Jimmy Carter, a Second Look

[janet118]

McCain often says that an Obama administration would be comparable to that of Jimmy Carter. I say, I certainly hope so.

The press, too, continues the GOP myth that Jimmy Carter was a fool who was beat by the Republican hero, Ronald Reagan. I am sick of it. All Democrats should be outraged. Not only has Carter become the best ex-president ever, he is a truly honest man who had amazing foresight. He was the kind of president any country should have been proud of. So why does our country ridicule him and honor a true buffoon/puppet like Reagan? To me, it says more about the Republican take over of the corporate media than about either man.

Let's get this straight. If we had listened to Jimmy Carter and reduced our reliance on foreign oil, developed alternative energy sources and practiced conservation in our daily lives, we certainly would not be fighting a war for oil today. We probably would not have had the first Gulf War and possibly could have avoided the horror of September 11th, 2001.

From Carter's 1981 State of the Union address:

Since I took office, my highest legislative priorities have involved the reorientation and redirection of U.S. energy activities and for the first time, to establish a coordinated national energy policy. The struggle to achieve that policy has been long and difficult, but the accomplishments of the past four years make clear that our country is finally serious about the problems caused by our overdependence on foreign oil. Our progress should not be lost. We must rely on and encourage multiple forms of energy production--coal, crude oil, natural gas, solar, nuclear, synthetics--and energy conservation. The framework put in place over the last four years will enable us to do this.

Those of us old enough to recall the Carter years remember wearing sweaters and lowering the thermostat and driving under 55 to save gas. What I had nearly forgotten though was that Carter didn't just talk the talk, he actually fitted the White House roof with solar panels back in 1979.

The link below leads to a preview of a new movie entitled "The Road Not Taken" about what happened to those panels in the years since. Warning: The stark realization of all those wasted years begun by the delusional Ronald Reagan may cause a deep sense of regret to those concerned about the environment.

This takes about 10 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/v/7gQSAlO277o&hl=en&fs=1

[Sadie4629]

1. I remember the Carter years

I was one of the biggest Carter supporters I knew. I watched the 1980 election returns with tears in my eyes and he may have been prescient on energy, but . . .

You can't cherrypick your historical facts, and say "if x then y".

If we had listened to Jimmy Carter and reduced our reliance on foreign oil, developed alternative energy sources and practiced conservation in our daily lives, we certainly would not be fighting a war for oil today.

is like me saying that if Carter had dealt differently with the Iranian revolution we might not be facing global terrorist threats. Lots of different things might have happened. Just sayin'.

As far as the Carter years are concerned, I also remember gas lines, home mortgage interest rates that made home ownership prohibitive, stagflation, malaise, boycotting the Olympics, reinstating draft registration, American diplomats held hostage for 444 days, etc., etc.

The Carter years were not great years, and no one should wish for a return to them.

[janet118]

2. Well, we would have been way ahead of the game . . .

in energy independence had Carter been elected again. . . just sayin'

[JamaalCTBI]

3. Old White Guy

How about Jimmy as Veep? Our old white guy can build houses, what can your old white guy do?

[janet118]

4. Buy houses??

Or, maybe, bomb houses?

Wreck houses? . . . Or is that Cindy?

:shrug:

[liberalmike27]

14. Wouldn't Want to Try to Talk Up Carter Now

After decades of a media who has nearly destroyed Carter's reputation as a president, and put Reagan on a pedestal, most folks who weren't around during his administration have no idea what kind of president he was.

Many of the problems with the economy had to do with the Vietnam war, and adjusting to a non-war economy, including high interest rates to maintain treasuries. High interest rates also caused some of the other problems.

The oil embargo, just more reason to do the things he said to become independent.

And plenty of people got houses with low interest rates, only to lose them as salaries dropped, and jobs left, under our "Chicago school of economic policy," led by Milton Friedman.

But, Carter wasn't a bad man, or a bad president. In truth, after Iran nationalized the oil in 1945, American oil companies were pissed. Back then it was popular, instead of a full-fledged war, to use the CIA to instigate coups. They did so, and installed a brutal Shah, Reza. He lasted until 1979, when they finally were able to remove the puss-ball that America had evoked on the Iranian skin.

Reagan sent Bush in October 1980 to negotiate with Iran, offering much more than the non-war items for the safe removal of American hostages, who weren't likely ever going to be hurt. He promised spare parts, and more weapons, which were later delivered, if only they kept the hostages until inauguration day. Reagan Bush were elected, and that was the beginning of the real blight on our country, the assault on the middle class, the begin of the class war, which they've pretty much won. They did, it was perceived by the everyone as "Reagan-fear" that they were released, when it was all according to plan.

Then there was the eight year, puppet war, between Iran and Iraq. It was called that, since Iran had wrested control of their country, their oil from us, Iraq was provided weapons under the dictator Saddam Hussein. We had taken to forcing our economic policy onto countries by force, through the use of dictators, like Saddam, and Noriega. These were much more harsh policies that usual in Iraq, as they were in Iraq, as we've seen in the propaganda once Saddam reared up, as dictators always seem to eventually do.

Then there was 1991, and 2003, all wars that started way back in 1908, really, when the oil was discovered in Iran, one-hundred years ago.

So, if you want to place the weight of the world and bad policy on anyone, don't put it on Carter's back. The CIA was doing bad shit back then, and from what we hear, now that Bush is in office, they are up to their old tricks, shocking, working the genitals, and emptying out the minds of terrorists, probably to such a degree that they will soil their pants for the rest of their lives.

Really something to be proud of, right?

[vinylsolution]

5. You know what?

How about Obama / Carter 08??

The ultimate combination of youth and experience.

[Patriot Abroad]

6. Why did he do a state of the union in 1981?

Was it the democratic response to Mr "Government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem"?

How scary is it that McCain is older than Ronnie was when he started in 1980 . . .

[Herman74]

7. Thanks for the post. Yes, Carter was one of our best presidents...

...only time in my life I came close to feeling proud to be an American was when Jimmy Carter was president. Jimmy Carter stood firm for human rights, with the dictators of the world understanding he was their enemy and thus favoring Reagan. He forged a lasting peace between Egypt and Israel, one of the reasons he would later win the Nobel Peace Prize. He gave Panama back its canal, and showed by example to the nation the desirability of conservation. (I hope Obama puts back the White House solar panels next year). Jimmy Carter got the American hostages out ALIVE (if Reagan had been president, they would be dead, along with 100,000+ Iranians). He established the federal departments of Energy and Education, broadening the federal role in these important realms. He let the Russian people know that we disapproved of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Those with materialistic concerns often unfairly blame him for things outside his control: high gasoline prices (as if OPEC didn't play a role in that), high interest rates, stagflation, blah, blah, blah. In my view, people sometimes think a president has more control over the economy than he actually does. He did mess up, however, on the male-only draft registration (no need for that nonsense).

Heck, John Denver liked and admired Jimmy Carter, so Carter must have been good!!:D

[clarence swinney]

10. carter 1981 State of Union

google search and read

fantastic intelligence

PROPHETIC

[parabellumklr]

15. Gave Panama back ITS Canal???

America built the canal and American built the Panamaian economy. Without the US influence Panama would have just been another Central American war-torn shithole. Giving up the Canal Zone did NOTHING to help the US.

[provis99]

18. WITH US influence, Panama was a war torn shithole for a hundred years

Panama owes us no thanks for us giving back the land we stole from them.

[Karl_Bonner_1982]

21. A victim of bad circumstance

I don't like the Obama-Carter comparison, though. If Obama becomes a great president it will be by emulating FDR. Remember that the FDR years actually saw a dramatic change in our economic system toward greater equality and less plutocracy. Carter was the last president before the FDR legacy began to unravel. Will Bush be the last president of the Second Gilded Age?

[westy81]

8. you can meet him if you want...

He teaches a Sunday School class in Plains on most Sundays. Anyone can visit and have your photo taken with President Carter and Roselynn after the church services....I live about 30 miles from him and have done it several times with my family. Just google "Jimmy Carter Sunday School" for information.

[Ellen Forradalom]

13. Welcome to DU!

Glad to have you here!

[westy81]

17. thanks....

Thanks. I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to notice. I read a bunch on here, but seldom have anything to ad. I am not quite as militant as some.

[clarence swinney]

9. Few Facts on Carter

COMPARE CARTER TO REAGAN

(4 yrs to 8 yrs. So, use Average per year on some and Monthly average also.)

ONE SIMPLE QUESTION.
HOW COULD THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP ALLOW THE TRASHING OF CARTER AS A FAILED PRESIDENT??? DISGUSTING.



--------------------JOBS-------------------------------------------------

Real Increase—Carter-13.0% in 4 years—Reagan-17.5% in 8 yrs

Carter 10,488,000 in 4—Reagan 15,935,000 in 8.

Per month Carter averaged far more than Reagan
218,000 to 175,000.


Care to compare number of homes built per year. Don’t. Reagan killed S & L’s.
Care to compare GDP growth without massive spending (borrow) programs.
Carter-3.4%--Reagan 3.4% even with major spending
Care to compare Increase in National Income and GDP to Debt Growth
Care to compare percent increase in Federal Revenues
Care to compare GDP Growth in “Real” dollars per year

Care to compare First THREE Years---
First figure is carter

Real GDP—+3.2%-- +1.3%= -59% less for RR
Industrial Production--+3.0%--+.01%= -97% less for RR
Rate Capacity Utilization 83.4% --75.9% = -9% less for Reagan
Plant-Equip. Expend. +14.6%--.8%= -95% less for Reagan
Housing Starts—1.76 Million—1.28 million = -27% less for Reagan
Domestic auto sales—8.48 million—6.25 million= -26% less for Reagan
Business Failures—8461—24,291= +189% more for Reagan
Civilian Unemployment—6.5%--9.0%= +38% more for Reagan
Number Unemployed—6.74 million—9.89 million=+47% more for Reagan
Real Disposable Income Growth--+1/9%--+1/3%= - 32% less for Reagan
Prime Rate—10.96%--14.94%= +35% more for Reagan
Federal Budget Deficit—48.5 Billion—153.billion= +215% more for Reagan
Farm Income--+1.75%---5.7%= -326% less for Reagan

Comparison Above of 13 items from CBO Record 3-26-84

Care to compare number killed overseas
Care to compare percent Increase in Defense Spending
Care to compare number of LIES told
Care to compare numbers of departments with SCANDALS
Care to compare numbers of administration members who were investigated, went to prison, convicted or charged.
Care to compare respect by foreign nations
Care to check 1947 National Security Act that was instrumental in checking the expansion of communism.
Care to compare number of times president went to church.
Care to compare how historians rank them without $$ spent by conservative think tanks
(In 1994 Reagan was ranked tenth from bottom-- Conservatives have spent millions
re-inventing his average record).
Care to compare as DEREGULATOR? Airlines-Financial Institutions-Transportation
Care to compare with which created FEMA
Care to check who was President when FISA was passed into law?
Care to check who started Centcom—As-RDJTF-Rapid Deployment Task Force-
(Reagan changed name to Centcom) -U.S forces designated for possible employment to Middle East.
Carter produced the First Arab-Israeli Peace Treaty
Carter normalized trade with China
Carter led the Senate to obey our treaty and yield control of Panama Canal.
Carter killed the neutron bomb
Carter won Nato agreement to match Soviet missiles in Europe
Carter limited strategic nuclear arms with Salt II Treaty.
Carter paid UN dues in full, on time and without conditions.
Carter got third world majorities against Vietnam’s intervention on Cambodia.
Carter placed embargoes on Soviets for invasion of Afghanistan
The great anti-communist Reagan lifted them while Soviets were still in Afghanistan
Carter efforts were significant on—Human Rights impartiality, nuclear build down, energy sustainability, Middle East peace, non-interventionism .
Same President who said this—“The oil flow from the Persian Gulf is a vital interest to the United States and this country will employ any means necessary including military force to overcome an attempt by a hostile power to block that flow.”

Imagine the praise had Reagan made that statement.

Carter increased CAFE standards—Reagan cancelled them. Loved oil people. Backers in California. Henry Salvatori. Pals first America second.

When Carter left office it took 3.6 years of average income to purchase an average priced new home. After Reagan’s years it took 4.2 Years and now under Bush II 5.4 years.

When Conservatives hit on Carter as a “do nothing” administration they best not check the FACTS.

Inflation was Carter’s big handicap. Remember Oil Prices? Food prices?
Inflation had nothing to do with his Fiscal policies

Reagan took credit for whipping inflation. Blarney Baloney.
It was Carter’s hire Paul Volcker. Who whipped inflation (at cost of 5 million jobs)
Reagan had inflationary fiscal policies. Carter did not.

Evangelicals want a true, devout, Christian? They better look to a genuine one. Carter.

Conservatives re-invent and trash other presidents in an effort to promote Reagan.
Reagan was not by any means an above average President.
Blarney Baloney Deluxe. An actor acting in a role as President.
He was graded as a C president.
Historians use numbers not emotions.
500 in 1994 rated him tenth from bottom
in 1994 one of top two historical societies polled members and rated him 21% above average 79% below average.

Reagan honored Nazi SS Troops. Carter Fought.

NO NUMBERS REVEAL AN ABOVE AVERAGE RECORD

If anyone has some present them I will use them

Carter's Energy principles/plans- 1977

The first principle is that we can have an effective and comprehensive energy policy only if the government takes responsibility for it and if the people understand the seriousness of the challenge and are willing to make sacrifices.

The second principle is that healthy economic growth must continue. Only by saving energy can we maintain our standard of living and keep our people at work. An effective conservation program will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

The third principle is that we must protect the environment. Our energy problems have the same cause as our environmental problems -- wasteful use of resources. Conservation helps us solve both at once.

The fourth principle is that we must reduce our vulnerability to potentially devastating embargoes. We can protect ourselves from uncertain supplies by reducing our demand for oil, making the most of our abundant resources such as coal, and developing a strategic petroleum reserve.

The fifth principle is that we must be fair. Our solutions must ask equal sacrifices from every region, every class of people, every interest group. Industry will have to do its part to conserve, just as the consumers will. The energy producers deserve fair treatment, but we will not let the oil companies profiteer.

The sixth principle, and the cornerstone of our policy, is to reduce the demand through conservation. Our emphasis on conservation is a clear difference between this plan and others which merely encouraged crash production efforts. Conservation is the quickest, cheapest, most practical source of energy. Conservation is the only way we can buy a barrel of oil for a few dollars. It costs about $13 to waste it.

The seventh principle is that prices should generally reflect the true replacement costs of energy. We are only cheating ourselves if we make energy artificially cheap and use more than we can really afford.

The eighth principle is that government policies must be predictable and certain. Both consumers and producers need policies they can count on so they can plan ahead. This is one reason I am working with the Congress to create a new Department of Energy, to replace more than 50 different agencies that now have some control over energy.

The ninth principle is that we must conserve the fuels that are scarcest and make the most of those that are more plentiful. We can't continue to use oil and gas for 75 percent of our consumption when they make up seven percent of our domestic reserves. We need to shift to plentiful coal while taking care to protect the environment, and to apply stricter safety standards to nuclear energy.

The tenth principle is that we must start now to develop the new, unconventional sources of energy we will rely on in the next century.

These ten principles have guided the development of the policy I would describe to you and the Congress on Wednesday.

Our energy plan will also include a number of specific goals, to measure our progress toward a stable energy system.

These are the goals we set for 1985:

--Reduce the annual growth rate in our energy demand to less than two percent.

--Reduce gasoline consumption by ten percent below its current level.

--Cut in half the portion of United States oil which is imported, from a potential level of 16 million barrels to six million barrels a day.

--Establish a strategic petroleum reserve of one billion barrels, more than six months' supply.

--Increase our coal production by about two thirds to more than 1 billion tons a year.

--Insulate 90 percent of American homes and all new buildings.

--Use solar energy in more than two and one-half million houses.

We will monitor our progress toward these goals year by year. Our plan will call for stricter conservation measures if we fall behind.

I cant tell you that these measures will be easy, nor will they be popular. But I think most of you realize that a policy which does not ask for changes or sacrifices would not be an effective policy.

This plan is essential to protect our jobs, our environment, our standard of living, and our future.

Whether this plan truly makes a difference will be decided not here in Washington, but in every town and every factory, in every home an don every highway and every farm.

I believe this can be a positive challenge. There is something especially American in the kinds of changes we have to make. We have been proud, through our history of being efficient people.

CARTER 1981 STATE OF uNION FANTASTIC SO PROPHETIC

imagine 8 for carter-8 for dukasis-8 for clinton-8 for gore

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

[janet118]

19. Wow!!

Excellent compilation of facts. Thanx. :applause:

[clarence swinney]

11. google search

clarence swinney + carter vs reagan

great facts on great man

I cannot comprehend how Democratic leadership can allow demeaning of Carter when you analyze his record.

conservatives spent millions re-inventing Reagan average record.

Reagan has not one number that is GREAT.

[Festivito]

12. Carter looks better as years go by, while his RW attackers look dumber.

Inflation was how we paid for losing the Vietnam mistake. Then Reagan came in and borrowed the rest which stopped the inflation, but we're still paying interest on the debt he made -- and yet have to pay that debt.

The Iranian hostage situation wasn't due to Carter's actions.
The military controlled and botched the rescue attempt.
And, Reagan and probably Bush kept the hostages from being released for their own political gains.

The military advances he oversaw are what ended Communist Russia. Reagan just took credit.

He is a great man and was a great president. Those who say otherwise are full of spin.

[Lost River Ledger]

16. Carter the Dem's Hoover

I understand where the thread is going with this, but like it or not Carter became the Dem's H. Hoover. I agree though that the Dem's allowed this to happen and that it was undeserving.

[haw river]

26. do not overlook Ted Kennedy

He ran against Carter

He split off many votes.

[JoshC]

20. Video..

No longer available. Got another link?

[janet118]

23. I couldn't find another

Sorry.

Here's a blurb from the Maine Film Festival where "The Road Not Taken" was shown this summer.

[Captain Hilts]

22. I voted for him, but Carter was not a liberal and was not a good leader.

Obama is not a liberal, but he seems to be a good leader.

Different times.

[LawBoy01]

24. A first look about what's been said about Carter

I was born in 1974, which means that when I talk about Carter it's not through any personal memories or experience and at the risk of coming across like the kid who says Shaquille O'Neil is/was better than Wilt Chamberlain.

Anyway, I very much respect Carter's ethos but think he was politically inept. Had Carter been more like Clinton, however unappealing of a tradeoff that may be to some people (including myself) who were disgusted by Clinton's indiscretions and cynicism, Carter would have been re-elected, and we could have avoided Reaganism and twarted the neocon movement that started in the early 1980s and is so well described by David Brock in his book "Blinded by the Right."

In short, I agree with you, but Carter's failures have a lot to do with the Republicans being in control of the White House from 1980-1992, and in control of Congress until 2006.

[haw river]

25. CONGRESS

needed for a president to succeed

Carter looked down on Congress

Carter spoke down to Congress.

Carter refused to brown nose.

He has admitted that one of his major faults was not accepting congress as equals.

Inflation had nothing to do with his Fiscal Policies.

Allowing Shah to enter USA was biggest blunder. Immense hatred by Iranian Revolutionairs resulted.

reagan/bush used it to whip him.

[question everything]

27. Carter is one of the worst presidents that we had

who thought, still does, that the world is like his little church in Georgia. That praying and quoting from his bible will do the trick.

He does not realize, even now, how non-western countries manipulate him and laugh behind his back. They promise to "be good" and he, of course, believes them and get headlines to promote their cause, yes, even suicide bombers and they just laugh.

[ReliantJ]

28. I heard

Obama is the new Lincoln, JFK...now Carter?