Democratic National Convention

God, I love Jimmy Carter.
It is a shame he only served one term.

"In the world at large, we cannot lead if our leaders mislead"

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Updated On: 7/26/04 at 09:15 PM

Because he is a man of integrity, intelligence, compassion and outstanding love for his fellow man

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StickToPriest-

As someone from his home state of Georgia, I must weigh in on Mr. Carter. I agree with you that that Mr. Carter is a man of intelligence, integrity and that he loves his fellow man. Habitat for Humanity is a noble venture and Mr. Carter is to be commended for his humanitarian efforts.

However, I remember the 1970s and Mr. Carter was a highly ineffective President. When Mr. Carter was elected, our country was still reeling from the after effects of Watergate and then-President Gerald Ford was tied very closely to the former Nixon administration. Most citizens wanted a big change and were willing to give the outsider from Plains, Ga. a chance in the Oval Office.

Unfortunately, under Mr. Carter's watch, inflation spiraled out of control, gasoline rationing lines were a daily reality, interest rates skyrocketed, and taxes increased. Mr. Carter left the Presidency with the lowest overall approval ratings of any President since Herbert Hoover. That, of course, lead to Mr. Reagan's landslide victory in 1980.

In summary, Mr. Carter has been a much better ex-President than he ever was a President.

And, he is highly respected by the other former presidents and by dignataries and leaders around the world.

He was the first president I voted for. I turned 18 just a few days before the election in 1976. (Yes...I'm THAT old...)

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-And I agree with you that Mr. Carter is basically a good man who has a big heart. It is admirable that he has stayed active in a leadership role supporting charitable causes in his golden years. He could have easily chosen to live the rest of his life far from the limelight.