Jimmy Carter

I remember his presidency: his big toothy grin, his common man persona, and his background as a naval officer and peanut farmer.

He is generally hailed for his character and his post-presidency, even though most thought his years as president were not so great. 

I don’t see how we can blame him for Iran taking American hostages or the failed rescue attempt as three helicopters encountered mechanical problems, or the resultant gas shortage from an OPEC embargo. 

The high inflation that plagued Americans during his time in office was largely the outcome of world events and bad economic policy under his predecessor, Nixon. Maybe, he should have handled somethings a bit differently, but presidents get credit and blame for things that happen on their watch that they have little control over. Americans vote in response to economic conditions more than anything else. That’s why he didn’t get a second term.

He did, however, he did broker a lasting peace through the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt and Syria, bitter enemies of Israel with whom they fought in Yom Kippur war of 1973.

His post presidency took him all over the world working to uplift oppressed people and further democracy. He also wrote several books and built several houses for Habitat for Humanity, even in his later years when he was in poor health. He did what he could to help people who needed helping. 

I can’t find many people like Jimmy Carter today. I wonder if his breed has passed away with him.

Carter and Mondale summed up their administration with these words, “We told the truth. We obeyed the law. We kept the peace.”

For quite some time American presidents and other political leaders have had difficulty with these things. The volume of lies and fictional stories have sent the fact checkers into overtime. Allocations of law-breaking and actual convictions are so common they no longer even seem to faze us. As far as keeping the peace, just look at the world, or our own country where the politicians and talking heads of the media make their fortunes by turning us against each other.

The logical question is, “Which is most important, character or policy.”

Some people think Carter had good character, but bad policy. Some people think Trump has bad character, but good policy. 

No doubt, both are important. However, competence and knowledge are developed through experience over time. Character: you either have it or you don’t. Good character does not insure anyone against lapses in judgement or mistakes, rather it is a north star to continually focus (or refocus) on. Most politicians seem to have a star that moves for their own benefit. 

We don’t seem to care much about character anymore, perhaps because we have so few positive examples that provide a contrast. Instead, there is an emphasis on sweeping generalizations on the issues resulting in knee-jerk reactions and simplified slogans. This gives rise to the pervasive human need for to make someone or some group of people villains and objects of ridicule. Forgetting about character doesn’t seem to be working out so well.

“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit”. (Matthew 7:18).