter's smile and walking to the White House.
The next four years I grew into following politics, and also learned about the terrible toll the White House can take on a person. Carter's grin faded fast, revealing a haggard mug instead. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan spooked me, and I in turn spooked my elders by explaining what I thought it meant. And I liked Carter's geeky vibe (I didn't know enough American presidential history to realize how rare that was).
Reagan's 1980 triumph terrified me (then aged 13). I knew Carter would lose - inflation, the hostages, and above all his souring presence told me this - and it gutted me. I was shocked to talk with adults who preferred Reagan. I was convinced atomic war was likely and coming soon. Not the best way to start teen years.
After that Carter faded away from me, until he gradually returned as a calm, quiet homebuilder.
-my GenX memories-
posted by doctornemo at 8:10 PM on December 29 [15 favorites]
The next four years I grew into following politics, and also learned about the terrible toll the White House can take on a person. Carter's grin faded fast, revealing a haggard mug instead. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan spooked me, and I in turn spooked my elders by explaining what I thought it meant. And I liked Carter's geeky vibe (I didn't know enough American presidential history to realize how rare that was).
Reagan's 1980 triumph terrified me (then aged 13). I knew Carter would lose - inflation, the hostages, and above all his souring presence told me this - and it gutted me. I was shocked to talk with adults who preferred Reagan. I was convinced atomic war was likely and coming soon. Not the best way to start teen years.
After that Carter faded away from me, until he gradually returned as a calm, quiet homebuilder.
-my GenX memories-
posted by doctornemo at 8:10 PM on December 29 [15 favorites]
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posted by jellyAntGetsTheGrant at 8:24 PM on December 29
posted by jellyAntGetsTheGrant at 8:24 PM on December 29
As an accelerating consequentialist, JC is a fine fellow, and coal mine canary of the worst (most illustrative) kind.
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 8:38 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 8:38 PM on December 29 [3 favorites]
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posted by kneecapped at 9:17 PM on December 29
posted by kneecapped at 9:17 PM on December 29
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posted by hap_hazard at 9:50 PM on December 29
posted by hap_hazard at 9:50 PM on December 29
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posted by Standard Orange at 10:57 PM on December 29
posted by Standard Orange at 10:57 PM on December 29
Jimmy Carter and The Allman Brothers (and Geraldo Rivera). The Allmans helped get him elected.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 1:54 AM on December 30 [5 favorites]
posted by JohnnyGunn at 1:54 AM on December 30 [5 favorites]
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posted by trip and a half at 4:01 AM on December 30
posted by trip and a half at 4:01 AM on December 30
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posted by crepesofwrath at 4:55 AM on December 30
posted by crepesofwrath at 4:55 AM on December 30
170+ comments in and no mention of East Timor?
For comparison:
posted by kmt at 5:00 AM on December 30 [8 favorites]
The US played a crucial role in supplying weapons to Indonesia.[84] A week after the invasion of East Timor the National Security Council prepared a detailed analysis of the Indonesian military units involved and the US equipment they used. The analysis revealed that virtually all of the military equipment used in the invasion was US supplied: US-supplied destroyer escorts shelled East Timor as the attack unfolded; Indonesian marines disembarked from US-supplied landing craft; US-supplied C-47 and C-130 aircraft dropped Indonesian paratroops and strafed Dili with .50 calibre machine guns; while the 17th and 18th Airborne brigades which led the assault on the Timorese capital were "totally U.S. MAP supported," and their jump masters US trained.[91] While the US government claimed to have suspended new arms sales to Indonesia from December 1975 to June 1976, military equipment already in the pipeline continued to flow,[89] and the US made four new offers of arms during that six-month period, including supplies and parts for 16 OV-10 Broncos,[89] which, according to Cornell University Professor Benedict Anderson, are "specially designed for counter-insurgency actions against adversaries without effective anti-aircraft weapons and wholly useless for defending Indonesia against a foreign enemy." Military assistance was accelerated during the Carter administration, peaking in 1978.[92] In total, the United States furnished over $250,000,000 of military assistance to Indonesia between 1975 and 1979.[93]Indonesian invasion of East Timor
For comparison:
From 1975 to 1979, while both Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter sat in the White House, Washington's closest ally in Southeast Asia annihillated up to a third of the population of East Timor, a higher percentage than those who died under Pol Pot in Cambodia.Vincent Bevins: The Jakarta Method, PublicAffairs, New York 2020 (2023 printing), p 213
posted by kmt at 5:00 AM on December 30 [8 favorites]
First person I ever cast a vote for. Easily one of the finest people ever to sit in the Oval Office.
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posted by Thorzdad at 5:10 AM on December 30 [1 favorite]
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posted by Thorzdad at 5:10 AM on December 30 [1 favorite]
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posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 5:53 AM on December 30
posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 5:53 AM on December 30
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Even though long expected, this makes me so sad. As an Atlanta native and Emory family, Jimmy Carter was a huge part of my entire life. Such a wonderful person and absolutely nothing about him was fake or posturing. A true, pure soul and one of the last of a dying breed who was guided by integrity in all he did. Their sweet family has some other health struggles going on right now so if you are a praying person, send up a few extra.
posted by pearlybob at 6:14 AM on December 30 [3 favorites]
Even though long expected, this makes me so sad. As an Atlanta native and Emory family, Jimmy Carter was a huge part of my entire life. Such a wonderful person and absolutely nothing about him was fake or posturing. A true, pure soul and one of the last of a dying breed who was guided by integrity in all he did. Their sweet family has some other health struggles going on right now so if you are a praying person, send up a few extra.
posted by pearlybob at 6:14 AM on December 30 [3 favorites]
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posted by pangolin party at 6:34 AM on December 30
posted by pangolin party at 6:34 AM on December 30
2011 interview with British Journalist Carole Cadwalladr
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posted by adamvasco at 7:27 AM on December 30
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posted by adamvasco at 7:27 AM on December 30
Like all US Presidents, he was a genocide enabling war criminal. But he was the best of the lot from my liftime, so .
posted by sotonohito at 7:42 AM on December 30 [3 favorites]
posted by sotonohito at 7:42 AM on December 30 [3 favorites]
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posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 8:37 AM on December 30
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 8:37 AM on December 30
What’s the flags at half mast protocol? Will they remain so for the upcoming inauguration?!
30 days is standard, the official notification I received today at work is flags at half-staff through January 28. So yes, unless Biden decides to change it.
posted by photo guy at 9:31 AM on December 30
30 days is standard, the official notification I received today at work is flags at half-staff through January 28. So yes, unless Biden decides to change it.
posted by photo guy at 9:31 AM on December 30
First president to be born in a hospital, last president to send his kid to DC public school.
posted by box at 10:05 AM on December 30 [8 favorites]
posted by box at 10:05 AM on December 30 [8 favorites]
He was a great President -- Camp David Peace Accords -- and the greatest Ex-President ever. The latter is true now and will be true for decades to come.
posted by y2karl at 10:40 AM on December 30 [1 favorite]
posted by y2karl at 10:40 AM on December 30 [1 favorite]
I cried when he lost re-election. I was five and it seemed very stupid to fire the president. Now I'm older and wiser and... [switching to narrator voice] it was extremely stupid.
He was the first president I voted for, and I remember being one of the only ones in my first grade classroom who did. Reagan was incredibly popular in California, and those kids I went to school with were so smug and superior. I cried then, and I'm crying today.
posted by ApathyGirl at 11:16 AM on December 30 [5 favorites]
He was the first president I voted for, and I remember being one of the only ones in my first grade classroom who did. Reagan was incredibly popular in California, and those kids I went to school with were so smug and superior. I cried then, and I'm crying today.
posted by ApathyGirl at 11:16 AM on December 30 [5 favorites]
Once when I was at a science fiction convention, a very popular writer said in a panel something about how much he admired Jimmy Carter. And so I caught him in the hallway after just to say “hey, fellow Carter lover here” and agreed that I hated how much he’s misremembered because of how everybody fell in love with that shitbag Reagan. We ended up talking for a while about it and he suggested we move to the bar since he was in between panels, so we did and swapped stories, many of them probably apocryphal, but it was fun and I got to know a writer I really liked and spend time with them.
Later on all my friends were really annoyed and jealous and asked me how I managed to swing sitting in the bar with him, especially since I’m not pretty and the kind of gal the writers usually hit on at SF cons, and I just said Jimmy Carter and shrugged my shoulders. No one believed me. I just kept insisting “no, we have a shared interest in trying to reclaim the memory of Jimmy Carter as president, that’s all it was!”
I still get worked up about his loss of a second term. But I also have such huge admiration for what he achieved in his life. I don’t think anyone could ever compare.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:30 AM on December 30 [11 favorites]
Later on all my friends were really annoyed and jealous and asked me how I managed to swing sitting in the bar with him, especially since I’m not pretty and the kind of gal the writers usually hit on at SF cons, and I just said Jimmy Carter and shrugged my shoulders. No one believed me. I just kept insisting “no, we have a shared interest in trying to reclaim the memory of Jimmy Carter as president, that’s all it was!”
I still get worked up about his loss of a second term. But I also have such huge admiration for what he achieved in his life. I don’t think anyone could ever compare.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:30 AM on December 30 [11 favorites]
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posted by socialjusticeworrier at 4:24 PM on December 30
posted by socialjusticeworrier at 4:24 PM on December 30
Car Racing, Prostitutes, and Mountains of Cocaine: A Breakdown of Jimmy Carter’s Final Days
Obviously joking, from The Hard Times, but I thought it amusing. I guess the mods will delete if not?
posted by hap_hazard at 5:18 PM on December 30 [1 favorite]
Obviously joking, from The Hard Times, but I thought it amusing. I guess the mods will delete if not?
posted by hap_hazard at 5:18 PM on December 30 [1 favorite]
My first presidential election I got to vote for Jimmy Carter. I'll miss you Mr. C. We need more (lots more) like you.
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posted by evilDoug at 9:34 PM on December 30 [2 favorites]
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posted by evilDoug at 9:34 PM on December 30 [2 favorites]
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posted by Joey Michaels at 12:31 AM on December 31
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:31 AM on December 31
This is the summary of Carter's life by historian Heather Cox Richardson that is making the rounds in my family. Very thoughtful, starting with his upbringing in Georgia.
posted by brambleboy at 9:19 AM on December 31 [6 favorites]
posted by brambleboy at 9:19 AM on December 31 [6 favorites]
A friend has reminded me of our mutual colleague (now retired), a black woman, who grew up around the Carters. She and her family had nothing but good words to say, ever, about Jimmy Carter and about his mother Lillian (gift link) as well.
posted by gudrun at 8:13 AM on January 1
posted by gudrun at 8:13 AM on January 1
Pre teen me drove my father crazy asking why the president would do such a thing and of course he had no answer that would satisfy.
"Because Ronald Reagan is so obviously a total fuckwit and complete asshole, why would you expect him not to do that" didn't satisfy?
Carter was the brightest man to have occupied the Oval Office in my lifetime, but his full-throated support for Indonesia's invasion of East Timor was at least as disheartening as Obama's massive expansion of the US drone program and total capitulation to the banking sector.
Perhaps one day there will be a US President who manages to behave like a decent human being while in office. One lives in hope. But Carter was a long way from the worst and I don't begrudge him his ton.
posted by flabdablet at 8:53 AM on January 2
"Because Ronald Reagan is so obviously a total fuckwit and complete asshole, why would you expect him not to do that" didn't satisfy?
Carter was the brightest man to have occupied the Oval Office in my lifetime, but his full-throated support for Indonesia's invasion of East Timor was at least as disheartening as Obama's massive expansion of the US drone program and total capitulation to the banking sector.
Perhaps one day there will be a US President who manages to behave like a decent human being while in office. One lives in hope. But Carter was a long way from the worst and I don't begrudge him his ton.
posted by flabdablet at 8:53 AM on January 2
From the Washington Post obit:
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 9:03 AM on January 2 [5 favorites]
Supremely self-confident, Mr. Carter, too, was a taskmaster, and he was not a favorite president among those who served on the permanent White House staff and saw chief executives come and go. ...“Although most considered Mr. Carter a kind, amiable man, he could turn nasty in an instant,” Brinkley wrote in “The Unfinished Presidency.” He added, “At times he was downright vicious; in fact, his trademark steely, laser-sharp stare usually preceded a hurtful put-down. Even in the most informal settings, Mr. Carter had to let everybody know he was in charge.A reminder that even the best among us, as Carter certainly was, are imperfect. Let us follow his lead and look kindly upon each other, and ourselves.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 9:03 AM on January 2 [5 favorites]
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posted by Hicksu at 1:32 PM on December 29 [1 favorite]