Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has lately had some pretty strongs words he’s put out there about the current U.S. President, George Bush, especially in regards to his international diplomacy. He goes as far as to call the current president “the worst president in history” or something very similar to that.
Jimmy Carter won the presidency in 1976 (when I was in the 6th grade) beating out Gerald Ford. My class closely followed and debated that election.
I didn’t take Jimmuh all that seriously then.
I still don’t.
Things about the Carter Administration that I remember:
444 – Number of days Iran held innocent American citizens and diplomats hostage.
Not Even One – Number of days Ronald Reagan was the subsequent president before the hostages were released.
How can Mr. Carter blast ANYONE else for their international diplomacy? Maybe if he would have done something about Iran back then Iran wouldn’t be enriching uranium and plutonium today and breathing down our necks with their nuclear breath. Back in the good old days (that would be the Reagan years I’m talking about) Carter also strongly questioned Reagan’s strategy and approach to the Cold War…and well, we all know who ended up being right on that front. And here’s the thing. If you take a general stand against “pre-emptive war” as Jimmy has, all that says to me is that you sit back and wait until outright war is declared on you and your country has been invaded. I just don’t see that as always the wisest choice. If Carter was still the president, those people would still be hostages to this day. And that is the best-case scenario.
Oh, and I think I remember that our economy was prettttty lousy back when Carter was president. But I was only twelve to sixteen years old. I could be wrong about that.
No. I’m right. Double digit inflation, high interest rates (the prime rate hitting 21.5% in 1980), oil shortages, high unemployment, etc.
I’m sure he (Jimmy Carter) did good things worthy of the presidency. And I’m not saying that George Bush is a great president. All I’m saying is that Carter’s presidency ain’t some big shining example of how it should be done. And I’m saying he shouldn’t be throwing such big stones at the current administration.
And remember, the definition of peace isn’t always “the absence of war”.
Jimmy must be on the circuit selling a book or something and trying to drum up interest any way he can.
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Blah Blah Blog 
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Jimmy Carter was a decent, honest, trustworthy man, but way over his head as POTUS. His comments on Bush being one of the worst presidents may well be true, but coming from a contender for worst it does seem somewhat strange. Perhaps Carter doesn’t know how bad he was.
Well said, Bruce.
Perhaps Carter’s hindsight vision isn’t exactly 20/20.
October 14th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Not to mention that Good Old Jimmy was the president that sold the control of the Panama Canal to the communist chinese. What a flippin’ idiot… no ifs ands or buts about it!