R.I.P. Former President Jimmy Carter

The 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, died Sunday.  He was 100 years old.

He was the longest living president in history, surpassing George H.W. Bush who died at age 94.

He was also the first U.S. president who was born in a hospital.

He married Rosalynn Carter in 1946.  At the time of her death last year, they had been married an incredible 77 years, the longest-married presidential couple.  (They also surpassed George H.W. and Barbara Bush, who were married for 73 years.)

Known as the peanut farmer who became president, his family had a peanut farm since 1928.  He worked on the farm until he went to college (Georgia Southwestern State University).

He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1943, receiving his first commission three years later.  Following his father Earl's death in 1953, Carter left the navy to return home to help run the family farm.  He, his wife Rosalynn, and their three sons at the time, had to live in public housing.

His public service began in the mid-1950's, as he became deeply involved in his community, serving on several local boards, eventually serving on the Board of Education of Sumter County.

He ran for Senator in 1962 and won, going on to serve two terms.

In 1966, he ran for the Democratic nomination for governor, but lost in a primary election runoff against segregationist Lester Maddox.  (Carter came in third.)  

The following year, the Carters' only daughter Amy was born.

After failing to win the Democratic gubernatorial nod in 1966, Carter tried again in 1970.  This time, he won the nomination, going on to win the governorship. 

During the campaign, Carter leaned in a racist bent, even criticizing his Democratic opponent, Carl Sanders, for supporting the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  However, during his inauguration speech, Carter stunned the crowd, receiving only tepid applause, when he commented on racial segregation in Georgia.

Leroy Johnson, a Black Georgia state Senator who was, at the the time, the first Black senator elected in Georgia in fifty years, commented on Carter's campaign stance versus his inaugural speech by saying, "I don't think you can win this state without being a racist."

Carter's comment, you can imagine, did not sit well with southern segregationists, many who had helped get Carter elected.  Carter knew what he had to do in the campaign so that he could work for civil rights in Georgia...and later in his presidency.

Carter announced his bid for the presidency in 1974, near the end of his term as Governor.  (At the time, governors were limited to just one term in Georgia.)  In the Democratic primaries, he was one of seventeen total candidates -- seventeen!  He was mostly known only in Georgia, so his odds of winning the primaries and going on to win the nomination was, indeed, a long shot.  In fact, the question "Jimmy who?" was an often-used dismissal of his candidacy.

Carter, however, used that to his advantage, regularly saying, "My name is Jimmy Carter and I'm running for president" in his speeches and commercials.  His strategy, which included giving over 200 speeches in thirty-seven states before any other candidates declared they were running, eventually paid off.

In the Summer of 1976, Carter picked Minnesota senator Walter Mondale as his running mate.

Carter won the nomination and had maintained a lead in the polls over incumbent President Gerald Ford until September, when it dwindled, even leading to a virtual dead heat less than a week before Election Day.

Then, the infamous Playboy magazine interview was released just a couple of weeks before the election, in which Carter admitted to having committed adultery by having lust in his heart.  (Well, the Bible does say adultery isn't only a physical act.)

This was back when many men claimed they bought Playboy "only for the articles".  Clearly, it was not a smart political move and almost sunk his candidacy.  Conservative Christians, who were one block of his supporters, were furious.  (He could have admitted that before running for president...and why Playboy?!)

Still, Carter prevailed, winning 50.1% of the Popular Vote and 297 Electoral Votes to Ford's 48% of the Popular Vote and 240 Electoral Votes.  He was sworn in on January 20, 1977, the last time the inauguration took place at the East Portico of the Capitol.


Carter's presidency was a mixed bag.  Some might use the word "mixed", some might use the phrase "not very good".  There were some key successes and some serious failures.  Some of his success were the establishment of the Department of Education and the Department of Energy, the U.S. Foreign Service lifted its gay and lesbian personnel ban, signing the Mental Health Systems Act [most of which was repealed under Reagan], grating diplomatic status to the People's Republic of China, and signing the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (SALT II) with the Soviet Union.

Perhaps his greatest achievement came in early September of 1978.  Having been unsuccessful at mediating an end to the war between Israel and Egypt, President Carter invited Israeli Prime Minster Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to meet with him at Camp David, the presidential retreat for negotiations.

The negotiations did not secure a withdrawal of Israeli troops from the West Bank, but it did result in Egypt changing its position and formally recognizing Israel, as well as agreeing to the establishment of an elected government in the both the West Bank and Gaza.  Thus, the Camp Accords effectively ended the war between Egypt and Israel.

Sadat, Carter, and Begin at the public signing
of the Camp David Peace Accords 

Carter's biggest (and ultimately insurmountable) hurdles were the economy and the Iran hostage crisis.  The economy was good at the beginning of Carter's presidency, but inflation and high unemployment numbers (a 6.6% average for his term) countered that.  The inflation rate would fare even worse.  The overall year-over-year (YOY) inflation average during Carter's term was 9.9%.

The second oil crisis in this country, beginning in 1979 and continuing into 1980 -- oh, I remember odd-even gas rationing then -- saw OPEC raise the price of a barrel of crude oil over 150%.  Obviously, this increased inflation even more, resulting in an inflation rate of 11.3% in 1979 and 13.5% in 1980.

Just like this year, if inflation's bad, it does not bode well for an incumbent president.

The final nail in the coffin politically for Carter began on November 4, 1979.  The Iranian Revolution student uprising which included the storming of the American embassy in Tehran, resulting in the taking hostage of fifty-four U.S. diplomats and citizens, would irrevocably taint an already souring public opinion of Carter and his administration.

The hostage crisis remained a standoff for well over a year, led by the Ayatollah Khomeini.  I can remember seeing on the nightly news a graphic counting how many days the hostages had been held getting larger and larger.  In short, it was a response to the U.S. supporting the Shah of Iran, who the U.S. helped to install, and its overall opposition to the Iranian Revolution.

Negotiations failed over and over.  Two military attempts to rescue the hostages -- one attempted, one planned but aborted -- were unsuccessful, and further stained both Carter's and the United States' image.  Carter and his administration tried to get the hostages released all the way up to his last day in office, to no avail.  It was often perceived publicly that Carter was useless in getting the hostages released.  I remember one of my college professors referring to him as the "do nothing president".

Ronald Reagan won in a landslide in 1980, but it wasn't until he was sworn in as the 40th President of the United States on January 20, 1981, that the hostages were released after 444 days in captivity.  I remember the television news anchors simultaneously announcing any updates on the hostages' release throughout the inauguration broadcast.

Carter may not have had a high rating as president, but it was clearly his time after the White House that garnered the greatest praise.  It remains the largest part of his amazing legacy.

Carter's own Christianity was genuine.  It was neither a mere talking point nor some political cloak that he wore when advantageous.  He believed it and lived it.  It is a refreshing look-back when it comes to a president's faith compared to many of those in office since.

While in office, he taught Sunday school at First Baptist Church of Washington, D.C.  After leaving office, he returned to teaching Sunday school at his and Rosalyn's home church, Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, GA.

The year after leaving office, the Carters started the Carter Center, which is located adjacent to the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum.

The Center's focus, per its website:  Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.  The Center's work has reached over 100 countries.  It engages in fighting diseases and infections, and dealing with mental health issues, among other health issues.  It also engages in peace initiatives around the world, including election monitoring, supporting those who defend human rights, working toward fairer treatment of women and girls, and working toward establishing the rule of law and a system of justice accessible to all.  Jimmy and Rosalyn have traveled the world themselves in the initiatives of the Carter Center.  Find out more here. 

Another well-known initiative that the Carters had been involved in is Habitat for Humanity.

The organization was founded by local Georgia farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan, along with Millard and Linda Fuller in the early 1970's.  The concept was for those in need of housing to work alongside volunteers (putting in what they called "sweat equity") to build new homes.

Projects were funded by its Fund for Humanity, and the Fullers decided to take the Fund for Humanity concept abroad.  They went to Zaire, which is now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo.  After spending three years there to get the program off the ground, which was successful and still exists today, the Fullers returned to the U.S. to begin Habitat for Humanity International; it became official in 1977.

In was in 1984 that Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter joined in Habitat's efforts and gained the organization its biggest notoriety.  They weren't simply spokespersons, faces seen to advertise the organization.  No, they did the work, the on-site work, the physical work, right alongside others.  They were one of the crew.

The Carter Work Project that worked hand-in-hand with Habitat for Humanity was soon formed.  The Carter Work Project's first project was the renovation of a six-story, 19-unit apartment building, Mascot Flats, in New York City.

Carter and Project Manager Taylor Eskew
looking over much-needed renovation work

Mascot Flats today

The Carter Work Project itself has built over 4,000 homes in 14 countries through the combined efforts of over 100,000 volunteers.  Habitat for Humanity has helped over 59,000,000 people achieve housing in all fifty states and throughout more than seventy countries.  I had the pleasure of doing an in-service day at a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity in the restoring of a rowhouse several years ago.  It was a rewarding experience!  Find out more about Habitat for Humanity here.

In 1999, President Bill Clinton awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to both Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, citing his work as president and their incredible work in this country and around the world.

In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for "his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development."

Carter was the author of several books.  I read Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis, released in 2005.

In it, President Carter...
"offers a personal consideration of 'moral values' as they relate to the important issues of the day. He puts forward a passionate defense of separation of church and state, and a strong warning about where the country is heading as the lines between politics and rigid religious fundamentalism are blurred"[publisher's description]
It was a profound read, and it has become even more relevant over the years.  I recommended it after reading it and I still highly recommend it today.

In closing, I would like to cite a passage in Carter's 1996 book Living Faith, in which he describes his life experiences and his religious values transformed in a living faith.  In this passage, he writes "the most unforgettable funeral I've ever attended, maybe with the exception of those of my own family members, was the service for Mrs. Martin Luther King, Sr., mother of our nation's greatest civil rights leader."

He relays the story of the pastor's sermon, in which he says two dates will be on her gravestone, the day she was born and the day she died.  He then focused on "the little dash in between", saying that little dash represents the whole of one's life.  He said that little dash was everything to us and to God.

He then said to the gathering, "The question is, What do we do with that little dash in between, which represents our life on earth?"

No doubt, Jimmy Carter did a lot with his little dash.  Because he did, he made the world a better place.  May we do the same.

Rest in peace, God speed, and hail and farewell, President Jimmy Carter.

Terry

January 4-6: Events throughout Georgia will be held.
January 7-8: A horse-drawn carriage trip through Washington to the U.S. Capitol, where Carter will lie in state in the Rotunda.
January 9: National service at the National Cathedral / National Day of Mourning; interment in Plains, GA.

Reminder of the Season: REMEMBER THOSE LESS FORTUNATE THAN US

It is Christmas Eve and many of you are, no doubt, finishing up your preparations for Christmas...or still rushing to try and get things done.  Christmastime, and indeed the entire holiday season, is a hectic time.  My life has slowed down considerably, but I can remember Christmases past where running around trying to get things done was an accepted part of the season.  And I know my level of hectic was nowhere near the level of many others.  Still, holiday hustle and bustle was part and parcel of this time of the year.

It is far too easy, regardless of the time of year, to be in such a rush, as to be overwhelmed, that you miss some things.  Rushing out of the house without your coffee, rushing to finish some task at work that you forget a step, and rushing to do too much that you forget to take care of yourself are just a few examples.

At Christmas, where the lights are bright and our hearts are light -- well, hopefully, they're light -- we tend to forget those far less fortunate than us.  Part of it is many of us consciously choose to ignore those other folks.  It's along the lines of the old saying "out of sight, out of mind", or even the chorus to the 1985 Phil Collins song, Long, Long Way to Go, making reference to stories on the news about those struggling:

Turn it off if you want to

Switch it off it'll go away

Turn it off if you want to

Switch it off or look away

People less fortunate than us have been, are, and likely will always be there.  After all, not everyone can flourish, or cover all their bases, or even just barely make ends meet.  Not everyone has a roof over their head.  Not everyone is healthy.  Not everyone lives their life free of war.  No everyone is only minimally affected by the greed of others.

And so, on this Christmas Eve, I am presenting four songs that speak to those issues by lifting up awareness of those persons.  If Christmastime means an opening of hearts, surely we can open our hearts to those less fortunate than us.

The first two songs are by an artist you may or may not have heard before.  I just came across these two videos last week.  They are by Canadian folk singer Martin Kerr.  This first one is done to the tune of Away In a Manger.


This next one is done to the tune of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.



These next two are far more well-known songs.  First, a song that was released in 1967 and gained several-years-later popularity again last year.  This is Stevie Wonder's Someday at Christmas.


Finally, John Lennon's So This Is Christmas (War Is Over).



As you celebrate the holidays, keep those in far worse situations than you in mind and in your heart.  Be thankful for what you have, yes, but remember those less fortunate.  And if you can do something to help, anything, do it.

And for those of you who have those things that others don't, but you still feel empty -- maybe loss of loved one(s), or a feeling of being alone -- I hope you find a way to feel connected, to feel full emotionally, and to feel loved.  It may not come in a way you imagined or thought likely, but when it comes, welcome it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Terry

Word of the Day: DESERVE

One month ago, it was Election Day in America.
One month ago, the American people spoke.
One month ago, America changed for the worse.

But did America change for the worse on that night?
Or did the bandage merely get ripped off the scab?

It was a showdown between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, in his third bid for the White House, after a 1-1 split (well, for most of us).  Many people, including myself, were calling it "the prosecutor vs. the felon".  Many people, including myself were saying the decision would be an easy one; it wasn't.  Many people were saying it would be a close election; it was.  Harris ended up about 1.5% behind Trump.  Many people were saying, well, the American electorate knew even better what he was all about, so that would make a huge difference; it didn't.

So, what the hell happened?  The Cliff's Notes version, incomplete as it is, is this: Harris received roughly 6.5 million less votes that Biden did in 2020.  It is reasonable to say that a huge chunk of the Democratic base said, "Thanks, but no thanks."  There were other reasons I'll be getting into shortly, but whether that was because they weren't all that thrilled with Harris or they wanted Biden to stay in, who knows?  Whether Biden should have stayed in will be debated for decades to come.  I, for one, thought Biden handed the election to Trump after their only debate back in June.  Would he have won if he stayed in the race?  I honestly have no clue.  Part of me says no.

As a side note, maybe the usefulness of debates needs to be looked at hard.  After all three debates, none of the candidates got the "post-debate bump" for their side.  None of them.  Admittedly, though, that may speak equally to either the usefulness of debates or the die already being cast in voters' minds.

Let's look at some already-stated reasons for why what happened happened:
- While it can be argued that Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris may or may not necessarily have been the best candidates, too many Americans still won't vote for a woman for the top office.  Lousy reason.
- Too many Americans would never vote for a Black woman (who's also Asian) for the top office.  Another lousy reason.
- Many Americans felt Harris did not separate herself enough from Biden, especially regarding Israel and the Israel/Gaza war.  Very understandable.  Harris' echoing the "Israel's right to defend itself" message, even though also saying Palestinians have "their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination", was a deal breaker for many.  
- In what I call "panic politicking", moving a younger Harris into the top slot after forcing out the elder Biden may have been a deal breaker for many Democratic voters.  I, too, was immensely disheartened and utterly confused after Biden's performance in the June debate.  If you're not feeling well, Mr. President, reschedule the damn debate!  After the debate, I said Joe Biden just handed the election to Donald Trump.  If that was one of the reasons for not voting for Harris, I get it. 

The U.S. House of Representatives remains in POT (Party of Trump) control, although their seven-vote majority will now be only a five-vote majority.  Control of the U.S. Senate was flipped to the POT.  Democrats had a two-vote majority; the POT will now have a six-vote majority.

Trump's victory in 2024 is LARGER than his victory in 2016.
Popular Vote:
2016: just under 63,000,000
2024: over 77,000,000
Electoral Vote:
2016: 304 electoral votes
2024: 312 electoral votes

A lot of people have been harping on polls.  (I'm right there with you!)  That's always been an argument, and it ramped up even higher in 2016, when almost all of the polls had Clinton winning the election.  Even Trump's own 2016 campaign (and some say even Trump himself) thought he would lose.  The reason he took so long in 2016 to come out for his victory speech (roughly 3:00 a.m.) was because his campaign scrambled to put together a victory speech.  I think the trustworthiness and viability of polls may have been definitively determined with this election.

Before I go further, let me say the democratic process worked just fine.  It worked as it should have.  The democratic process was not broken and is not broken.

Some folks said that Trump's win in 2016 was a fluke.  With Biden winning in 2020, it seemed that theory was right.  The 2024 election proved that theory to be ultimately incorrect.  With Trump winning in 2024, his election in 2016 was no fluke.  As it turns out, Joe Biden's election in 2020 was the fluke.

I voted for Clinton, Biden, and Harris, so why would I say that?  Well, one of the reports I heard repeatedly after the election was that democracy was the second-biggest concern on voters' minds, with the economy as number one.  A lot of economic indicators said the economy was better during Biden's presidency than during Trump's, but I've been saying it's only been better for the better-off and corporations.  The indicators may be correct, but for most of us, myself included, coming home with a ton of groceries, for just one example, was less and less a normal occurrence, and more and more and more an expensive occurrence.  

Look through history.  If the economy is not doing well, odds are the incumbent president is voted out.  If the incumbent in a second term, odds are the other party will get voted in.  That has often been the case.  During Biden's presidency, inflation overall, including gas prices, has been worse than during Trump's presidency.  Granted, we went through soaring prices during the pandemic with supply line disruptions and price gouging, but most voters consider the current state of the economy when election season comes a-callin'.  

The economy is, and has always been, a huge issue for voters because they face it in real time on a day-to-day basis, so I get it.  Living paycheck to paycheck and one financial catastrophe away from bankruptcy are more the norm than ever before.  Are you better off now that you were four years ago? has been a consistent campaign question from both sides for decades, if not centuries, as though voters have to be reminded to consider how they're doing personally when it's time to vote.  Was Biden going to be the solution?  Will Trump be?  Who knows? 

All I know is struggling and fed up is just as strong of a motivator, if not more so, than voting red or blue.

Immigration has remained a campaign issue, really an ongoing political issue, for ye ... uh, deca ... well, centuries.  (During Trump's first term, by the way, deportations went down.)  You want to come here?  Sure, but do it legally!  My grandparents on my father's side did so legally -- he and his siblings were first generation American born -- so you should, too!  That's probably the only thing on which both sides can agree on this issue.  Still, is Trump the answer?  His new "border czar" Tom Homan will make sure how immigration, legal and illegal, is handled will be a scary and disgusting process.

Also, on the topic of Trump's messaging on immigration, Oh, they're not talking about me will likely be found to not be the truth it's thought to be.  When it comes to targeting, whether you're in the center or on the furthest-out circle, you're still a target.  

Something else I've noticed about Trump's supporters in all three elections: They say you can't take everything he says seriously, especially if it's something that gets a lot of heat.  He said this, or he said that, and he was just kidding.  (That's also Trump's frequent excuse.)  Well, that's not true for Trump, but I have an overarching question: if you're not supposed to take everything he says seriously -- and this goes far beyond any candidate making a joke now and then on the campaign trail -- then why is he your guy?  And if your party backs someone like that, how grounded is your party in serious, viable, intentional leadership?

One of the most confusing aspects of this election is how, in so many states, down ballot questions with positive consequences for folks passed, but those same voters voted for Trump for president.  HUH?!  It could be said you take those down ballot issues as very real issues, but the "character" gets your vote for the top slot.  That just doesn't compute for me.  I was thinking, "I don't get it" really fits how I feel overall.  To a degree, that is still true, but I acknowledge that voters are, quite plainly, a finicky bunch.  Sad, but true.

Plus, voters like to remain uneducated, uninformed (or not fully informed), or flat out lied to, when it comes to casting their vote.  After the election, it was reported that two of the biggest Google searches were "What is a tariff" and "Can I change my vote". 

On February 23, 2016, after winning the Nevada primary, Trump said in his victory speech, "We won with the poorly educated. I love the poorly educated."

To the majority of voters, Trump...
Is coming for immigrants, legal and illegal ... GOOD!
Talks down to people ... THEY DESERVE IT!
Talks aggressively ... THAT JUST SHOWS HE'S TOUGH!
Was impeached ... PFFT!
Was impeached twice ... DOUBLE PFFT!
Is a convicted felon, 34 times over ... SO?
Is an adjudicated rapist ... WHATEVER!
Separated 5,000 children from families at the border ... HE'S PROTECTING OUR COUNTRY!
Is pro-White Supremacist ... LEFT-WING LIES! (or HE'S ONE OF US!)
To that last point, here's a quote I found from a Trump voter on why he voted the way he did: "People say he's a dictator. I believe that. I consider him like Hitler. But I voted for the man." 

I have no words.  Just...no...words.

Elizabeth Willing Powel was an upper-class socialite who had many political ties in early America, was a friend of George and Martha Washington, and hosted many socialite dinners.  During the course of the Continental Congress in 1787, likely at the conclusion or during a recess, Powel had asked Pennsylvania delegate Benjamin Franklin about what kind of government the delegates had created: "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or monarchy?"  His response was, "A republic. If you can keep it."

Perhaps Franklin envisioned a voting away of the republic as a possibility, or not. 

After the election, I posted a picture on social media that said, "America is no more".  While true in one understanding, it is a bit of a misnomer; this is what America has become.  That's terrible to say, and I hate to say it, but I'm just calling it as I see it.  Can America, and its very soul, be turned around?  Yes, but not without a lot of work, and not without a lot of looking at the big picture beyond ourselves simultaneously.

To be frank, I am afraid I will have little sympathy for those who may utter during the next two or four years: I didn't think it would be like this/this bad or I thought they were talking about someone else or I didn't vote for this.  The Thomas Jefferson quote at the top of this post is my reason why.

There's been a lot of use of the phrase "in two years", referring to the 2026 mid-term elections, going around.  True, that's the opportunity to do some turning around, but consider all the damage Trump can do, especially now that he'll be essentially unfettered in the presidency, in two years.  And also consider whether or not both houses of Congress will be flipped to keep him in check -- no small task.  If both houses of Congress stay in POT control after the mid-terms, Trump continues unchecked.  If only one of the houses of Congress flips, it will only mean a slowing down, only a partial check on him.  Both houses need to flip.  It's happened many times before in our history, so it's not impossible, but it too is a case of we'll have to see what happens then. 

Will all of the proverbial gathering of defenses and road blocks already being prepared be effective against Trump?  Who knows?  Even if they are effective, how effective?  To what extent?  You won't eradicate Trumpism, White Supremacy, the hatemongers, and the coming First American Reich just like that.  All of that was around long before 2016.  Trump's stirring it up and rising it up means, when January 20, 2029 rolls around, whether he leaves or not, this will not magically go away.  No easy fix is available.

Indeed, "The government you elect is the government you deserve."  This is truly no longer the United States of America, except in name only, but rather, what I call the Separated States Called America.

I no longer recognize my country.  I just don't.

More, much more, to be said...

Terry     

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Hello dear readers, old and new!

Terry here, and I wanted to announce that I am returning to the blogosphere.  I had just a couple of odd postings afterward, but this blog officially ended almost four years ago (January of 2019).

A lot has happened since then: The pandemic, of course ... a car accident that was fortunately not serious physically, but my car was totaled (and it took over a year to get a new car) ... my mother dying ... various financial hardships ... and two presidential elections (2020 and 2024).  Needless to say, a lot has happened since January 2019, and a lot can be said.  A lot.

With that in mind, this Thursday, December 5th, The Keyboard Commentarian will return!

So, in just a few days, I will be warming up my fingers and getting my blogging chops up and running again.  I hope my older readers, those I gained since January 2019, and any new ones go forward from now will find my posts interesting -- FYI: I go for quality (when I have something worthwhile to share), not quantity -- and that they'll keep you coming back as a regular reader.

I look forward to returning to the blogosphere!  I hope you will join me!

Terry