Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter
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39th President of the United States
Term of office January 20, 1977 - January 20, 1981
Political party	Democratic
Vice President	Walter Mondale
Preceded by	Gerald Ford
Succeeded by	Ronald Reagan
Born	October 1, 1924 Plains, Georgia, USA
Spouse	Rosalynn Carter
Religion	Baptist

James Earl Carter, Jr. was the 39th President of the United States of America following Gerald Ford and preceding Ronald Reagan. He was a Democrat who served from 1977-1981, after being the Governor of Georgia.

Carter is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and served in the Navy from 1946 through 1953, rising to the rank of Lieutenant.

His difficulty in overcoming the challenges that were presented to the nation during his time in office helped lead to the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. He has been unusually active as an ex-president, serving as an election monitor in many emerging democracies, working with Habitat for Humanity, and as a self-proclaimed "peace advocate", was recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize. In recent years, he has become very controversial because of his alleged anti-semitic sentiments.

Early Life

Carter was born and raised on his father's farm in Georgia. He entered the Naval Academy at Annapolis and graduated from there in 1946. Shortly afterwards, on July 7, he married Rosalynn Smith. Carter worked in submarines, attaining the rank of lieutenent, until he resigned in 1953. He became a peanut farmer afterwards. Carter entered politics by running for the Georgia State Senate. He almost lost a close race against Homer Moore, but Carter beat him in the final tally.

UFO Sighting

Jimmy Carter's report that the planet was visited by space aliens.

Carter claims to have witnessed an unidentified flying object in 1969; he remains the only U.S. President to have formally reported a UFO. In 1975 Carter told a Washington Post reporter, " A light appeared and disappeared in the sky . . . I think the light was beckoning me to run in the California primary." He filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in Oklahoma City after a request from that organization. During his presidential campaign, Carter promised to release the truth about any alleged UFO cover-up.

Through Stanford Research Institute, Mr. Alfred Webre was Principal Investigator for a proposed civilian scientific study of extraterrestrial communication presented to and developed with interested Carter White House staff. This took place during the period from May 1977 until the fall of 1977.

Governor of Georgia

Carter's first failure was in 1966, when he unsuccessfully sought the Democrat nomination for Governor of Georgia. It significantly effected Carter personally, by turning to religion for comfort and was convinced that he had been "born again." Carter did succeed in his second bid for Governor in 1970. For the next four years he presided over the states affairs. He presented himself as a populist, the representative of the people as opposed to special interests. Carter empathized welfare reform, educational advance and budget reform. Once pro-life, he changed his position and supported the legalization of abortion and worked to replace capital punishment in Georgia with life in prison. Carter declined to run for a second term in 1974.

1976 Presidential Campaign

Main Article: United States presidential election, 1976

Carter had decided well before his term as Governor ended to run for the Presidency in 1976. His campaign, which began in early 1975, stressed Washington's defects such as the Watergate affair in 1974. He campaigned on a widespread call for change. In the Democrat primary, Carter was able to defeat George Wallace in the southern primaries and established himself as a person who could win the south and reestablish Democrat control of the White House. He won the primary because of his inspiring and well organized campaign. Running against President Gerald Ford in the general election, Carter had little experience in national politics, however he used that to his benefit by promising to restore honesty and morality to government. On election day, Carter edged out Ford with 50 percent of the vote to 48 percent.

Presidency (1977-1981)

Economic Crisis

President Carter's inaugural address, 01/20/77

Carter inherited a recession when taking office. First he tried to reduce unemployment by both increasing government spending and cutting taxes. However, when inflation skyrocketed in 1978 he changed his mind. He delayed tax cuts and vetoed the spending programs that he himself proposed to the Congress. Carter then tried to ease inflation by reducing money supply and raising interest rates. All of his efforts proved to be unsuccessful. By 1979, public opinion polls had Carter's popularity lower then Richard Nixon's during Watergate, partly because of his inexperience and difficulties working with Congress.

Energy Crisis

Carter proposed a national energy program to conserve oil and promote the use of coal and renewable energy sources. He also persuaded Congress to create the Department of Energy, and asked Americans to personally reduce their energy consumption. Although oil companies were insisting on deregulation of the energy industry, Carter advocated a "windfall profits tax" to prevent oil companies from overcharging consumers. Carter's plan did not solve the country's energy crisis. In the summer of 1979 a major oil shortage in the United States took place because of instability in the middle east. After increasing pressure to act, Carter gave several televised address' where he complained that there was a "crisis of confidence that had struck at the very heart and soul of out national will." Although Carter meant the speech to be a timely warning, many Americans interpreted it as President Carter blaming the public for his failures.

Foreign Policy

In contrast to Carter's economic policies which were uncertain and left the public confused, his foreign policy was more clearly defined. Although foreign policy is where Jimmy Carter suffered his worst defeats. In his inaugural speech he stated that "our commitment to human rights must be absolute." He singled out the Soviet Union as a violator of human rights and strongly condemned the country for arresting it's citizens for political protests. He also tried to remove the U.S. image of interventionism by giving Panamanians control of the Panama Canal.

Relations with the United States and the Soviet Union suffered a significant setback under Carter when Soviet troops invaded the Central Asian nation of Afghanistan in December 1979. President Carter responded by imposing an embargo on the sale of grain to the Soviet Union and boycotting the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow. The policy of detente that was established by President Nixon had virtually collapsed.

Camp David Accords

Carter's greatest and arguably only triumph while in office was a historic peace treaty known as the Camp David Peace Accords, between Israel and Egypt, two nations that had been bitter enemies for decades.

Cartoonist Herblock expresses America's frustration with Carter's inability to take control.

The treaty was formally signed in 1979, with most middle eastern countries opposed to it.

Iran Hostage Crisis

In 1979, a new Islamic regime lead by Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran was elected, defeating the Shah, which had friendly relations with the United States. In November 1979 revolutionaries stormed into the American embassy in Tehran and captured 52 United States diplomats hostage. The militants threatened to kill the hostages or try to use them as spies. Despite pressure to use military action Carter tried to negotiate with Iran, which proved to be unsuccessful. In April 1980 President Carter approved a rescue attempt (over the opposition of Secretary of State Cyrus Vance). To the nations dismay, the attempt failed when several helicopters malfunctioned. Eight serviceman died in the accident. Carter's negotiations with Iran continued throughout 1980. Ironically, the hostages were released just after Carter left office on January 20, 1981.

1980 Reelection Campaign

Main Article: United States presidential election, 1980

By the time of President Carter's reelection campaign, the country was plagued by problems, including high levels of unemployment, inflation, interest rates and the Iranian hostage crisis. Although incumbent President's usually win their party's nomination easily, Carter faced a primary challenge form the more liberal Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy. Carter was able to maintain a lead over Kennedy and defeated him 51 percent of the vote to 38 percent. In the general election, Carter faced two opponents. Conservative and charismatic California Governor Ronald Reagan as the Republican nominee and moderate Illinois Congressman John Anderson running as an Independent. Reagan locked the election in late October of the campaign when at the Presidential debate he asked the voters, "Are you better off than you were four years ago." His relaxed performance helped to dispel fears from the Carter camp that Reagan was a war monger. Reagan won by a large margin, 43.9 million votes for Reagan and 35.5 million votes for Carter. Democrats maintained control of the House of Representatives but by a narrower margin, and lost control of the United States Senate.

Carter left office disappointed and unhappy. He became the first elected President since Herbert Hoover to lose a bid for a second term.

Post Presidency

Cover of Jimmy Carter's book, Peace Not Apartheid, which accuses Israel of practicing racism.

Carter has been active in foreign affairs since his presidency. His continued work mediating international disputes, organizing election observations, and working with organizations on disease and hunger were cited when he was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. In his Nobel lecture, Carter declared his support for "international law":

Our President, Woodrow Wilson, was honored here for promoting the League of Nations, whose two basic concepts were profoundly important: "collective security" and "self-determination." Now they are embedded in international law. Violations of these premises during the last half-century have been tragic failures, as was vividly demonstrated when the Soviet Union attempted to conquer Afghanistan and when Iraq invaded Kuwait.

In a October 2000 survey of 132 prominent professors of history, law, and political science, President Carter was grouped in the "Below Average" group, ranked 30th, with a mean score of 2.47 out of 5.00. This survey, sponsored by the Wall Street Journal and the conservative Federalist Society, ranked President Carter ahead of Richard Nixon, and below George H.W. Bush.

In 2001 as President Clinton exited office and handed out many dubious and questionable pardons, some to terrorists and others which appeared bought and paid for, Carter blasted President Clinton's actions and referred to them as "disgraceful".

In Jimmy Carter's latest book, "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid", he made the point that any peace accords reached would fundamentally have to be accompanied by the ceasing of terrorist activity towards Israel, he wrote:

It is imperative that the general Arab community and all significant Palestinian groups make it clear that they will end the suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism when international laws and the ultimate goals of the Roadmap for Peace are accepted by Israel.

The sentiment was widely criticized. He apologized for the wording of that sentence, but not for his larger message.

• His 2006 book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," has attracted charges of plagiarism. It caused Professor Kenneth Stein to resign from the Carter Center because of its depiction of Israel through three decades of diplomatic and military dealings with the Palestinians. Mr. Stein had served as an aide to Mr. Carter during most of those years. He considers the book deceitful and malicious. As the book's title adumbrates, Jimmy compares Israel with the white supremacist regime of old South Africa. Fourteen members of the Carter Center's advisory board have resigned over the book. In March, Jimmy explained these resignations to an audience at George Washington University by saying, "They all happen to be Jewish Americans." [2]

See also

• Carter Doctrine

Further reading

• Jimmy Carter's Naval Service
• Carter the worst ex-president -- Steven Hayward
• Jimmy Carter is a liar, Alan Dershowitz, Jerusalem Post, March 13 2007.
• Jimmy Carter's Jewish Problem by Deborah Lipstadt.
• "A Man Among Old Friends", Time Magazine Monday, Sep. 06, 1976 (article on Carter's favorite books—says the important book in his life is the Bible.]