15 votes

What made Jimmy Carter such a strange US president

Posted by hobbes64
Tags: politics, usa, democratic party, presidents, jimmy carter, history, 1970s, 1980s, profiles, morality, author.gal beckerman, source.the atlantic, paywall
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/12/jimmy-carter-malaise-morality-100/681185/

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Title
Why Shouldn't a President Talk About Morality?
Authors
Gal Beckerman
Published
Dec 30 2024
Word count
1012 words

4 comments

  1. [2]
    hobbes64
    Link
    The Atlantic has an article today about Jimmy Carter, focusing on the famous speech he gave where he talks about "A Crisis of Confidence". I remember hearing about the speech and how it was...

    The Atlantic has an article today about Jimmy Carter, focusing on the famous speech he gave where he talks about "A Crisis of Confidence".

    I remember hearing about the speech and how it was criticized by Reagan. The revisionist history of it is that this speech is one of the reasons he lost. But it was a popular speech when it was given.

    Here is a link to the actual speech.
    Youtube Video of the speech

    My opinion, separate from the article I posted: It's an interesting speech, full of important topics and delivered with humility. The target audience is thinking adults who can take responsibility for their own actions and work together to make the world better in meaningful ways, not by mindlessly buying and consuming and fighting amongst themselves.

    Seeing a president make a speech like this makes the election of Reagan and the decadent, wasteful 1980's more distressing to me. It's horrible that it's easier to win elections by appealing to the worst of our natures with empty promises and selfishness and wedge issues.

    16 votes
    1. regularmother
      Link Parent
      What a beautiful speech. It is so filled with honesty, but optimism, and the dreams of a brighter, better tomorrow. It does not treat voters like cattle to be herded but voices to be discussed...

      What a beautiful speech. It is so filled with honesty, but optimism, and the dreams of a brighter, better tomorrow. It does not treat voters like cattle to be herded but voices to be discussed with.

      I literally cannot imagine such a political figure emerging today in the United States. It feels like a speech out of an episode of Star Trek that fans say has aged poorly.

      The world has lost one of its greats.

      9 votes
  2. boxer_dogs_dance
    (edited )
    Link
    I read a biography of Carter and the author suggested that his strengths and weaknesses as president were at least partially due to having trained as an engineer. According to the book he missed...

    I read a biography of Carter and the author suggested that his strengths and weaknesses as president were at least partially due to having trained as an engineer. According to the book he missed recognizing the priorities of more transactional image focused politicians he was negotiating with. He aimed for high quality and excellence always and he expected people and negotiating partners to be willing to sacrifice for the greater good.

    The book was called His Very Best, Jimmy Carter a Life.

    The Naval Legacy of Jimmy Carter

    13 votes