Jimmy Carter’s final gift to America.
December 29, 2024
One of the most decent men ever to hold the office of President of the United States passed away in his 100th year on December 29, 2024. I am not a historian, so I will leave the assessment of his presidency and equally consequential post-presidency to others who are better equipped to make those judgments. But one does not need to be a historian or student of politics to know that President Jimmy Carter was a good man whose decency acted as a balm for a troubled nation following a time of crisis.
It impossible to reflect on Carter’s decency, humanity, and humility without experiencing a foreboding sense of dread about the lack of integrity and amorality of the incoming presidency. Many tributes make oblique references to that contrast. President and Dr. Jill Biden issued the following statement:
[T]o all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility. He showed that we are great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.
If there is any lesson in the life and passing of President Carter, it is that we are a good people capable of electing good leaders. We should not surrender to a false sense of inevitability that lies and narcissism are permanent fixtures of the American political landscape.
Over the coming weeks, I will highlight commentary regarding President Carter that deserves the attention of readers of this newsletter, and I invite readers to use the Comment section to post links to non-paywalled articles.
As of Sunday evening, James Fallows has published a freely accessible version of an article he previously published in The Atlantic. See James Fallows, Breaking the News (Substack), Jimmy Carter: Unlucky President, Lucky Man.
Fallows’ article is a bracing reminder of how much has changed since Carter’s presidency. Fallows reminds us:
In office [Carter] also had the challenge of trying to govern a nearly ungovernable America: less than two years after its humiliating withdrawal from Saigon, in its first years of energy crisis and energy shortage, on the cusp of the “stagflation” that has made his era a symbol of economic dysfunction. It seems hard to believe now, but it’s true: The prime interest rate in 1980, the year Carter ran for reelection, exceeded 20 percent.
Imagine running for re-election when 20% interest rates put home ownership out of reach for all but the wealthiest Americans.
And the political landscape in 1980 is unrecognizable today:
The South was then the Democrats’ base, and the West Coast was hostile territory. Jimmy Carter swept all states of the old Confederacy except Virginia, and lost every state west of the Rockies except Hawaii. In Electoral College calculations, the GOP started by counting on California.
The Democrats held enormous majorities in both the Senate and the House. Carter griped about dealing with Congress, as all presidents do. But under Majority Leader Robert Byrd, the Democrats held 61 seats in the Senate through Carter’s time. In the House, under Speaker Tip O’Neill, they had a margin of nearly 150 seats (not a typo). The serious legislative dealmaking was among the Democrats.
Writer and journalist Steven Beschloss published a tribute to Jimmy Carter in America, America (Substack), Jimmy Carter's Enduring Humanity. Beschloss writes:
At a time when too much of our political sphere is poisoned by cruelty and hate and malignant narcissism—and where too many self-described Christians appear driven by grievance and self-righteous aggression—the good works of Jimmy Carter offer a refreshing antidote and a necessary reminder of the power of humanity.
Beschloss quotes Jimmy Carter on the role of immigrants in America’s tradition of service to others. Carter said,
America is the most diverse or heterogeneous nation, comprised primarily by immigrants who were not afraid of an unpredictable future in a strange land. Almost all of them had great need when they arrived here and were then inspired to be of help to others.
This concept of service to others is still a crucial element in the American character and has always prevailed in overcoming challenges and correcting societal mistakes.
“Service to others” as a defining trait of an immigrant nation. The difference between Carter's and Trump's views regarding immigration could not be more stark.
There is much more to be said, but I would like to end on a personal recollection of the unfairness of media coverage of Carter’s presidency. I was in law school as Carter’s presidency sputtered and groaned under the weight of serial international crises: the oil crisis, the Iranian hostage crisis, and international recession.
Carter worked tirelessly to navigate crises that were beyond the control of any global leader. The media—recently emboldened and vindicated by reporting on the Watergate scandal—was merciless. For understandable reasons, the media no longer trusted American presidents. Journalists were keenly aware that the road to Pulitzers and lasting fame ran through aggressive reporting on the president.
Even when Carter did everything right, he could do nothing right—at least according to the media. When the media learned that Carter shooed away a swamp rabbit from his boat while fishing in a Georgia pond, the story became front-page news on the Washington Post, New York Times, and all three broadcast news networks—at a time when Carter was successfully negotiating the SALT treaty limiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
The “killer rabbit” story dominated major media outlet coverage for a week—often with the self-serving angle, “President Carter can’t shake bad press over the killer rabbit story.” Carter couldn’t shake bad press over the rabbit story because the media had settled on a negative narrative about Carter—and they wouldn’t let it go.
[Sigh. Even today, on the day of his passing, the NYTimes has an above-the-fold story, “That Time President Carter Was Menaced by a ‘Killer Rabbit’ - The New York Times.”]
Watergate broke journalism—and the profession has never recovered. As will become plain in the coming weeks, the re-assessment of Carter’s presidency will show that he was a strong president who accomplished great things. For example, the Camp David Accords created a framework for peace between Israel and Egypt that remains in place today.1
At the time, a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt seemed impossible. Carter achieved the impossible because sworn enemies put their trust in Jimmy Carter. Few presidents can claim an achievement solidly built on their universally recognized reputation for integrity.
President Jimmy Carter was a good and decent man whose presence elevated the office of the presidency.
Brief updates
MAGA war over H-1B visas
The rift in the MAGA-verse got worse over the weekend, culminating in Musk telling critics that they could “**** themselves in the face.”
Trump weighed into the controversy by siding with Musk. Trump said that “I have many H-1B visas on my properties.” See Newsweek, Donald Trump Shares View on H-1B Visas Amid MAGA Civil War.
Per the Department of Labor, H-1B visas are designed for “specialty occupations,” defined as
one that requires the application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and the attainment of at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. The intent of the H-1B provisions is to help employers who cannot otherwise obtain needed business skills and abilities from the U.S. workforce by authorizing the temporary employment of qualified individuals who are not otherwise authorized to work in the United States.
Trump did not explain which jobs at his golf courses, restaurants, and hotels requiring specialized knowledge could not be filled by US workers.
Trump unloads on Kevin McCarthy, GOP House members for not allowing debt ceiling extension.
Trump is still smarting over Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to agree to a continuing resolution that did not remove the debt ceiling. On Sunday, he demanded that Johnson force Democrats to vote on removing the debt ceiling “NOW.” Trump said,
The Democrats must be forced to take a vote on this treacherous issue NOW, during the Biden Administration, and not in June. They should be blamed for this potential disaster, not the Republicans!
In other words, Trump does not care what is right for the American taxpayer. Instead, he only cares about who is “blamed” for the potential disaster.
Of course, Johnson can’t force a vote on removing the debt ceiling because he cannot muster two-thirds of the votes in the House—and it wouldn’t pass the Senate. So Trump's complaints are mere whining—as usual.
Musk pens op-ed in German newspaper backing far-right party with alleged ties to neo-Nazi groups
Germany will hold national elections in February. One of the parties--Alternative for Germany—is described as “far-right” and opposes immigration into Germany, especially Muslim immigration. No other parties in Germany will cooperate with AfD in forming a government because of its extremist views, including reported ties to neo-Nazi groups. See The Hill, Chris Murphy criticizes Elon Musk's 'neo-Nazi' AfD endorsement.
Late last week, Musk penned an op-ed in a German newspaper (Die Welt) in which he said that “only AfD can save Germany.” He specifically praised AfD’s anti-immigration policies and claimed that trying to limit immigration was not xenophobic. See
Publication of the op-ed by Musk was met with a firestorm of protest, including the resignation of one Die Welt’s editors. Daily Beast, German Newspaper Editor Quits Over Elon Musk Op-Ed.
Musk claims that it is appropriate for him to comment on German politics because Tesla has a large auto plant in Germany. In other words, just as in the US, Musk believes that his voice counts more than others because he is a billionaire.
It is astounding that the media appears willing to normalize Musk’s promotion of a political party with alleged ties to neo-Nazi groups and a virulently anti-Muslim immigration policy. As Senator Chris Murphy wrote, “None of This Is Ok, Everyone. None of This Is Normal.”
Concluding Thoughts
President Biden has ordered a state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter. Three of the living ex-presidents will likely attend the memorial (Clinton, Bush, Obama). It remains to be seen whether Trump will attend; Carter reportedly made a point of saying he would skip Trump's inauguration if he were well enough to attend.
President Carter’s memorial service will provide the nation with a moment of sober reflection on the true qualities of a leader. Granting us that moment of reflection shortly before Trump’s inauguration is Jimmy Carter’s final gift to America.
Talk to you tomorrow!
Daily Dose of Perspective
I acknowledge that criticisms of the Camp David Peace Accords have persisted for 45 years, especially regarding the non-involvement of Palestinians and the treatment of the West Bank and Gaza.
And becdause flags are flown at half-staff for 30 days followijhng the death of a president or former president, the flags will be at half-staff during the alleged "inauguration" of the Chief Traitor, for him to see a memorial to a man who would have scraped the traitor off his shoes.
"Few presidents can claim an achievement solidly built on their universally recognized reputation for integrity."
Not a bad summation of the state of the world as of January 2025. Especially if one reads the sentence as I do, including this implicit universality: "Few politicians can claim to be universally recognized for their integrity."
In late 1975 or early 1976, I sat in a "lounge" in the student center (i.e. not an auditorium, not a lecture hall, not even a classroom) with about 30 of my fellow college students who were curious to see this "nobody" who had the audacity to run for President while pledging to "never tell a lie." I actually heard Jimmy Carter say those words. At the time I didn't know what to make of it. Part of me was cynical and disbelieving; part of me ached for it to be true. But either way, I never expected to live long enough to see a major publication (the WaPo) calculate that a sitting president had told over 30,000 lies in 4 years.