WEBVTT

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You might know Jimmy Carter as a recent centenarian.

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I mean, a life that spanned an extraordinary

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century. Or perhaps you followed the news of

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his passing just a short while ago. Right. A

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remarkable life. Either way you look at it. Absolutely.

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But beyond those headlines and milestones, his

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life and presidency offer this extraordinary

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study in transformation and, well, enduring impact.

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We're talking about a man who, despite a single

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presidential term, often described as challenging,

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maybe even difficult. Yeah, challenging is often

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the word used. Became a universally admired global

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humanitarian. It's a journey almost unlike any

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other in American history. It really is quite

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unique. And today we're taking a deep dive into

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the vast array of sources about Jimmy Carter,

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from his early, sometimes contradictory life

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right through to his unparalleled post presidency.

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There's a lot of ground to cover there. There

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is. Our mission is to extract the most important

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nuggets of knowledge and insight, helping you

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the surprising facts, the pivotal moments that

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shaped this truly unique figure. And also to

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explore why his legacy has been, well, re -evaluated

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so dramatically over time. Exactly. Offering

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you a shortcut, if you will, to being truly well

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-informed about a remarkable American life. Okay.

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You can expect us to unpack his surprising journey,

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you know, from a small -town Georgia farm to

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the White House. We'll delve into the complexities

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of his single presidential term. Which were many.

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And then celebrate the humanitarian work that

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truly cemented his place in history. So let's

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start at the very beginning with the foundational

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elements of his early life. Sounds good. Where

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do we begin? Well, Jimmy Carter, born James Earl

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Carter Jr. on October 1st, 1924 in Clains, Georgia,

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he holds a unique distinction right off the bat.

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He was the first U .S. president born in a hospital.

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Huh. That's an interesting little detail, sort

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of hints at the changing times even then. It

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does. But what's truly fascinating is how his

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early environment laid this foundation of contradictions

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that would define his life. His family moved

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several times, eventually settling in archery,

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a community almost entirely populated by impoverished

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black families. Right. And his father, James

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Earl Carter Sr., was a successful local businessman

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and farmer, but also a staunch supporter of segregation.

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And yet, here's where the personal complexities

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really begin to emerge. Despite his father's

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pro -segregation stance, young Jimmy was not

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just permitted, but actually encouraged to befriend

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the children of Black farm hands. And his mother,

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Bessie Lillian Gordy, worked long hours as a

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registered nurse, embodying a spirit of service.

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So you have these contrasting influences right

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there in the household. Exactly. This early exposure

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to stark racial division, coupled with those

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formative personal connections across the color

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lines, it truly sets the stage for the nuanced,

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sometimes paradoxical decisions we'll see later

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in his political career. This formative period

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wasn't just about social dynamics. It also showcases

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his innate drive and, well, entrepreneurial spirit.

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As a teenager, Carter was remarkably enterprising.

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Yeah, I read about this. He grew and sold peanuts

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from his own acre of land. demonstrating an early

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understanding of business and self -sufficiency.

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He even went so far as to purchase and rent out

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tenant housing. As a teenager. As a teenager.

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This early business acumen, even in a rural setting,

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it signals a deep -seated ambition and practical

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skill that would serve him well later in life.

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His education journey is also quite telling,

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charting this path of consistent academic pursuit.

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He attended Plains High School graduating from

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the 11th grade in 1941. Apparently the school

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didn't have a 12th grade at the time. Then he

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moved through Georgia Southwestern College, Georgia

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School of Technology, Georgia Tech, and ultimately

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pursued his dream, the U .S. Naval Academy, where

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he earned his Bachelor of Science in 1946. His

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academic path truly showcases a diligent, almost

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relentless student. Someone described as a book

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devourer. Uh -huh. He was reserved and quiet,

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a trait that contrasted sharply with the Naval

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Academy's notoriously aggressive hazing culture.

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Yet he graduated an impressive 60th out of 821

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midshipmen. Wow, that's high. Very high. This

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top academic performance, especially for a reserved

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student, wasn't just about discipline. It showed

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an intellectual rigor and quiet intensity that

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would later define his meticulous approach to,

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well, everything from nuclear safety to complex

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peace negotiations. It was a key indicator of

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the disciplined nature that would characterize

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his entire career. And it was during his time

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at the Academy that he met and fell in love with

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Rosalind Smith, a friend of his sister Ruth.

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They married shortly after his graduation in

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1946. A marriage that would become the longest

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of any presidential couple. a true bedrock of

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his personal life, and a partnership that would

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prove indispensable throughout his life. Absolutely.

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Moving into his naval service from 1946 to 1953,

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the Carters lived all over the country, Virginia,

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Hawaii, Connecticut, New York, California, as

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he was deployed in both the Atlantic and Pacific

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fleets. Right. He began officer training for

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submarine duty in 1948 on the USS Pomfret, even

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undertaking a simulated war patrol to the Western

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Pacific and Chinese coast. Promoted to Lieutenant

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Junior grade in 19 - And later served as executive

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officer on the USS K -1, where he qualified for

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command. And his experience in the Navy's fledgling

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nuclear submarine program was truly profound,

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wasn't it? Coming under the intense tutelage

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of then Captain Hyman G. Rickover. Rickover,

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yeah. A legendary figure known for his exacting

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standards. What's fascinating here is that Carter

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later credited Rickover, alongside his parents,

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as the greatest influence on his life. Rickover's

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extraordinarily high standards instilled in Carter

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a meticulous approach, an unwavering dedication

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to detail, and a deep understanding of complex

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systems and precision. And those principles,

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you can see them carried into every aspect of

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his later public service, from the governorship

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right through to the presidency. Definitely.

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Now, let's talk about a moment that really defines

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his understanding of nuclear power. I mean, imagine

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being lowered into a damaged nuclear reactor.

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Wow. Knowing you only have 90 seconds before

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your radiation exposure limit is hit. That's

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not just a story. That's a visceral experience.

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Yeah, truly terrifying. This pivotal moment occurred

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on December 12th, 1952 at Atomic Energy of Canada's

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Chalk River Laboratories. An experimental NRX

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reactor accident caused a partial meltdown. And

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Carter was ordered to lead a U .S. maintenance

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crew. This painstaking process involved individual

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90 -second exposures to radioactivity to disassemble

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the crippled reactor. So What was the lasting

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impact of that harrowing experience? Well, that

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experience truly speaks volumes about his firsthand

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understanding of nuclear risks, the sheer danger

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involved. Carter later stated this profound personal

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experience shaped his views on atomic energy.

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And it directly influenced his decision to halt

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the development of a neutron bomb during his

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presidency, didn't it? Exactly. It was a direct,

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visceral lesson in the power and peril of nuclear

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technology, not some abstract concept from a

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textbook. It's perfect sense. His promising naval

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career, including plans for command of the USS

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Seawolf, was unexpectedly cut short by a family

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tragedy. Right. His father's death. His father

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died of pancreatic cancer in July 1953, which

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led Carter to obtain a release from active duty

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on October 9, 1953, so he could take over the

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struggling family peanut business. A huge life

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change. He continued to serve in the inactive

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Navy Reserve until 1961, leaving with a rank

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of lieutenant and earned the coveted dolphin

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badge, along with several campaign medals. Still,

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a significant chapter of service closed. And

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the transition back to civilian life was far

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from easy. Returning to Plains, Carter faced

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significant financial challenges, inheriting

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comparatively little after debt settlements.

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For a year, he, Roslyn, and their three sons

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even lived in public housing in Plains. Which

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is truly striking when you think about it. The

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only U .S. president to have lived in subsidized

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housing before taking office would later become

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known for his profound empathy and consistent

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focus on human needs globally. It's quite a contrast.

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His first year's peanut harvest failed due to

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drought, forcing him to open several lines of

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credit just to keep the pharma flowing. But he

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and Rosalyn were a formidable team. They took

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classes, studied agriculture, and Rosalyn learned

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accounting to manage the books, eventually transforming

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the business into a considerable success. This

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period of financial struggle and hands on business

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rebuilding highlights his immense resilience

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and practical skills traits that would later

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define his political approach. Yeah. And Rosalyn's

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indispensable role in the business also underscores

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her significant partnership from these earliest

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days, a partnership that would extend throughout

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his public life and presidency. Absolutely. Now,

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as racial tensions inflamed in Plains by the

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landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme

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Court ruling in 1954. A hugely divisive time.

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Carter initially kept his pro -integration feelings

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private, probably a pragmatic move to avoid making

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immediate enemies in a deeply segregated community.

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Understandable, given the context. By 1961, however,

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he became more vocal as a Baptist church member

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and chairman of the Sumter County School Board,

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signaling a gradual but firm shift in his public

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stance. And this growing civic engagement naturally

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led him towards elected office. He announced

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his campaign for an open Georgia State Senate

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seat in 1962, where Roslyn's political instincts

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and organizational skills were again. Absolutely

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instrumental. But this early foray into politics

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wasn't smooth sailing, was it? It delivered an

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early stark lesson. Not at all. The election

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was marred by fraudulent voting. Carter initially

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trailed his opponent Homer Moore. However, a

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new election was held and he won as the sole

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Democratic candidate. So this early encounter

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with political corruption deeply shaped his outsider

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appeal and his later unwavering focus on government

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ethics. It taught him the well. the gritty realities

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of politics very early on. Definitely. He served

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two two -year terms from 1963 to 1967. While

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initially quiet on the polarizing issue of civil

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rights, likely to avoid alienating his segregationist

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colleagues, he did take principled stands against

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literacy tests and an amendment implying compulsory

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religion. He also helped rewrite state party

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rules on the Democratic Executive Committee and

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chaired the West Central Georgia Planning and

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Development Commission, overseeing federal and

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state grants for projects like historic site

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restoration. Senate, particularly chairing the

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Education Committee, led to expanding statewide

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education funding and getting Georgia's Southwestern

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State University a four -year program. Right.

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These activities demonstrated an early focus

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on public services and local development. And

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crucially, he used these platforms to increase

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his visibility, directly setting the stage for

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higher ambitions beyond the state legislature.

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After his state Senate terms, Carter set his

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sights higher. He first announced a run for the

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House, then pivoted to governor when his rival,

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Bo Calloway, decided to do the same. A strategic

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move. In the 1966 gubernatorial election, he

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ran against liberal former governor Ellis Arnall

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and conservative segregationist Lester Maddox.

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And he described his ideology with remarkable

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flexibility as conservative, moderate, liberal,

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and middle of the road. Huh. covering all the

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bases there, indicating an almost chameleon -like

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political identity at that point. He lost the

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primary but drew enough votes to force a runoff,

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which Maddox won a result. Carter considered

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the worst outcome. This defeat, however, became

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a pivotal personal and spiritual turning point

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for Carter. This period led him to declare himself

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a born again Christian. Right. And in doing so,

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he profoundly popularized the term into the American

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lexicon. It wasn't just a personal shift. It

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had a broader cultural impact. It really did.

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And it was also during this time that his last

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child, Amy, was born, marking a significant moment

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of family expansion alongside his spiritual introspection.

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Four years later, he returned with a new, much

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more pragmatic and, well, some might say a controversial

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strategy. Yes, the 1970 gubernatorial election.

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His main opponent was liberal former governor,

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Carl Sanders. Carter ran a surprisingly modern

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campaign for the time, using printed graphics

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and statistical analysis to hone his message,

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targeting specific voter segments. And responding

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to polls, he deliberately leaned more conservative,

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positioning himself as a populist appealing to

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the anxieties of the time. Right, he criticized

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Sanders for his wealth and perceived links to

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the National Democratic Party, and even accused

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him of corruption without providing concrete

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evidence when pressed by the media. This strategic

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triangulation, appealing to different ideological

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factions, was a pragmatic, if controversial,

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political move to gain power in a racially charged

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state. And his campaign tactics reflected this

00:12:57.820 --> 00:13:00.600
pragmatic approach in a stark way. While he met

00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:02.899
with black figures like Martin Luther King Sr.

00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:05.639
and Andrew Young and visited black owned businesses.

00:13:05.980 --> 00:13:08.700
He also praised prominent Alabama segregationist

00:13:08.700 --> 00:13:11.059
George Wallace and promised to invite him to

00:13:11.059 --> 00:13:13.000
speak in Georgia. Yeah, a real contradiction

00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:15.039
there. His appeal to racial sentiment became

00:13:15.039 --> 00:13:17.519
even more blatant with campaign aides distributing

00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:19.519
a photograph of Sanders celebrating with black

00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:21.679
basketball players. So how should we understand

00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:23.860
this tension between his personal connections

00:13:23.860 --> 00:13:27.120
and his public campaign strategy? This is a deeply

00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:30.000
complex and often criticized point in his story.

00:13:31.179 --> 00:13:34.240
Leroy Johnson, a black state senator at the time,

00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:36.960
acknowledged the harsh political calculus, stating,

00:13:37.460 --> 00:13:40.220
I understand why he ran that kind of ultra conservative

00:13:40.220 --> 00:13:42.789
campaign. I don't believe you can win this state

00:13:42.789 --> 00:13:45.549
without being a racist. Carter ultimately won

00:13:45.549 --> 00:13:47.250
the runoffs and the general election against

00:13:47.250 --> 00:13:50.350
Republican nominee Howe's suit. It demonstrates

00:13:50.350 --> 00:13:52.830
a difficult reality of navigating the politics

00:13:52.830 --> 00:13:55.250
of the Deep South at that time and willingness

00:13:55.250 --> 00:13:57.590
to make uncomfortable compromises to achieve

00:13:57.590 --> 00:14:00.049
office attention he would later grapple with.

00:14:00.710 --> 00:14:02.990
Indeed. He campaigned as one thing, appealing

00:14:02.990 --> 00:14:05.370
to conservative and even segregationist voters,

00:14:05.769 --> 00:14:07.970
but almost immediately revealed another side

00:14:07.970 --> 00:14:10.190
once in office. Quite the pivot. He was sworn

00:14:10.190 --> 00:14:13.070
in as the 76th governor of Georgia on January

00:14:13.070 --> 00:14:16.970
12th, 1971. And in his inaugural speech, he delivered

00:14:16.970 --> 00:14:19.409
a bombshell that truly reshaped the political

00:14:19.409 --> 00:14:21.889
landscape of Georgia, declaring the time for

00:14:21.889 --> 00:14:24.649
racial discrimination is over. That statement

00:14:24.649 --> 00:14:27.049
genuinely shocked the crowd, didn't it? And caused

00:14:27.049 --> 00:14:29.289
many segregationist supporters to feel utterly

00:14:29.289 --> 00:14:32.100
betrayed. a decisive break from his campaign

00:14:32.100 --> 00:14:34.980
rhetoric. This inaugural declaration marked a

00:14:34.980 --> 00:14:37.960
decisive and courageous shift, showcasing a willingness

00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:41.179
to lead on moral issues despite the significant

00:14:41.179 --> 00:14:43.200
political cost he had just incurred from his

00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:46.100
base. It was a clear signal of his intentions.

00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:48.740
However, he was initially unpopular with the

00:14:48.740 --> 00:14:51.039
legislature, partly due to his reluctance to

00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:53.139
engage in traditional political horse trading.

00:14:53.720 --> 00:14:56.440
Despite this, he successfully expanded the governor's

00:14:56.440 --> 00:14:58.879
authority through a massive reorganization plan.

00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:02.460
Merging about 300 state agencies into a Streamline

00:15:02.460 --> 00:15:05.340
22, though whether it ultimately saved money

00:15:05.340 --> 00:15:08.100
is still debated. The deeper insight here, perhaps,

00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:10.720
is that he valued efficiency and direct action

00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:13.539
over political schmoozing, a trait that would

00:15:13.539 --> 00:15:15.759
both define and challenge his effectiveness later

00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:18.690
on. He didn't stop there. He announced the establishment

00:15:18.690 --> 00:15:21.950
of a Georgia Human Rights Council in July 1971,

00:15:22.570 --> 00:15:24.789
ordered department heads to reduce spending to

00:15:24.789 --> 00:15:28.070
prevent a projected $57 million deficit. Showing

00:15:28.070 --> 00:15:30.289
a keen eye for fiscal responsibility. Right.

00:15:30.490 --> 00:15:32.870
He also requested substantial funding for early

00:15:32.870 --> 00:15:35.950
childhood development, prison reform, and a significant

00:15:35.950 --> 00:15:39.129
$48 million in pay taxes for state employees.

00:15:39.549 --> 00:15:42.649
That's equivalent to roughly $270 million today.

00:15:42.970 --> 00:15:46.259
Wow. He pushed through reforms for equal state

00:15:46.259 --> 00:15:48.820
aid to schools, community centers for mentally

00:15:48.820 --> 00:15:51.200
disabled children, and increased educational

00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:54.059
programs for convicts, a broad commitment to

00:15:54.059 --> 00:15:56.379
public services. And his commitment to civil

00:15:56.379 --> 00:15:58.559
rights as governor was further evident through

00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:01.460
concrete actions, like adding Black state employees

00:16:01.460 --> 00:16:03.539
and commissioning portraits of three prominent

00:16:03.539 --> 00:16:05.639
Black Georgians to be displayed in the Capitol

00:16:05.639 --> 00:16:08.200
building. Actions that predictably angered the

00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:11.169
Ku Klux Klan. This demonstrates a consistent,

00:16:11.450 --> 00:16:14.289
if sometimes politically expedient in its initial

00:16:14.289 --> 00:16:17.169
approach, long -term vision for racial equality.

00:16:17.929 --> 00:16:20.809
It shows that once in power, his moral compass

00:16:20.809 --> 00:16:23.769
became a much clearer guide for policy. What's

00:16:23.769 --> 00:16:25.690
truly striking is that he wasn't just focusing

00:16:25.690 --> 00:16:28.610
on social programs. In one of his more controversial

00:16:28.610 --> 00:16:31.370
decisions, he vetoed a plan to build a dam on

00:16:31.370 --> 00:16:33.649
Jordan's Flint River. Which attracted nationwide

00:16:33.649 --> 00:16:35.659
attention from environmentalists, right? This

00:16:35.659 --> 00:16:37.779
was an early and clear indicator of his strong

00:16:37.779 --> 00:16:40.080
environmental stance, a theme that would consistently

00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:42.519
run through his career long before it became

00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:45.559
a mainstream political issue. Definitely. But

00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:48.139
despite his efforts towards integration, there

00:16:48.139 --> 00:16:50.580
were some complex positions that highlight the

00:16:50.580 --> 00:16:52.919
political realities he operated within. Yeah,

00:16:53.059 --> 00:16:55.840
like favoring a constitutional amendment to ban

00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:58.990
busing for school integration. and even co -sponsoring

00:16:58.990 --> 00:17:01.110
an anti -busting resolution with George Wallace

00:17:01.110 --> 00:17:04.430
at the 1971 National Governors Conference. And

00:17:04.430 --> 00:17:07.789
then, after Furman v. Georgia in 1972 struck

00:17:07.789 --> 00:17:10.549
down Georgia's death penalty, Carter signed a

00:17:10.549 --> 00:17:13.609
revised statute reintroducing it. A decision

00:17:13.609 --> 00:17:16.190
he later expressed profound regret over, stating,

00:17:16.630 --> 00:17:18.710
I didn't see the injustice of it as I do now.

00:17:19.230 --> 00:17:21.390
This reveals a leader capable of significant

00:17:21.390 --> 00:17:24.150
moral evolution. showing a capacity for self

00:17:24.150 --> 00:17:27.069
-reflection that is quite rare in politics. Ineligible

00:17:27.069 --> 00:17:29.950
for a second consecutive term under the 1945

00:17:29.950 --> 00:17:32.930
Georgia Constitution, Carter almost immediately

00:17:32.930 --> 00:17:35.289
began to actively engage in national politics

00:17:35.289 --> 00:17:37.730
with a clear eye toward the presidency. Wasting

00:17:37.730 --> 00:17:40.369
no time. He served on several Southern planning

00:17:40.369 --> 00:17:43.410
commissions and was a delegate to the 1972 Democratic

00:17:43.410 --> 00:17:46.410
National Convention. He even tried unsuccessfully

00:17:46.410 --> 00:17:48.029
to become chairman of the National Governors

00:17:48.029 --> 00:17:50.849
Association, an early attempt to boost his national

00:17:50.849 --> 00:17:53.759
visibility. And then, with David Rockefeller's

00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:56.619
endorsement, he was named to the Trilateral Commission

00:17:56.619 --> 00:18:00.500
in April 1973. That was a significant step, wasn't

00:18:00.500 --> 00:18:03.839
it? Gaining international policy exposure and

00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:06.799
cultivating elite connections through this influential

00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:10.039
non -governmental forum. Yeah. The next year,

00:18:10.039 --> 00:18:12.319
he became chairman of the Democratic National

00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:14.980
Committee's congressional and gubernatorial campaigns.

00:18:15.700 --> 00:18:18.400
This was all strategic positioning, carefully

00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:21.440
building a national platform from a relatively

00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:24.480
obscure governorship. Demonstrating a remarkable

00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:27.380
long -game approach to political ambition. Connecting

00:18:27.380 --> 00:18:30.480
these dots, we see a methodical, almost relentless

00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:32.940
strategic positioning, even when he was still

00:18:32.940 --> 00:18:35.559
a relatively obscure figure on the national stage.

00:18:35.720 --> 00:18:37.440
He was playing chess while others were playing

00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:41.490
checkers, perhaps. Maybe so. In May 1973, he

00:18:41.490 --> 00:18:43.769
warned his party against politicizing the Watergate

00:18:43.769 --> 00:18:46.150
scandal, attributing it to President Richard

00:18:46.150 --> 00:18:49.190
Nixon's isolation from Americans and secretive

00:18:49.190 --> 00:18:51.470
decision -making. This carefully positioned him

00:18:51.470 --> 00:18:54.569
as an ethical alternative, emphasizing transparency

00:18:54.569 --> 00:18:57.150
and openness themes he would carry into his presidential

00:18:57.150 --> 00:18:59.690
campaign. He also met with George Wallace in

00:18:59.690 --> 00:19:03.470
1972 to discuss preventing a democratic landslide,

00:19:03.869 --> 00:19:05.950
again showing his pragmatism in engaging with

00:19:05.950 --> 00:19:08.730
different factions of the party, even those with

00:19:08.730 --> 00:19:11.569
whom he fundamentally disagreed. OK, so now on

00:19:11.569 --> 00:19:14.109
to his truly surprising ascent to the White House.

00:19:15.009 --> 00:19:18.180
On December 12th, 1974. Carter announced his

00:19:18.180 --> 00:19:20.000
presidential campaign. And he was widely seen

00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.859
as a dark horse, right? Against 16 other candidates

00:19:22.859 --> 00:19:25.519
with national recognition. His name recognition

00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:28.740
was so low, opponents famously asked, Jimmy who?

00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:31.599
Jimmy who? Yeah, and that's exactly what he turned

00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:34.359
into his rallying cry. His famous self -introduction,

00:19:34.779 --> 00:19:36.759
my name is Jimmy Carter and I'm running for president,

00:19:37.259 --> 00:19:39.319
proved incredibly successful disarming voters

00:19:39.319 --> 00:19:42.200
with its simple sincerity. His strategy was truly

00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:44.920
groundbreaking and a master class in grassroots

00:19:44.920 --> 00:19:47.759
campaigning. He campaigned extensively and early,

00:19:48.039 --> 00:19:51.059
traveled over 50 ,000 miles, visited 37 states,

00:19:51.259 --> 00:19:53.640
delivered over 200 speeches before many other

00:19:53.640 --> 00:19:55.759
candidates had even formally entered the race.

00:19:55.880 --> 00:19:58.319
Wow, that's commitment. He cleverly navigated

00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:00.579
the South as a moderate after George Wallace

00:20:00.579 --> 00:20:03.240
faded. And he appealed to conservative Christian

00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:06.019
and rural voters in the North, forging a broad,

00:20:06.339 --> 00:20:08.759
if sometimes ideologically diverse coalition.

00:20:09.069 --> 00:20:11.589
And the lingering aftermath of the Watergate

00:20:11.589 --> 00:20:14.609
scandal played a crucial role, didn't it? Absolutely.

00:20:15.049 --> 00:20:17.410
Carter's outsider status and promise of government

00:20:17.410 --> 00:20:20.650
reorganization resonated deeply with voters who

00:20:20.650 --> 00:20:23.509
were hungry for integrity and a break from Washington

00:20:23.509 --> 00:20:26.109
insiders. He even published his memoir, Why Not

00:20:26.109 --> 00:20:30.109
the Best, in June 1976 to quickly introduce himself

00:20:30.109 --> 00:20:32.470
to the American public and articulate his vision.

00:20:32.829 --> 00:20:35.069
And Lawrence Shoup noted that national news media

00:20:35.069 --> 00:20:37.549
played a key role in discovering and promoting

00:20:37.549 --> 00:20:40.390
Carter. propelling him rocket -like to the top

00:20:40.390 --> 00:20:42.730
of the opinion polls. This really highlights

00:20:42.730 --> 00:20:44.930
the immense power of media narrative and political

00:20:44.930 --> 00:20:47.789
ascendancy, especially for an unknown. There

00:20:47.789 --> 00:20:50.509
was, however, a notable communication misstep.

00:20:50.730 --> 00:20:54.210
In April 1976, Carter made that controversial

00:20:54.210 --> 00:20:56.630
remark about ethnic purity in neighborhoods.

00:20:57.170 --> 00:20:59.609
Right. While he later clarified he intended to

00:20:59.609 --> 00:21:02.910
support open housing laws by opposing government

00:21:02.910 --> 00:21:06.670
efforts to inject black families into a white

00:21:06.670 --> 00:21:09.210
neighborhood just to create some sort of integration.

00:21:10.130 --> 00:21:12.150
The phrasing itself was widely criticized for

00:21:12.150 --> 00:21:14.029
its problematic connotation. Yeah, not great

00:21:14.029 --> 00:21:16.279
phrasing. This incident kind of foreshadowed

00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:18.319
later criticisms about his communication style

00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:20.900
and occasional missteps in articulating complex

00:21:20.900 --> 00:21:24.059
positions. It revealed a persistent challenge

00:21:24.059 --> 00:21:26.579
he faced throughout his career in effectively

00:21:26.579 --> 00:21:29.599
translating his intentions into widely understood

00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:32.660
public statements. A learning curve, often the

00:21:32.660 --> 00:21:35.140
public eye. His campaign platform was ambitious

00:21:35.140 --> 00:21:38.119
and detailed, though. public financing of congressional

00:21:38.119 --> 00:21:41.119
campaigns, creating a federal consumer protection

00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:43.759
agency, establishing a separate cabinet -level

00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:46.519
Department of Education, signing a nuclear weapons

00:21:46.519 --> 00:21:48.940
limitation treaty with the Soviet Union, reducing

00:21:48.940 --> 00:21:51.019
the defense budget, implementing a progressive

00:21:51.019 --> 00:21:53.759
tax proposal, amending Social Security, aiming

00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:57.039
for balanced budget. Quite a list. It was. On

00:21:57.039 --> 00:22:00.819
July 15th, 1976, he selected U .S. Senator Walter

00:22:00.819 --> 00:22:03.480
Mondale as his running mate, and they participated

00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:06.200
in three televised debates with incumbent President

00:22:06.200 --> 00:22:08.859
Gerald Ford, the first U .S. presidential debate

00:22:08.859 --> 00:22:11.859
since 1960. And the campaign also saw an early

00:22:11.859 --> 00:22:14.900
instance of intense media scrutiny into a candidate's

00:22:14.900 --> 00:22:17.440
personal life that pushed new boundaries. That

00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:19.900
controversial interview in Playboy in November

00:22:19.900 --> 00:22:22.900
1976. Oh, yeah, the adultery in my heart quote.

00:22:23.059 --> 00:22:26.140
Exactly. Where he discussed lust. famously saying,

00:22:26.359 --> 00:22:28.380
I've looked on a lot of women with lust, I've

00:22:28.380 --> 00:22:30.740
committed adultery in my heart many times, and

00:22:30.740 --> 00:22:34.240
even profanity, it led to a media -feeding frenzy.

00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:36.400
I bet. It sparked significant concerns about

00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:38.480
the erosion of privacy boundaries for politicians,

00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:40.980
a debate that certainly continues today, but

00:22:40.980 --> 00:22:43.319
he truly was one of the first to face it so directly.

00:22:43.500 --> 00:22:45.859
Despite his lead narrowing significantly in polls

00:22:45.859 --> 00:22:48.180
before the election, Carter and Mondale narrowly

00:22:48.180 --> 00:22:51.799
defeated Ford and Bob Dole, secured 297 electoral

00:22:51.799 --> 00:22:54.259
votes and 50 .1 percent of the popular vote.

00:22:54.619 --> 00:22:57.339
A close one. Very close. And his victory was

00:22:57.339 --> 00:23:00.019
significantly attributed to overwhelming support

00:23:00.019 --> 00:23:03.099
among black voters in key swing states like Ohio

00:23:03.099 --> 00:23:05.539
and Wisconsin, where the margin was under two

00:23:05.539 --> 00:23:08.680
points. Wow. Without these critical votes, Ford

00:23:08.680 --> 00:23:12.049
would have won. This underscores the truly critical

00:23:12.049 --> 00:23:14.589
role of specific demographics in his ascent to

00:23:14.589 --> 00:23:17.369
the presidency and highlights the enduring impact

00:23:17.369 --> 00:23:19.890
of his post -campaign shift on civil rights back

00:23:19.890 --> 00:23:22.430
in Georgia. His transition and inauguration set

00:23:22.430 --> 00:23:25.470
entirely new standards for incoming administrations.

00:23:25.829 --> 00:23:27.609
Carter was the first presidential candidate to

00:23:27.609 --> 00:23:29.829
allot significant funds and personnel to pre

00:23:29.829 --> 00:23:31.950
-election transition planning. Establishing a

00:23:31.950 --> 00:23:34.450
new, more methodical and formal standard for

00:23:34.450 --> 00:23:36.450
future transitions. Quite forward -thinking.

00:23:36.809 --> 00:23:39.450
During his first visit to Washington, D .C.,

00:23:39.450 --> 00:23:42.849
after the election in November 1976, he met with

00:23:42.849 --> 00:23:45.450
OMB Director James Lynn, Secretary of Defense

00:23:45.450 --> 00:23:47.890
Donald Rumsfeld, and President Ford at the White

00:23:47.890 --> 00:23:50.410
House. But relations between Ford and Carter

00:23:50.410 --> 00:23:53.630
were described as relatively cold, indicating

00:23:53.630 --> 00:23:55.910
a less -than -seamless handover, perhaps. Seems

00:23:55.910 --> 00:23:58.210
like it. His focus on ethics was evident from

00:23:58.210 --> 00:24:00.170
the outset, though, setting a very high bar.

00:24:00.430 --> 00:24:02.890
Yeah, he promptly moved his peanut business into

00:24:02.890 --> 00:24:05.329
a trusteeship to avoid any potential conflicts

00:24:05.329 --> 00:24:08.299
of interest. and he asked all incoming administration

00:24:08.299 --> 00:24:11.359
members to divest assets through blind trusts,

00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:13.819
where assets are managed by an independent party

00:24:13.819 --> 00:24:16.940
to prevent conflicts, demanding a level of transparency

00:24:16.940 --> 00:24:19.420
and ethical conduct that was quite stringent

00:24:19.420 --> 00:24:22.259
for the time. He was inaugurated as the 39th

00:24:22.259 --> 00:24:26.000
president on January 20, 1977. One of his very

00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:28.240
first acts was fulfilling a campaign promise

00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:31.740
by issuing Proclamation 4483, which declared

00:24:31.740 --> 00:24:35.140
unconditional amnesty for Vietnam War era draft

00:24:35.140 --> 00:24:37.759
evaders, a significant and somewhat controversial

00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:40.359
move right away. aimed at healing divisions.

00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:42.900
Carter's tenure as president was marked by, well,

00:24:43.140 --> 00:24:45.940
that economic stagflation, a challenging combination

00:24:45.940 --> 00:24:48.200
of inflation, recession, and then the crushing

00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:51.480
1979 energy crisis. This period, often described

00:24:51.480 --> 00:24:54.140
as an economic malaise, also saw the Federal

00:24:54.140 --> 00:24:56.680
Trade Commission briefly closed by a budget dispute

00:24:56.680 --> 00:24:59.920
in May 1980 before quickly reopening. Lots of

00:24:59.920 --> 00:25:01.880
turmoil. In terms of domestic policy, Carter

00:25:01.880 --> 00:25:04.119
made notable strides in recognizing and promoting

00:25:04.119 --> 00:25:07.059
diversity. In 1978, he signed a bill creating

00:25:07.059 --> 00:25:09.380
Asian -American Heritage Week. Which was later

00:25:09.380 --> 00:25:11.319
expanded into a month -long observance and then

00:25:11.319 --> 00:25:13.779
renamed to include Native Hawaiian and Pacific

00:25:13.779 --> 00:25:16.519
Islander Heritage Month, an early and important

00:25:16.519 --> 00:25:18.680
recognition of diverse contributions to American

00:25:18.680 --> 00:25:21.440
society, signaling a more inclusive approach.

00:25:21.700 --> 00:25:24.240
On the economy, his early years showed some promise,

00:25:24.500 --> 00:25:27.000
right? They did. The first two years saw unemployment

00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:31.759
drop from 8 .1 % to 5 .7 % by July 1978, partly

00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:34.680
due to stimulus legislation like the Public Works

00:25:34.680 --> 00:25:37.859
Employment Act of 1977. This contributed to a

00:25:37.859 --> 00:25:40.640
healthy 5 .2 % growth in real household median

00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:43.119
income. But then? But then his last two years

00:25:43.119 --> 00:25:45.119
were marked by historically high double -digit

00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:48.400
inflation reaching 11 .3 percent in 1979 and

00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:51.940
13 .5 percent in 1980, along with very high interest

00:25:51.940 --> 00:25:54.400
rates, oil shortages and slow economic growth.

00:25:54.559 --> 00:25:57.220
Largely triggered by the 1979 energy crisis and

00:25:57.220 --> 00:25:59.720
the doubling of crude oil prices by OPEC. Right.

00:26:00.160 --> 00:26:01.960
And Federal Reserve Board Chairman G. William

00:26:01.960 --> 00:26:04.740
Miller's relatively loose monetary policy also

00:26:04.740 --> 00:26:07.579
contributed to rising inflation. The acute gasoline

00:26:07.579 --> 00:26:10.619
shortage in 1979, those long lines of gas stations

00:26:10.569 --> 00:26:13.410
the national anxiety, partly from a Maratahis

00:26:13.410 --> 00:26:15.150
refinery shutdown that came to symbolize the

00:26:15.150 --> 00:26:18.250
crisis for the public. It really did. This period

00:26:18.250 --> 00:26:21.390
illustrates the complex interplay of domestic

00:26:21.390 --> 00:26:24.589
and global economic factors, many outside of

00:26:24.589 --> 00:26:26.670
presidential control, that profoundly shaped

00:26:26.670 --> 00:26:28.769
his public perception. Absolutely. It was a tough

00:26:28.769 --> 00:26:31.309
hand to be dealt. Carter also had a significant

00:26:31.309 --> 00:26:33.289
and lasting impact on the environment, though.

00:26:33.509 --> 00:26:35.829
He signed the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation

00:26:35.829 --> 00:26:40.299
Act of 1977, regulating strip mining. A critical

00:26:40.299 --> 00:26:42.779
step for land preservation. And more dramatically,

00:26:42.839 --> 00:26:46.200
in 1978, he declared a federal emergency in Love

00:26:46.200 --> 00:26:49.200
Canal, New York, evacuating over 800 families

00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:52.440
from a toxic waste landfill. Just horrific. This

00:26:52.440 --> 00:26:54.660
discovery prompted the creation of the Superfund

00:26:54.660 --> 00:26:57.119
law, and it was the first time federal disaster

00:26:57.119 --> 00:26:59.980
money was used for such environmental remediation.

00:27:00.440 --> 00:27:02.720
Carter himself noted it was one of the grimmest

00:27:02.720 --> 00:27:05.059
discoveries of our modern era. What's particularly

00:27:05.059 --> 00:27:07.220
significant here is his bold use of executive

00:27:07.220 --> 00:27:10.640
power for conservation. In December 1978, he

00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:13.519
used the 1906 Antiquities Act, an executive order,

00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:17.180
to designate 56 million acres in Alaska as a

00:27:17.180 --> 00:27:19.819
national monument. 56 million acres, protecting

00:27:19.819 --> 00:27:22.599
vast, pristine areas like the Arctic National

00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:25.240
Wildlife Refuge. This was later codified by the

00:27:25.240 --> 00:27:27.400
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act

00:27:27.400 --> 00:27:30.559
of 1980, effectively doubling public land for

00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:33.829
parks and refuges. Carter himself called it the

00:27:33.829 --> 00:27:36.410
most significant domestic achievement of my political

00:27:36.410 --> 00:27:39.589
life. Wow. Demonstrating his profound and enduring

00:27:39.589 --> 00:27:42.349
commitment to environmental protection and resource

00:27:42.349 --> 00:27:45.049
stewardship, a legacy that continues to impact

00:27:45.049 --> 00:27:48.390
policy today. The U .S. energy crisis was undoubtedly

00:27:48.390 --> 00:27:51.430
a defining challenge of his presidency. A moralistic

00:27:51.430 --> 00:27:55.289
tone typified his actions. On April 18th, 1977,

00:27:55.990 --> 00:27:58.009
he delivered that televised speech declaring

00:27:58.009 --> 00:28:00.589
the energy crisis the moral equivalent of war.

00:28:00.809 --> 00:28:04.269
M -O -W, yeah. Passionately encouraging conservation.

00:28:04.910 --> 00:28:07.029
He famously installed solar water heating panels

00:28:07.029 --> 00:28:09.009
on the White House. And wore the cardigan. And

00:28:09.009 --> 00:28:10.869
wore the cardigan to offset turning down the

00:28:10.869 --> 00:28:13.920
heat in the Oval Office. deeply symbolic gestures.

00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:16.279
He signed the Department of Energy Organization

00:28:16.279 --> 00:28:18.819
Act of 1977, forming the Department of Energy,

00:28:19.140 --> 00:28:22.039
the first new cabinet position in 11 years, demonstrating

00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:24.180
his commitment to addressing the crisis structurally.

00:28:24.500 --> 00:28:26.559
His comprehensive energy proposals, however,

00:28:26.900 --> 00:28:29.480
faced long and divisive congressional battles,

00:28:29.660 --> 00:28:31.700
didn't they, highlighting the political friction

00:28:31.700 --> 00:28:33.880
of his administration? They did. The approved

00:28:33.880 --> 00:28:37.869
legislation in October 1978 deregulated natural

00:28:37.869 --> 00:28:40.690
gas, dropped pricing disparities, and created

00:28:40.690 --> 00:28:42.849
tax credits for conservation and non -fossil

00:28:42.849 --> 00:28:46.150
fuels. However, his standby gasoline rationing

00:28:46.150 --> 00:28:49.569
plan in March 1979 was rejected by the House.

00:28:50.029 --> 00:28:52.849
Leading Carter to express being shocked and embarrassed,

00:28:53.309 --> 00:28:56.109
criticizing Congress for prioritizing local or

00:28:56.109 --> 00:28:58.769
parochial interests over national needs. This

00:28:58.769 --> 00:29:00.769
episode vividly illustrated the difficulties

00:29:00.769 --> 00:29:03.470
he faced in translating his broad vision into

00:29:03.470 --> 00:29:06.089
actionable policy due to a challenging relationship.

00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:08.140
of Congress. And of course, there was his nationally

00:29:08.140 --> 00:29:11.440
televised crisis of confidence speech on July

00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:15.660
15th, 1979, later infamously dubbed his malaise

00:29:15.660 --> 00:29:18.240
speech. Right. Memorable for its mixed reactions

00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:21.000
and rhetoric, perceived by some as overly reliant

00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:23.299
on individual Americans to solve the nation's

00:29:23.299 --> 00:29:25.980
problems rather than emphasizing his administration's

00:29:25.980 --> 00:29:27.839
own efforts. It really captured the national

00:29:27.839 --> 00:29:30.759
mood, but also fueled criticism. His relations

00:29:30.759 --> 00:29:32.859
with Congress were often strained, which was

00:29:32.859 --> 00:29:35.960
a significant factor in his presidency. Carter's

00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:38.200
refusal to conform to Washington's traditional

00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:40.940
political rules. Avoiding calls from members

00:29:40.940 --> 00:29:44.880
of Congress, occasional verbal insults, and unwillingness

00:29:44.880 --> 00:29:47.859
to return political favors. That didn't always

00:29:47.859 --> 00:29:50.500
go over well. It often led to frustration and

00:29:50.500 --> 00:29:53.400
difficulty in passing legislation. He himself

00:29:53.400 --> 00:29:56.119
stated that conflict with Congress was inevitable,

00:29:56.579 --> 00:29:59.259
but also found a growing sense of cooperation.

00:29:59.500 --> 00:30:02.480
But he developed bitter feelings after unsuccessfully

00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:05.460
attempting to scrap pork barrel water projects,

00:30:06.099 --> 00:30:09.299
issuing a hit list, but ultimately signing legislation

00:30:09.299 --> 00:30:11.640
that included many of them, which weakened his

00:30:11.640 --> 00:30:13.809
position. And a significant rift ensued with

00:30:13.809 --> 00:30:16.329
the Democratic Party's liberal wing, which Carter

00:30:16.329 --> 00:30:18.930
attributed in part to Ted Kennedy's presidential

00:30:18.930 --> 00:30:21.450
ambitions, highlighting the internal divisions

00:30:21.450 --> 00:30:24.130
within his own party. These challenges contributed

00:30:24.130 --> 00:30:26.569
to a perception of a lack of effective leadership

00:30:26.569 --> 00:30:29.890
at times, fairly or unfairly. On the deregulation

00:30:29.890 --> 00:30:32.109
front, though, Carter appointed Alfred E. Kahn

00:30:32.109 --> 00:30:34.450
to lead the Civil Aeronautics Board, CAB, in

00:30:34.450 --> 00:30:37.869
1977. He then signed the Airline Deregulation

00:30:37.869 --> 00:30:41.190
Act in 1978. Which fundamentally removed government

00:30:41.190 --> 00:30:44.329
control over fares, routes, and market entry

00:30:44.329 --> 00:30:46.890
for commercial aviation, allowing market forces

00:30:46.890 --> 00:30:50.190
to determine these. The CAB's powers were consequently

00:30:50.190 --> 00:30:53.089
phased out. This was a truly significant policy,

00:30:53.490 --> 00:30:55.730
supported by a rare consensus among economists,

00:30:56.069 --> 00:30:58.490
think tanks, civil society, Senate leadership,

00:30:58.930 --> 00:31:01.049
even parts of the airline industry. Illustrating

00:31:01.049 --> 00:31:03.630
the broad backing for such a major reform which

00:31:03.630 --> 00:31:06.069
transformed commercial air travel. And in a much

00:31:06.069 --> 00:31:09.230
smaller but surprisingly impactful move, he also

00:31:09.230 --> 00:31:12.410
signed that bill in 1978, allowing home brewing

00:31:12.410 --> 00:31:15.210
and small scale craft brewing to operate legally.

00:31:15.329 --> 00:31:17.930
Right, making it legal to sell malt, hops, and

00:31:17.930 --> 00:31:20.089
yeast for the first time since prohibition. This

00:31:20.089 --> 00:31:22.589
seemingly small act eventually led to the strong

00:31:22.589 --> 00:31:25.069
craft microbrew culture we see in the U .S. today.

00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:27.599
demonstrating how seemingly minor policies can

00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:29.960
have massive long -term cultural and economic

00:31:29.960 --> 00:31:33.380
effects. Who knew? Who knew? Now, in a major

00:31:33.380 --> 00:31:36.480
economic crisis, Chrysler, one of America's iconic

00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:39.099
automakers, faced near -certain bankruptcy in

00:31:39.099 --> 00:31:42.299
the late 1970s, projecting a staggering $1 billion

00:31:42.299 --> 00:31:45.200
loss. Carter initially opposed corporate bailouts,

00:31:45.359 --> 00:31:48.059
a principled stance, but pragmatically assembled

00:31:48.059 --> 00:31:51.240
a team to secure a $1 .5 billion loan guarantee.

00:31:51.579 --> 00:31:54.880
In December 1979, Congress passed the Chrysler

00:31:54.880 --> 00:31:57.599
Corporation Loan Guarantee Act, providing $3

00:31:57.599 --> 00:32:01.180
.5 billion in aid, which included stock for workers,

00:32:01.539 --> 00:32:04.339
wage cuts, and bank loans. Carter signed it into

00:32:04.339 --> 00:32:07.680
law in January 1980, stating it saved thousands

00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:10.599
of jobs and prevented a major industrial collapse.

00:32:11.400 --> 00:32:13.619
The bailout was successful at the time, helping

00:32:13.619 --> 00:32:15.559
the company recover. Though Chrysler would later

00:32:15.559 --> 00:32:17.960
file for bankruptcy during the 2008 financial

00:32:17.960 --> 00:32:20.910
crisis. Right. But at the time, this demonstrated

00:32:20.910 --> 00:32:23.710
his pragmatic response to a major economic crisis

00:32:23.710 --> 00:32:26.430
impacting American jobs, prioritizing employment

00:32:26.430 --> 00:32:28.890
and industrial stability over his initial ideological

00:32:28.890 --> 00:32:31.549
opposition to corporate bailouts. A difficult

00:32:31.549 --> 00:32:34.279
but decisive choice. In healthcare, he embraced

00:32:34.279 --> 00:32:36.680
reform, campaigning on a vision similar to the

00:32:36.680 --> 00:32:38.799
bipartisan Universal National Health Insurance

00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:41.460
proposed by Ted Kennedy. While in office, his

00:32:41.460 --> 00:32:44.380
proposals included a 1977 mandatory healthcare

00:32:44.380 --> 00:32:46.819
cost plan, which passed the Senate but was defeated

00:32:46.819 --> 00:32:49.920
in the House, and a 1979 private health insurance

00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:52.349
proposal. He met with Kennedy for a compromise,

00:32:52.529 --> 00:32:54.950
but it was unsuccessful, and he later blamed

00:32:54.950 --> 00:32:57.869
Kennedy for thwarting his plan for a comprehensive

00:32:57.869 --> 00:33:01.069
American health care system. Politics. He did,

00:33:01.150 --> 00:33:03.250
however, sign the Mental Health Systems Act,

00:33:03.289 --> 00:33:07.130
MHSA, in 1980, which allocated block grants to

00:33:07.130 --> 00:33:09.710
states for community health services, considered

00:33:09.710 --> 00:33:12.569
landmark legislation. Though most of it was unfortunately

00:33:12.569 --> 00:33:14.890
repealed by the Reagan administration by September

00:33:14.890 --> 00:33:18.109
1981, a common fate for some of his initiatives.

00:33:18.390 --> 00:33:21.269
On education, Carter collaborated with Congress

00:33:21.269 --> 00:33:23.829
to create that cabinet -level Department of Education,

00:33:24.170 --> 00:33:26.950
fulfilling a key campaign promise. Arguing in

00:33:26.950 --> 00:33:30.450
February 1978 that education is far too important

00:33:30.450 --> 00:33:32.650
a matter to be scattered piecemeal among various

00:33:32.650 --> 00:33:35.109
government departments. The Department of Education

00:33:35.109 --> 00:33:37.410
Organization Act was signed into law on October

00:33:37.410 --> 00:33:42.029
17, 1979. His administration also added 43 ,000

00:33:42.029 --> 00:33:44.130
children and families to the Head Start program,

00:33:44.730 --> 00:33:46.490
doubled the percentage of non -defense dollars

00:33:46.490 --> 00:33:49.250
spent on education, and extended Head Start to

00:33:49.069 --> 00:33:52.049
migrant children, substantial long -term investments

00:33:52.049 --> 00:33:54.210
in human capital and early childhood development,

00:33:54.589 --> 00:33:56.410
reflecting his belief in accessible education.

00:33:56.849 --> 00:33:58.930
And notably, his administration lifted the U

00:33:58.930 --> 00:34:01.170
.S. Foreign Service's ban on gay and lesbian

00:34:01.170 --> 00:34:05.130
personnel a significant step. And in 1977, it

00:34:05.130 --> 00:34:07.569
became the first U .S. presidential administration

00:34:07.569 --> 00:34:10.050
to invite gay and lesbian rights activists to

00:34:10.050 --> 00:34:13.150
the White House to discuss federal policy regarding

00:34:13.150 --> 00:34:15.750
employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.

00:34:16.030 --> 00:34:19.090
a significant, if often overlooked, step towards

00:34:19.090 --> 00:34:22.110
LGBTQ rights at a time when such discussions

00:34:22.110 --> 00:34:24.670
were largely taboo in national politics. Moving

00:34:24.670 --> 00:34:27.190
to foreign policy, Carter's approach famously

00:34:27.190 --> 00:34:29.909
emphasized human rights, a stance that sometimes

00:34:29.909 --> 00:34:32.429
created tension with the Cold War real politic

00:34:32.429 --> 00:34:34.670
of the era. Definitely. From the beginning of

00:34:34.670 --> 00:34:37.309
his presidency, he attempted to mediate the Arab

00:34:37.309 --> 00:34:39.750
-Israeli conflict, which famously led to the

00:34:39.750 --> 00:34:42.929
Camp David Accords in September 1978. He invited

00:34:42.929 --> 00:34:45.469
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime

00:34:45.469 --> 00:34:47.309
Minister Minister Menachem began to camp David

00:34:47.309 --> 00:34:50.050
for 13 days of intense personal negotiations.

00:34:50.550 --> 00:34:52.150
Though they couldn't agree on Israeli withdrawal

00:34:52.150 --> 00:34:54.389
from the West Bank, the negotiations resulted

00:34:54.389 --> 00:34:57.469
in Egypt formally recognizing Israel and the

00:34:57.469 --> 00:34:59.349
creation of an elected government in the West

00:34:59.349 --> 00:35:02.010
Bank in Gaza, effectively ending the state of

00:35:02.010 --> 00:35:05.139
war between Israel and Egypt. A monumental achievement,

00:35:05.340 --> 00:35:08.079
but the accords faced significant domestic opposition

00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:10.440
in both countries, highlighting the political

00:35:10.440 --> 00:35:13.639
risk he took. Historian Jurgen Jensahogan argues

00:35:13.639 --> 00:35:15.800
that Carter, despite attempting to break with

00:35:15.800 --> 00:35:18.059
traditional U .S. policy and emphasize human

00:35:18.059 --> 00:35:20.920
rights, ultimately fulfilled its longstanding

00:35:20.920 --> 00:35:23.920
goals, breaking up the Arab alliance, sidelining

00:35:23.920 --> 00:35:26.460
Palestinians, building an alliance with Egypt,

00:35:26.840 --> 00:35:29.239
weakening the Soviet Union and securing Israel.

00:35:29.420 --> 00:35:32.300
So a complex legacy there, with both immediate

00:35:32.300 --> 00:35:35.800
impact and long -term geopolitical consequences,

00:35:36.260 --> 00:35:38.679
demonstrating how even reformist foreign policy

00:35:38.679 --> 00:35:41.199
can still serve traditional strategic interests.

00:35:41.519 --> 00:35:43.960
In Africa, Carter stated U .S. interest in a

00:35:43.960 --> 00:35:47.219
strong, vigorous, free and prosperous Africa

00:35:47.219 --> 00:35:49.599
and unified efforts to resolve the Rhodesian

00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:52.280
Zimbabwe question. However, this commitment to

00:35:52.280 --> 00:35:54.219
human rights faced practical contradictions.

00:35:54.500 --> 00:35:56.780
Despite human rights concerns, he continued US

00:35:56.780 --> 00:35:59.699
support for Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, who received

00:35:59.699 --> 00:36:01.960
nearly half of Carter's sub -Saharan aid, and

00:36:01.960 --> 00:36:04.099
pursued an alliance with Liberia's Samuel Doe,

00:36:04.159 --> 00:36:07.400
who came to power in a 1980 coup. Carter was

00:36:07.400 --> 00:36:09.460
the first U .S. president to make a state visit

00:36:09.460 --> 00:36:13.199
to sub -Saharan Africa in Nigeria in 1978 to

00:36:13.199 --> 00:36:16.159
improve relations. His policy face blows from

00:36:16.159 --> 00:36:18.739
the elections of Margaret Thatcher and Abel Muzarewa,

00:36:19.059 --> 00:36:21.300
South Africa's rejection of Southwest Africa's

00:36:21.300 --> 00:36:23.579
independence plan, and domestic opposition in

00:36:23.579 --> 00:36:25.579
Congress, like that Senate vote to list sanctions

00:36:25.579 --> 00:36:28.500
against Rhodesia. A mixed bag. Similarly, in

00:36:28.500 --> 00:36:30.739
East Asia, Carter continued rapprochement with

00:36:30.739 --> 00:36:32.960
China, collaborating against the Soviet Union.

00:36:33.380 --> 00:36:36.059
In December 1978, he announced formal recognition

00:36:36.059 --> 00:36:38.280
of the People's Republic of China, effective

00:36:38.280 --> 00:36:42.400
January 1, 1979. And severed ties with Taiwan,

00:36:42.900 --> 00:36:45.199
revoking their mutual defense treaty. This led

00:36:45.199 --> 00:36:48.519
to a boom in USPRC trade. He even supported the

00:36:48.519 --> 00:36:51.239
China -allied Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia

00:36:51.239 --> 00:36:53.820
against the Soviet -backed Vietnamese invasion.

00:36:54.030 --> 00:36:56.489
After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, he

00:36:56.489 --> 00:36:58.489
allowed military supplies to China and began

00:36:58.489 --> 00:37:01.550
intelligence -sharing negotiations. The unilateral

00:37:01.550 --> 00:37:03.989
revocation of the Sino -American mutual defense

00:37:03.989 --> 00:37:05.809
treaty with Taiwan was challenged, but ruled

00:37:05.809 --> 00:37:08.250
a non -justiciable political question, with the

00:37:08.250 --> 00:37:10.449
U .S. maintaining quasi -diplomatic contacts

00:37:10.449 --> 00:37:14.190
through the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. His administration

00:37:14.190 --> 00:37:16.610
also increased military assistance to Indonesia

00:37:16.610 --> 00:37:20.489
under Suharto, peaking in 1978, despite human

00:37:20.489 --> 00:37:23.920
rights violations in East Timor. which was clearly

00:37:23.920 --> 00:37:27.019
antithetical to his stated policy of not selling

00:37:27.019 --> 00:37:29.980
weapons if it would exacerbate a potential conflict.

00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:32.619
Another contradiction. He also supported President

00:37:32.619 --> 00:37:35.400
Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines. He reaffirmed

00:37:35.400 --> 00:37:37.480
interest in a gradual withdrawal of American

00:37:37.480 --> 00:37:39.960
troops from South Korea and even relieved Chief

00:37:39.960 --> 00:37:42.800
of Staff John K. Singlaub for criticizing this

00:37:42.800 --> 00:37:45.150
plan. He supported South Korean President Chun

00:37:45.150 --> 00:37:47.150
Doo -won during the suppression of the Gwangju

00:37:47.150 --> 00:37:50.030
Uprising in May 1980, but later intervened to

00:37:50.030 --> 00:37:51.909
commute the death sentence of pro -democracy

00:37:51.909 --> 00:37:55.070
activist Kim Dae -jung. These examples highlight

00:37:55.070 --> 00:37:57.030
the persistent challenge of balancing his human

00:37:57.030 --> 00:37:59.690
rights ideals with the pragmatic demands of Cold

00:37:59.690 --> 00:38:02.409
War geopolitics, a tension that often characterized

00:38:02.409 --> 00:38:04.690
his foreign policy decisions. The situation in

00:38:04.690 --> 00:38:06.989
Iran, however, became a defining and ultimately

00:38:06.989 --> 00:38:09.489
tragic crisis of his presidency. On November

00:38:09.489 --> 00:38:12.889
15, 1977, Carter pledged positive relations with

00:38:12.889 --> 00:38:15.489
Iran under the Shah, calling it an island of

00:38:15.489 --> 00:38:18.090
stability. And praising the Shah's great leadership

00:38:18.090 --> 00:38:21.329
and personal friendship. This unwavering American

00:38:21.329 --> 00:38:24.369
support for the deeply unpopular Shah significantly

00:38:24.369 --> 00:38:27.420
increased anti -American sentiment in Iran. Which

00:38:27.420 --> 00:38:29.960
intensified dramatically after the Shah, who

00:38:29.960 --> 00:38:32.320
was dying of cancer, was admitted to a New York

00:38:32.320 --> 00:38:36.119
hospital in October 1979. This decision directly

00:38:36.119 --> 00:38:38.460
preceded the crisis, proving to be a critical

00:38:38.460 --> 00:38:41.099
miscalculation. Absolutely. On November 4th,

00:38:41.099 --> 00:38:44.460
1979, Iranian students took over the U .S. Embassy

00:38:44.460 --> 00:38:47.679
in Tehran, holding 52 American diplomats and

00:38:47.679 --> 00:38:52.500
citizens hostage for an agonizing 444 days. 444

00:38:52.500 --> 00:38:55.760
days. The hostages were famously freed only after

00:38:55.760 --> 00:38:58.820
Ronald Reagan succeeded Carter, a fact that overshadowed

00:38:58.820 --> 00:39:01.199
the end of his term. Carter remained isolated

00:39:01.199 --> 00:39:03.539
in the White House for over 100 days, committed

00:39:03.539 --> 00:39:05.760
to resolving the dispute without military action,

00:39:05.820 --> 00:39:08.179
hoping to negotiate their release. He imposed

00:39:08.179 --> 00:39:10.239
economic sanctions and other measures in April

00:39:10.239 --> 00:39:13.130
1980. But the attempt to free the hostages, the

00:39:13.130 --> 00:39:15.750
ill -fated Operation Eagle Claw on April 24,

00:39:16.010 --> 00:39:18.929
1980, tragically failed. Resulting in eight American

00:39:18.929 --> 00:39:21.329
servicemen dead and two aircraft destroyed, leading

00:39:21.329 --> 00:39:23.690
to Secretary of State Cyrus Vance's resignation,

00:39:23.929 --> 00:39:26.849
a real low point. And a declassified 2017 CIA

00:39:26.849 --> 00:39:30.289
memo concluded that Iranian hardliners, especially

00:39:30.289 --> 00:39:32.929
Ayatollah Khomeini, deliberately exploited the

00:39:32.929 --> 00:39:35.170
hostage issue to bring about Carter's defeat

00:39:35.170 --> 00:39:37.130
in the November elections, aiming to make the

00:39:37.130 --> 00:39:39.829
world believe Khomeini caused Carter's downfall.

00:39:40.039 --> 00:39:42.860
This insight suggests the crisis was weaponized

00:39:42.860 --> 00:39:45.679
for political gain on both sides. With the Soviet

00:39:45.679 --> 00:39:47.840
Union, Carter initially urged alignment with

00:39:47.840 --> 00:39:50.420
the U .S. on a comprehensive test ban to stop

00:39:50.420 --> 00:39:53.039
all nuclear testing and oppose their deployment

00:39:53.039 --> 00:39:56.159
of the RST -10 Pioneer missile, trying to pursue

00:39:56.159 --> 00:39:58.519
detente. The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty

00:39:58.519 --> 00:40:01.679
II Salts, too, was signed by Carter and Leonid

00:40:01.679 --> 00:40:05.320
Brezhnev on June 18, 1979, a significant arms

00:40:05.320 --> 00:40:07.460
control agreement. However, Soviet intervention

00:40:07.460 --> 00:40:10.000
in the Second Yemenite War in 1979 and rising

00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:11.960
tensions from the Iranian Revolution led to a

00:40:11.960 --> 00:40:14.179
more assertive U .S. stance fundamentally shifting

00:40:14.179 --> 00:40:16.679
the relationship. This shift was finalized by

00:40:16.679 --> 00:40:19.900
the impending Soviet Afghan War. In his 1980

00:40:19.900 --> 00:40:22.179
State of the Union address, Carter called the

00:40:22.179 --> 00:40:24.940
U .S.-Soviet relationship the most critical factor

00:40:24.940 --> 00:40:26.960
in determining whether the world will live at

00:40:26.960 --> 00:40:30.349
peace or be engulfed in global conflict, recognizing

00:40:30.349 --> 00:40:33.369
the escalating dangers. The Soviet invasion of

00:40:33.369 --> 00:40:36.110
Afghanistan truly shifted the geopolitical landscape,

00:40:36.750 --> 00:40:39.239
ending the era of détente. Following a communist

00:40:39.239 --> 00:40:42.219
coup in Afghanistan in 1978, which led to mass

00:40:42.219 --> 00:40:44.800
executions and political oppression, the Soviet

00:40:44.800 --> 00:40:48.619
Union invaded on December 24th, 1979, executing

00:40:48.619 --> 00:40:51.119
Hafizullah Amin and installing Babrak Karmal.

00:40:51.559 --> 00:40:53.699
This aggressive move sent shockwaves through

00:40:53.699 --> 00:40:56.360
the West. The West viewed this as a direct threat

00:40:56.360 --> 00:40:59.039
to global security, Persian Gulf oil interests,

00:40:59.179 --> 00:41:01.599
and the stability of Pakistan. This led Carter

00:41:01.599 --> 00:41:04.760
to expand CIA Pakistan's Inter -Services Intelligence.

00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:08.440
ISI collaboration, which had begun in July 1979

00:41:08.440 --> 00:41:11.559
with non -lethal aid to the Afghan regime. Analysts

00:41:11.559 --> 00:41:13.739
like Conor Tobin and Robert Gates suggest this

00:41:13.739 --> 00:41:16.340
aid was a contingency, not an inducement for

00:41:16.340 --> 00:41:18.760
the invasion. A presidential finding in December

00:41:18.760 --> 00:41:22.300
1979 explicitly allowed the CIA to transfer lethal

00:41:22.300 --> 00:41:24.960
military equipment and arrange training for harassment

00:41:24.960 --> 00:41:28.199
of Soviet troops. Marking a significant escalation

00:41:28.199 --> 00:41:32.260
in the Cold War, Carter responded harshly. imposed

00:41:32.260 --> 00:41:34.800
sanctions on the Soviet Union, renewed aid and

00:41:34.800 --> 00:41:37.019
Selected Service System registration for Pakistan,

00:41:37.480 --> 00:41:39.420
committed the U .S. to Persian Gulf defense in

00:41:39.420 --> 00:41:42.719
a January 1980 speech. He imposed a grain embargo,

00:41:43.300 --> 00:41:46.320
tabled SALT II, requested a 5 % annual increase

00:41:46.320 --> 00:41:48.639
in defense spending, and called for a boycott

00:41:48.639 --> 00:41:51.340
of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, which

00:41:51.340 --> 00:41:54.460
was ultimately joined by 65 nations. He also

00:41:54.460 --> 00:41:56.760
initiated a program to arm the Mujahideen through

00:41:56.760 --> 00:41:59.940
Pakistan's ISI and secured Saudi Arabia's pledge

00:41:59.940 --> 00:42:02.900
to match U .S. funding this effort. Despite huge

00:42:02.900 --> 00:42:05.099
expenditure, the Soviets eventually withdrew

00:42:05.099 --> 00:42:08.679
in 1989. Carter, notably, expressed no regret

00:42:08.679 --> 00:42:10.780
over supporting the Afghan freedom fighters,

00:42:10.880 --> 00:42:13.099
even with controversy over Pakistan controlling

00:42:13.099 --> 00:42:15.340
aid distribution. These actions fundamentally

00:42:15.340 --> 00:42:18.079
redefined U .S. Cold War policy and set the stage

00:42:18.079 --> 00:42:20.570
for future conflicts. His presidency included

00:42:20.570 --> 00:42:23.130
12 international trips to 25 countries, making

00:42:23.130 --> 00:42:24.829
him the first president to make a state visit

00:42:24.829 --> 00:42:28.510
to Sub -Saharan Africa in Nigeria in 1978, demonstrating

00:42:28.510 --> 00:42:31.090
his focus on global engagement. Carter's presidency

00:42:31.090 --> 00:42:34.150
was also marked by personal scrutiny and ultimately

00:42:34.150 --> 00:42:38.550
political defeat. In September 1977, his OMB

00:42:38.550 --> 00:42:40.849
director Bert Lance resigned amid allegations

00:42:40.849 --> 00:42:43.789
of improper banking activities. Right. A special

00:42:43.789 --> 00:42:46.269
counsel investigated loans made to Carter's peanut

00:42:46.269 --> 00:42:49.710
business by a bank controlled by Lance. Carter

00:42:49.710 --> 00:42:51.809
became the first sitting president to testify

00:42:51.809 --> 00:42:54.090
under oath as part of an investigation of him.

00:42:54.250 --> 00:42:57.889
Although in October 1979, the investigation concluded

00:42:57.889 --> 00:43:00.969
no evidence of campaign fund diversion. This

00:43:00.969 --> 00:43:03.130
demonstrated his commitment to transparency,

00:43:03.130 --> 00:43:06.429
but also the intense scrutiny he faced. For his

00:43:06.429 --> 00:43:09.329
1980 reelection campaign, Carter focused primarily

00:43:09.329 --> 00:43:11.809
on attacking Ronald Reagan, highlighting his

00:43:11.809 --> 00:43:14.349
gaffes, age and perceived lack of connection

00:43:14.349 --> 00:43:16.829
to everyday Americans. The campaign used rhetoric

00:43:16.829 --> 00:43:19.949
akin to Lyndon Johnson's 1964 campaign, portraying

00:43:19.949 --> 00:43:22.130
Reagan as a warmonger. Hoping to raise fears

00:43:22.130 --> 00:43:24.420
about his conservative policies. Carter's attempt

00:43:24.420 --> 00:43:27.400
to deny the Reagan campaign $29 .4 million in

00:43:27.400 --> 00:43:29.579
campaign funds due to conservative groups exceeding

00:43:29.579 --> 00:43:32.079
limits was, however, rejected, indicating his

00:43:32.079 --> 00:43:34.199
struggle to control the narrative. And Senator

00:43:34.199 --> 00:43:36.420
Ted Kennedy's challenge in the Democratic primary,

00:43:37.059 --> 00:43:40.199
announced in November 1979, mobilized the liberal

00:43:40.199 --> 00:43:42.400
wing of the party, weakening Carter's support

00:43:42.400 --> 00:43:44.630
for the general election. Even though Carter

00:43:44.630 --> 00:43:47.849
won most primaries and renomination, at the 1980

00:43:47.849 --> 00:43:50.690
Democratic National Convention, Carter made that

00:43:50.690 --> 00:43:53.210
gaffe, accidentally calling Hubert Humphrey,

00:43:53.449 --> 00:43:56.429
Hubert Horatio, hornblower. Ah, yeah, I remember

00:43:56.429 --> 00:43:59.309
that. And Kennedy's famous the dream shall never

00:43:59.309 --> 00:44:03.070
die speech criticized Reagan, but notably did

00:44:03.070 --> 00:44:05.849
not endorse Carter, signaling the deep divisions

00:44:05.849 --> 00:44:08.269
within the Democratic Party that hampered his

00:44:08.269 --> 00:44:11.380
reelection bid. Carter faced significant headwinds,

00:44:11.460 --> 00:44:14.000
didn't he? A perfect storm of challenges. Absolutely.

00:44:14.360 --> 00:44:16.860
The stagflation -ridden economy, the ongoing

00:44:16.860 --> 00:44:19.840
Iran hostage crisis, perceptions of failing to

00:44:19.840 --> 00:44:21.900
prevent Soviet gains in less developed countries

00:44:21.900 --> 00:44:25.099
like Angola, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, and Afghanistan.

00:44:25.780 --> 00:44:28.400
It all weighed heavily. His brother Billy Carter's

00:44:28.400 --> 00:44:30.500
association with Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan regime

00:44:30.500 --> 00:44:33.039
also caused controversy, adding to the perception

00:44:33.039 --> 00:44:35.880
of a chaotic administration. He alienated many

00:44:35.880 --> 00:44:38.219
liberal college students by reactivating the

00:44:38.219 --> 00:44:40.280
selective service system for draft registration

00:44:40.280 --> 00:44:44.019
in July 1980, a move many saw as a return to

00:44:44.019 --> 00:44:47.539
Vietnam era policies. His campaign manager resigned

00:44:47.539 --> 00:44:50.239
amid uncorroborated cocaine use allegations,

00:44:50.699 --> 00:44:53.260
further destabilizing his efforts. In the sole

00:44:53.260 --> 00:44:55.619
presidential debate where both were present on

00:44:55.619 --> 00:44:59.579
October 28, 1980, Reagan's iconic phrase, there

00:44:59.579 --> 00:45:02.119
you go again, became instantly famous, leading

00:45:02.119 --> 00:45:04.679
to a surge in his polling. And it was later discovered

00:45:04.679 --> 00:45:07.099
that Reagan's team had acquired classified Carter

00:45:07.099 --> 00:45:09.800
debate prep documents, adding a layer of intrigue

00:45:09.800 --> 00:45:12.260
to the outcome. Ultimately, Carter and Mondale

00:45:12.260 --> 00:45:14.840
were defeated in a landslide by Reagan and George

00:45:14.840 --> 00:45:17.519
H .W. Bush, winning only 49 electoral votes,

00:45:17.679 --> 00:45:20.059
the second fewest for an incumbent seeking reelection.

00:45:20.159 --> 00:45:21.699
The Senate went Republican for the first time

00:45:21.699 --> 00:45:24.199
since 1952, marking a major political shift.

00:45:24.559 --> 00:45:26.639
In his concession speech, Carter admitted hurt,

00:45:27.000 --> 00:45:30.019
but pledged a very fine transition period, displaying

00:45:30.019 --> 00:45:32.420
grace and defeat. Now, we move into the era that

00:45:32.420 --> 00:45:35.119
truly cemented his enduring legacy and profoundly

00:45:35.119 --> 00:45:37.739
reshaped his public perception, his post presidency.

00:45:38.300 --> 00:45:41.320
Right. After losing reelection, Carter consciously

00:45:41.320 --> 00:45:43.800
pledged to emulate Harry S. Truman, avoiding

00:45:43.800 --> 00:45:46.480
self -enrichment in public life and instead dedicating

00:45:46.480 --> 00:45:50.420
himself to service. This was a critical decision,

00:45:50.800 --> 00:45:52.980
setting him on a profoundly different path than

00:45:52.980 --> 00:45:55.980
many former presidents. Interestingly, his family

00:45:55.980 --> 00:45:58.440
peanut business had accumulated a $1 million

00:45:58.440 --> 00:46:02.059
debt by 1981, leaving him in a precarious financial

00:46:02.059 --> 00:46:04.699
position. So to pay this off, he turned to writing,

00:46:05.099 --> 00:46:07.639
publishing over 30 books, including bestsellers,

00:46:08.039 --> 00:46:10.320
a novel, a children's book averaging one per

00:46:10.320 --> 00:46:13.139
year. This literary career became a significant

00:46:13.139 --> 00:46:15.570
part of his public identity. This necessity to

00:46:15.570 --> 00:46:17.849
write to address personal debt showcases his

00:46:17.849 --> 00:46:19.829
disciplined approach and how he leveraged his

00:46:19.829 --> 00:46:21.849
intellectual capacity to rebuild his financial

00:46:21.849 --> 00:46:24.690
standing, inadvertently creating another successful

00:46:24.690 --> 00:46:27.329
career and a vast influential body of work. And

00:46:27.329 --> 00:46:30.110
in 1982, he founded the Carter Center, a non

00:46:30.110 --> 00:46:32.690
-governmental and non -profit organization dedicated

00:46:32.690 --> 00:46:35.150
to advancing human rights and alleviating human

00:46:35.150 --> 00:46:37.889
suffering globally. This became the primary vehicle

00:46:37.889 --> 00:46:40.269
for his transformative second act, channeling

00:46:40.269 --> 00:46:42.409
his energies into concrete humanitarian efforts.

00:46:42.650 --> 00:46:45.210
His post presidency became an incredible period

00:46:45.210 --> 00:46:48.329
of diplomacy and global humanitarianism, and

00:46:48.329 --> 00:46:51.349
it yielded truly remarkable achievements. A major

00:46:51.349 --> 00:46:53.530
focus of the Carter Center has been working with

00:46:53.530 --> 00:46:56.869
the World Health Organization to eradicate draconculiasis,

00:46:57.050 --> 00:46:59.650
also known as Guinea worm disease, a painful

00:46:59.650 --> 00:47:02.269
and debilitating parasitic infection. The impact

00:47:02.269 --> 00:47:05.489
here is monumental and often goes unsung. The

00:47:05.489 --> 00:47:08.250
incidence of this disease decreased from 3 .5

00:47:08.250 --> 00:47:11.670
million cases in the mid 1980s to just four in

00:47:11.670 --> 00:47:15.250
the first seven months of 2024. Four cases down

00:47:15.250 --> 00:47:18.150
from 3 .5 million. That is a truly monumental

00:47:18.150 --> 00:47:20.809
public health achievement, a near eradication

00:47:20.809 --> 00:47:23.050
directly attributable to the tireless efforts

00:47:23.050 --> 00:47:25.929
of the Carter Center and its partners. It represents

00:47:25.929 --> 00:47:28.110
an often overlooked triumph of global health

00:47:28.110 --> 00:47:30.849
driven by his personal commitment. His post presidency

00:47:30.989 --> 00:47:32.949
Diplomacy began almost immediately in the Middle

00:47:32.949 --> 00:47:35.050
East with meetings with Israeli Prime Minister

00:47:35.050 --> 00:47:38.210
Menachem, began in 1981, and a tour of Egypt

00:47:38.210 --> 00:47:40.349
that included meetings with the Palestine Liberation

00:47:40.349 --> 00:47:43.710
Organization in 1983, maintaining his engagement

00:47:43.710 --> 00:47:46.769
with the region. Later in 1994, President Bill

00:47:46.769 --> 00:47:48.730
Clinton sought Carter's help with North Korea.

00:47:49.090 --> 00:47:51.269
Carter actually negotiated an understanding with

00:47:51.269 --> 00:47:53.869
Kim Il -Sung. Which he controversially announced

00:47:53.869 --> 00:47:56.630
to CNN without the Clinton administration's explicit

00:47:56.630 --> 00:47:59.550
consent, leading to the agreed framework in October

00:47:59.550 --> 00:48:03.130
1994. always his own man. He later negotiated

00:48:03.130 --> 00:48:05.429
the release of American citizen Eijalon Gomes

00:48:05.429 --> 00:48:09.190
from North Korea in 2010 and, as tensions escalated

00:48:09.190 --> 00:48:12.389
in 2017, even volunteered to the Trump administration

00:48:12.389 --> 00:48:15.329
as a diplomatic envoy, recommending a peace treaty.

00:48:15.530 --> 00:48:18.429
What's truly fascinating here is his persistent

00:48:18.429 --> 00:48:21.530
commitment to conflict resolution, often operating

00:48:21.530 --> 00:48:23.670
outside traditional governmental channels, and

00:48:23.670 --> 00:48:25.909
sometimes even at odds with current administrations.

00:48:26.250 --> 00:48:28.469
He demonstrated a willingness to take risks and

00:48:28.469 --> 00:48:31.789
pursue peace through direct engagement. In July

00:48:31.789 --> 00:48:35.070
2007, he joined Nelson Mandela in founding the

00:48:35.070 --> 00:48:37.570
Elders, a group of independent global leaders

00:48:37.570 --> 00:48:40.389
focused on peace and human rights, bringing together

00:48:40.389 --> 00:48:42.949
a powerful collective voice for global justice.

00:48:43.150 --> 00:48:45.710
His work with the elders included visits to Darfur,

00:48:46.070 --> 00:48:48.869
Sudan, Cyprus, the Korean Peninsula, and the

00:48:48.869 --> 00:48:51.230
Middle East. He was notably blocked from visiting

00:48:51.230 --> 00:48:54.110
Zimbabwe by Robert Mugabe's government in 2008,

00:48:54.369 --> 00:48:56.010
highlighting the challenges of such independent

00:48:56.010 --> 00:48:58.630
diplomacy. He even met with Syrian President

00:48:58.630 --> 00:49:02.030
Bashar al -Assad in 2008 and accurately warned

00:49:02.030 --> 00:49:04.429
that Egyptian military generals might take full

00:49:04.429 --> 00:49:07.780
power in Egypt in 2012. Pretty prescient. His

00:49:07.780 --> 00:49:09.940
engagement on Israel and Palestine also remained

00:49:09.940 --> 00:49:12.820
a central and often controversial focus. He was

00:49:12.820 --> 00:49:15.139
an international observer for the first Palestinian

00:49:15.139 --> 00:49:18.019
general election in 1996, with the Carter Center

00:49:18.019 --> 00:49:21.599
sending an 85 -person team attesting to his commitment

00:49:21.599 --> 00:49:25.079
to democratic processes. His 2006 book, Palestine,

00:49:25.320 --> 00:49:28.420
Peace Not Apartheid characterized Israel's policies

00:49:28.420 --> 00:49:32.019
in the occupied territories as amounting to apartheid,

00:49:32.300 --> 00:49:34.579
a claim that generated significant controversy

00:49:34.579 --> 00:49:37.420
and backlash. He stated, this perpetrates even

00:49:37.420 --> 00:49:40.559
worse instances of apartheid than we witnessed

00:49:40.559 --> 00:49:43.909
even in South Africa. Strong words. Carter staunchly

00:49:43.909 --> 00:49:45.829
defended the book as an attempt to stimulate

00:49:45.829 --> 00:49:47.929
a debate that he felt had not existed in the

00:49:47.929 --> 00:49:50.849
U .S. regarding the Israeli -Palestinian conflict.

00:49:51.530 --> 00:49:54.349
In 2007, he did apologize for wording that suggested

00:49:54.349 --> 00:49:57.010
Palestinian suicide attacks were justified, calling

00:49:57.010 --> 00:49:58.869
the sentence completely improper and stupid,

00:49:59.250 --> 00:50:01.210
showing a capacity for self -correction even

00:50:01.210 --> 00:50:04.130
on sensitive topics. His 2010 book, We Can Have

00:50:04.130 --> 00:50:07.050
Peace in the Holy Land, further cited Israel's

00:50:07.050 --> 00:50:09.469
unwillingness to withdraw from occupied territories

00:50:09.469 --> 00:50:12.500
and settlement expansion. as the primary obstacle

00:50:12.500 --> 00:50:16.440
to peace. This highlights a deep personal conviction

00:50:16.440 --> 00:50:19.119
and a willingness to risk personal criticism

00:50:19.119 --> 00:50:21.619
to bring attention to issues he felt were morally

00:50:21.619 --> 00:50:34.829
imperative. Beyond his direct diplomatic efforts,

00:50:35.070 --> 00:50:37.829
he remained a keen observer and occasional often

00:50:37.829 --> 00:50:40.409
unvarnished critic of subsequent administrations.

00:50:40.570 --> 00:50:42.989
Offering his unique perspective as a former president,

00:50:43.449 --> 00:50:45.789
he initially pledged not to critique Ronald Reagan,

00:50:46.190 --> 00:50:48.010
even siding with him on building neutron arms

00:50:48.010 --> 00:50:50.150
after Afghanistan. However, that didn't last

00:50:50.150 --> 00:50:52.570
long. No, he frequently denounced Reagan's Middle

00:50:52.570 --> 00:50:55.150
East actions, his handling of the Sabra and Shatila

00:50:55.150 --> 00:50:57.550
massacre, the lack of effort to rescue American

00:50:57.550 --> 00:51:00.440
businessmen, his support for Star Wars. and claims

00:51:00.440 --> 00:51:03.500
of international conspiracy on terrorism. He

00:51:03.500 --> 00:51:06.079
later criticized Reagan for conceding to terrorist

00:51:06.079 --> 00:51:08.719
demands, nominating Robert Bork to the Supreme

00:51:08.719 --> 00:51:11.659
Court, and his handling of the Persian Gulf crisis,

00:51:12.320 --> 00:51:14.480
consistent concern for ethical foreign policy

00:51:14.480 --> 00:51:16.780
and judicial appointments. He even predicted

00:51:16.780 --> 00:51:19.179
Reagan's successor would face less favorable

00:51:19.179 --> 00:51:22.269
media coverage. a somewhat prescient observation.

00:51:22.570 --> 00:51:24.869
Carter had a mostly poor relationship with Bill

00:51:24.869 --> 00:51:27.190
Clinton, who infamously snubbed him from his

00:51:27.190 --> 00:51:30.010
inauguration, a sign of the lingering political

00:51:30.010 --> 00:51:33.289
differences. Carter questioned the Clinton administration's

00:51:33.289 --> 00:51:35.510
morality, particularly regarding the Clinton

00:51:35.510 --> 00:51:38.289
-Lewinsky scandal and the pardon of Mark Rich.

00:51:38.530 --> 00:51:40.949
For George W. Bush, he was initially disappointed

00:51:40.949 --> 00:51:43.840
in almost everything. Post -9 -11, however, he

00:51:43.840 --> 00:51:46.159
offered praise, calling for national unity in

00:51:46.159 --> 00:51:48.559
a moment of crisis. Later, though, he strongly

00:51:48.559 --> 00:51:51.179
opposed the Iraq War, accusing Bush and Tony

00:51:51.179 --> 00:51:53.679
Blair of using lies and misinterpretations to

00:51:53.679 --> 00:51:56.440
oust Saddam Hussein. He believed Bush exploited

00:51:56.440 --> 00:51:59.500
the 9 -11 attacks. And in 2007, called the Bush

00:51:59.500 --> 00:52:02.139
administration the worst in history on foreign

00:52:02.139 --> 00:52:04.619
affairs, later clarifying he was comparing it

00:52:04.619 --> 00:52:07.079
to Nixon's. The Bush administration, in turn,

00:52:07.340 --> 00:52:09.960
famously called Carter irrelevant, highlighting

00:52:09.960 --> 00:52:13.059
the sharp ideological clash. With Barack Obama,

00:52:13.340 --> 00:52:15.800
he praised him early on, but later disagreed

00:52:15.800 --> 00:52:18.480
sharply with policies like drone strikes, keeping

00:52:18.480 --> 00:52:21.219
Guantanamo Bay open, and the federal surveillance

00:52:21.219 --> 00:52:24.219
programs revealed by Edward Snowden. Even stating

00:52:24.219 --> 00:52:27.019
that America has no functioning democracy due

00:52:27.019 --> 00:52:29.340
to these programs. A powerful critique from a

00:52:29.340 --> 00:52:31.489
former leader. During Donald Trump's presidency,

00:52:31.610 --> 00:52:34.590
he spoke favorably of Trump's potential for immigration

00:52:34.590 --> 00:52:37.409
reform, but criticized his handling of national

00:52:37.409 --> 00:52:40.829
anthem protests. In 2017, he said media covered

00:52:40.829 --> 00:52:43.469
Trump more harshly than any other president,

00:52:43.690 --> 00:52:46.210
a surprising observation from a Democrat. In

00:52:46.210 --> 00:52:48.510
2019, Trump actually called Carter to express

00:52:48.510 --> 00:52:50.809
concern about China getting ahead. And Carter

00:52:50.809 --> 00:52:52.670
agreed, stating China's strength came from its

00:52:52.670 --> 00:52:55.510
lack of involvement in armed conflict and controversially

00:52:55.510 --> 00:52:57.829
calling the U .S. the most warlike nation in

00:52:57.829 --> 00:53:01.300
the history of the world. Wow. In his final recorded

00:53:01.300 --> 00:53:04.519
interview in July 2021, Carter said President

00:53:04.519 --> 00:53:08.079
Joe Biden has done very well in office. And notably,

00:53:08.519 --> 00:53:10.940
Biden was asked by Carter to deliver his eulogy,

00:53:11.199 --> 00:53:14.079
signifying a respected connection. Carter also

00:53:14.079 --> 00:53:16.320
remained incredibly active in presidential politics

00:53:16.320 --> 00:53:18.900
as an ex -president, demonstrating a continued

00:53:18.900 --> 00:53:21.719
engagement with the democratic process. He ruled

00:53:21.719 --> 00:53:25.579
out a 1984 run endorsing Mondale and critiqued

00:53:25.579 --> 00:53:28.239
Reagan's campaign, later attributing Mondale's

00:53:28.239 --> 00:53:30.639
loss to his platform of raising taxes. He ruled

00:53:30.639 --> 00:53:34.250
out a 1988 run and spoke at the DNC. He campaigned

00:53:34.250 --> 00:53:36.969
for Clinton in 1992, fully expecting consultation

00:53:36.969 --> 00:53:39.590
during his presidency, which didn't fully materialize.

00:53:39.969 --> 00:53:42.449
He endorsed Al Gore in 2000, believing Gore won

00:53:42.449 --> 00:53:44.610
despite the Supreme Court's ruling. And endorsed

00:53:44.610 --> 00:53:47.590
John Kerry in 2004, expressing concern about

00:53:47.590 --> 00:53:50.190
voting mishaps in Florida. In 2008, he eventually

00:53:50.190 --> 00:53:52.889
endorsed Barack Obama, serving as a superdelegate,

00:53:52.989 --> 00:53:54.829
and even advised against picking Hillary Clinton

00:53:54.829 --> 00:53:57.800
as VP. In 2012, he expressed a preference for

00:53:57.800 --> 00:53:59.639
Mitt Romney to win the Republican nomination,

00:53:59.820 --> 00:54:01.699
believing it would assure Obama's reelection,

00:54:01.960 --> 00:54:04.280
a fascinating strategic calculation, and spoke

00:54:04.280 --> 00:54:07.659
at the DNC via video. In 2016, he was critical

00:54:07.659 --> 00:54:09.860
of Trump, but later said he preferred Trump to

00:54:09.860 --> 00:54:12.619
Ted Cruz, though he ultimately rebuked Trump's

00:54:12.619 --> 00:54:16.139
campaign and endorsed Hillary Clinton. In 2019,

00:54:16.400 --> 00:54:18.239
he controversially stated Trump wouldn't have

00:54:18.239 --> 00:54:20.500
been elected without Russian interference and

00:54:20.500 --> 00:54:22.880
agreed Trump was an illegitimate president. He

00:54:22.880 --> 00:54:25.400
voted for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic

00:54:25.400 --> 00:54:27.940
primary, demonstrating his progressive leanings.

00:54:28.239 --> 00:54:30.940
He and Roslyn endorsed Joe Biden for the 2020

00:54:30.940 --> 00:54:34.460
DNC and condemned the Capitol attack in 2021.

00:54:34.840 --> 00:54:37.900
In an unusual action in 2022, he filed an opinion

00:54:37.900 --> 00:54:40.260
supporting a lawsuit against a Trump administration

00:54:40.260 --> 00:54:43.159
land swap in Alaska, citing the Alaska National

00:54:43.159 --> 00:54:46.260
Interest Lands Conservation Act as his most significant

00:54:46.260 --> 00:54:48.260
domestic achievement, bringing it full circle.

00:54:48.440 --> 00:54:51.480
And in 2024, his son revealed Carter wanted to

00:54:51.480 --> 00:54:53.659
live to 100 to vote for Kamala Harris, which

00:54:53.659 --> 00:54:57.340
he impressively did on October 16th, 2024. This

00:54:57.340 --> 00:54:59.539
act of engagement right up to the end is truly

00:54:59.539 --> 00:55:02.079
remarkable and speaks to his deep civic commitment.

00:55:02.380 --> 00:55:04.500
His commitment to humanity continued in other

00:55:04.500 --> 00:55:06.760
post presidential activities, including hurricane

00:55:06.760 --> 00:55:09.320
relief, often offering critiques where he saw

00:55:09.320 --> 00:55:12.000
shortcomings. He criticized the Bush administration's

00:55:12.000 --> 00:55:14.400
handling of Hurricane Katrina, for example, and

00:55:14.400 --> 00:55:16.739
actively built homes in the aftermath of Hurricane

00:55:16.739 --> 00:55:19.559
Sandy. He partnered with other former presidents

00:55:19.559 --> 00:55:22.079
for the One America Appeal to Aid Victims of

00:55:22.079 --> 00:55:24.579
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and wrote op -eds

00:55:24.579 --> 00:55:26.760
praising Americans' assistance during natural

00:55:26.760 --> 00:55:30.059
disasters, consistently using his voice and platform

00:55:30.059 --> 00:55:32.400
for those in need. He attended the dedications

00:55:32.400 --> 00:55:35.559
of his own presidential library in 1986 and those

00:55:35.559 --> 00:55:38.639
of Presidents Reagan, George H .W. Bush, Bill

00:55:38.639 --> 00:55:41.820
Clinton, and George W. Bush, maintaining a respectful

00:55:41.820 --> 00:55:44.539
presence. He delivered eulogies for Coretta Scott

00:55:44.539 --> 00:55:47.639
King, Gerald Ford, and Theodore Hesburgh, honoring

00:55:47.639 --> 00:55:50.360
his contemporaries. He also founded the new Baptist

00:55:50.360 --> 00:55:53.360
Covenant Organization for Social Justice in 2007.

00:55:54.059 --> 00:55:56.219
He was a key figure in Habitat for Humanity,

00:55:56.539 --> 00:55:58.679
actively working on housing construction projects,

00:55:58.980 --> 00:56:01.639
like in Queens Village, New York, in 2013. Famously

00:56:01.639 --> 00:56:03.760
picking up a hammer himself well into his old

00:56:03.760 --> 00:56:06.079
age, he served as honorary chair of the World

00:56:06.079 --> 00:56:08.219
Justice Project and continued to teach Sunday

00:56:08.219 --> 00:56:10.840
school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains

00:56:10.840 --> 00:56:14.059
as of 2019, a tradition he maintained for decades.

00:56:14.480 --> 00:56:17.380
He also taught at Emory University for 37 years,

00:56:17.739 --> 00:56:20.900
awarded tenure in 2019. These activities show

00:56:20.900 --> 00:56:23.400
a sustained dedication to service and education

00:56:23.400 --> 00:56:26.320
far beyond the demands of the White House, showcasing

00:56:26.320 --> 00:56:28.519
a life consistently committed to giving back.

00:56:28.980 --> 00:56:31.079
Now let's turn to some personal reflections that

00:56:31.079 --> 00:56:34.199
truly illuminate his deeply rooted life. Carter

00:56:34.199 --> 00:56:37.179
had three younger siblings, Gloria Spann, Ruth

00:56:37.179 --> 00:56:40.480
Stapleton, and Billy Carter, all of whom, sadly,

00:56:41.039 --> 00:56:43.760
died of pancreatic cancer. He was also a distant

00:56:43.760 --> 00:56:45.920
cousin of the famous Carter family musicians.

00:56:46.500 --> 00:56:49.280
His marriage to Rosalind Smith was truly extraordinary,

00:56:49.780 --> 00:56:52.840
lasting from July 7, 1946 until her death on

00:56:52.840 --> 00:56:56.900
November 19, 2023. making them the longest one

00:56:56.900 --> 00:56:59.860
presidential couple at 77 years and four months.

00:57:00.300 --> 00:57:02.320
After Rosalyn's passing, his statement was so

00:57:02.320 --> 00:57:04.400
incredibly poignant, offering a window into their

00:57:04.400 --> 00:57:07.519
profound bond. Rosalyn was my equal partner in

00:57:07.519 --> 00:57:09.659
everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise

00:57:09.659 --> 00:57:11.480
guidance and encouragement when I needed it.

00:57:11.579 --> 00:57:13.599
As long as Rosalyn was in the world, I always

00:57:13.599 --> 00:57:16.159
knew somebody loved and supported me. That's

00:57:16.159 --> 00:57:18.340
a testament to an incredible partnership, a bond

00:57:18.340 --> 00:57:20.519
that clearly shaped his entire being and was

00:57:20.519 --> 00:57:22.519
a source of immense strength throughout his life.

00:57:22.860 --> 00:57:25.539
Beautifully put, they had four children. sons

00:57:25.539 --> 00:57:29.139
John, James III, and Donald and daughter Amy.

00:57:29.699 --> 00:57:31.960
Amy's nanny, Mary Prince, was an African American

00:57:31.960 --> 00:57:34.949
woman wrongly convicted of murder. later pardoned.

00:57:35.130 --> 00:57:37.130
And Carter, with his commitment to justice, helped

00:57:37.130 --> 00:57:39.550
enable her to work in the White House. His family

00:57:39.550 --> 00:57:41.789
remained active in politics with his eldest son,

00:57:42.010 --> 00:57:44.610
Jack, as a 2006 Democratic nominee for U .S.

00:57:44.730 --> 00:57:47.289
Senate in Nevada and his grandson, Jason Carter,

00:57:47.429 --> 00:57:49.809
as the 2014 Democratic nominee for governor of

00:57:49.809 --> 00:57:52.289
Georgia. In 2015, he announced the death of his

00:57:52.289 --> 00:57:55.269
28 -year -old grandson, Jeremy, to a Sunday school

00:57:55.269 --> 00:57:58.760
class. a profoundly personal moment shared with

00:57:58.760 --> 00:58:01.159
his community. Beyond politics and family, Carter

00:58:01.159 --> 00:58:03.559
had a remarkably rich life of interests and beliefs.

00:58:03.840 --> 00:58:06.139
His hobbies included painting, with one painting

00:58:06.139 --> 00:58:08.179
even selling for over half a million dollars

00:58:08.179 --> 00:58:11.159
at auction, showcasing his artistic talent. He

00:58:11.159 --> 00:58:13.420
also enjoyed fly fishing, woodworking, cycling,

00:58:13.719 --> 00:58:16.219
tennis, and skiing, demonstrating a varied and

00:58:16.219 --> 00:58:18.679
active life. He had a lifelong interest in poetry,

00:58:19.179 --> 00:58:22.320
especially Dylan Thomas. And during a 1977 state

00:58:22.320 --> 00:58:24.539
visit to the UK, suggested Thomas should have

00:58:24.539 --> 00:58:27.320
a memorial in Poets Corner at Westminster Abbey,

00:58:27.539 --> 00:58:30.719
which remarkably came to fruition in 1982. He

00:58:30.719 --> 00:58:33.219
even published a book of poetry, always reckoning

00:58:33.219 --> 00:58:36.699
at other poems, in 1994. Carter was also a personal

00:58:36.699 --> 00:58:39.860
friend of Elvis Presley, meeting in 1973 and

00:58:39.860 --> 00:58:41.940
remaining in contact by telephone until two months

00:58:41.940 --> 00:58:45.480
before Presley's death in 1977. Carter noted

00:58:45.480 --> 00:58:47.940
Presley was almost incoherent due to barbiturates

00:58:47.940 --> 00:58:50.469
during their last calls. Highlighting the tragic

00:58:50.469 --> 00:58:52.969
decline of the superstar, Carter issued a statement

00:58:52.969 --> 00:58:55.690
upon Presley's death saying he changed the face

00:58:55.690 --> 00:58:58.389
of American popular culture. But what's truly

00:58:58.389 --> 00:59:00.989
unexpected and quite a delightful humanizing

00:59:00.989 --> 00:59:03.349
detail is his story about a certain celestial

00:59:03.349 --> 00:59:07.329
encounter. He filed a report with the International

00:59:07.329 --> 00:59:09.690
UFO Bureau and the National Investigations Committee

00:59:09.690 --> 00:59:12.030
on Aerial Phenomena claiming to have seen an

00:59:12.030 --> 00:59:19.070
unidentified flying object in October 1969. and

00:59:19.070 --> 00:59:21.750
a former Air Force scientist found old government

00:59:21.750 --> 00:59:24.449
reports about a barium cloud launched that day

00:59:24.449 --> 00:59:27.010
to examine the upper atmosphere, which would

00:59:27.010 --> 00:59:29.489
have appeared at the exact elevation Carter reported.

00:59:29.820 --> 00:59:32.940
giving a scientific explanation to his remarkable

00:59:32.940 --> 00:59:35.400
sighting. Still a great story though. It is.

00:59:35.619 --> 00:59:38.420
From a young age, Carter showed a deep, unwavering

00:59:38.420 --> 00:59:41.400
commitment to evangelical Christianity, famously

00:59:41.400 --> 00:59:44.139
teaching Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church

00:59:44.139 --> 00:59:46.699
in Plains for decades. He popularized the term

00:59:46.699 --> 00:59:49.599
born -again during his 1976 presidential campaign,

00:59:49.880 --> 00:59:52.019
prayed multiple times a day as president, and

00:59:52.019 --> 00:59:54.239
consistently said Jesus was the driving force

00:59:54.239 --> 00:59:56.679
in his life. He was greatly influenced by a sermon

00:59:56.679 --> 00:59:58.699
from his youth that asked a powerful question.

00:59:59.050 --> 01:00:01.429
If you were arrested for being a Christian, would

01:00:01.429 --> 01:00:04.769
there be enough evidence to convict you? Powerful.

01:00:05.070 --> 01:00:07.269
In 2000, he renounced his membership in the Southern

01:00:07.269 --> 01:00:09.349
Baptist Convention after it announced it would

01:00:09.349 --> 01:00:11.949
no longer permit women to become pastors, stating,

01:00:12.989 --> 01:00:15.550
I personally feel that women should play an absolutely

01:00:15.550 --> 01:00:17.909
equal role in the service of Christ in the church.

01:00:18.289 --> 01:00:20.590
And he remained a member of the Cooperative Baptist

01:00:20.590 --> 01:00:22.969
Fellowship. His support for the Equal Rights

01:00:22.969 --> 01:00:25.469
Amendment further cemented his progressive stance

01:00:25.469 --> 01:00:28.860
on gender equality. and notably led many evangelical

01:00:28.860 --> 01:00:31.059
conservatives to leave the Democratic Party,

01:00:31.260 --> 01:00:33.360
contributing to the development of the Christian

01:00:33.360 --> 01:00:36.440
right. This highlights a nuanced and principled

01:00:36.440 --> 01:00:39.300
approach to his faith, even when it caused political

01:00:39.300 --> 01:00:42.000
or denominational friction, demonstrating his

01:00:42.000 --> 01:00:44.139
willingness to follow his conscience above all

01:00:44.139 --> 01:00:46.699
else. His health and longevity are truly a testament

01:00:46.699 --> 01:00:50.730
to extraordinary resilience. On August 3, 2015,

01:00:51.130 --> 01:00:53.110
he underwent surgery for a small liver mass,

01:00:53.530 --> 01:00:55.590
then announced on August 12 that he had been

01:00:55.590 --> 01:00:57.929
diagnosed with metastasized cancer melanoma in

01:00:57.929 --> 01:01:00.610
his brain and liver. He began treatment and announced

01:01:00.610 --> 01:01:03.429
on December 5 that, miraculously, medical scans

01:01:03.429 --> 01:01:06.010
no longer showed any cancer. Incredible. Despite

01:01:06.010 --> 01:01:08.250
these significant health challenges, his resilience

01:01:08.250 --> 01:01:10.789
continued to be tested. He broke his hip in May

01:01:10.789 --> 01:01:13.329
2019, required stitches after another fall in

01:01:13.329 --> 01:01:15.809
October, and sustained a minor pelvic fracture

01:01:15.809 --> 01:01:18.250
from a third fall that same month. In November

01:01:18.250 --> 01:01:21.150
2019, he was hospitalized for a procedure to

01:01:21.150 --> 01:01:23.230
relieve pressure on his brain due to bleeding

01:01:23.230 --> 01:01:26.030
from falls and later for a urinary tract infection.

01:01:26.829 --> 01:01:28.869
It's an incredible list of challenges, yet he

01:01:28.869 --> 01:01:32.349
persevered. On February 18, 2023, the Carter

01:01:32.349 --> 01:01:34.469
Center announced that after a series of short

01:01:34.469 --> 01:01:37.070
hospital stays for an unspecified illness, Carter

01:01:37.070 --> 01:01:39.030
decided to spend his remaining time at home with

01:01:39.030 --> 01:01:41.630
his family in Plains and receive hospice care.

01:01:42.150 --> 01:01:44.750
A deeply personal and dignified decision. His

01:01:44.750 --> 01:01:47.760
longevity milestones are unparalleled. At 100,

01:01:48.179 --> 01:01:50.480
Carter was the longest lived former U .S. president.

01:01:50.840 --> 01:01:53.059
He surpassed Herbert Hoover as the longest retired

01:01:53.059 --> 01:01:55.599
president in 2012, became the first president

01:01:55.599 --> 01:01:57.760
to live to the 40th anniversary of his inauguration

01:01:57.760 --> 01:02:01.840
in 2017 and post presidency in 2021 and the oldest

01:02:01.840 --> 01:02:03.880
former president to attend an inauguration in

01:02:03.880 --> 01:02:06.480
2017. He became the longest lived U .S. president

01:02:06.480 --> 01:02:09.280
on March 22, 2019 and famously attributed his

01:02:09.280 --> 01:02:11.639
longevity to a good marriage, a poignant reflection

01:02:11.639 --> 01:02:14.480
on his life partner. His 100th birthday on October

01:02:14.480 --> 01:02:17.920
4th, 2024 was celebrated with Jimmy Carter 100,

01:02:18.380 --> 01:02:21.400
a celebration in song, an F -18 Super Hornet

01:02:21.400 --> 01:02:24.300
flyover by Navy pilots, and a naturalization

01:02:24.300 --> 01:02:26.480
ceremony for 100 new citizens at Plains High

01:02:26.480 --> 01:02:29.349
School. a truly fitting tribute to a man of service

01:02:29.349 --> 01:02:31.809
and global perspective. Carter made arrangements

01:02:31.809 --> 01:02:33.610
to be buried in front of his home in Plains,

01:02:33.750 --> 01:02:35.789
with a funeral also planned in Washington, D

01:02:35.789 --> 01:02:38.409
.C., and visitation at the Carter Center. President

01:02:38.409 --> 01:02:40.969
Biden was asked to deliver his eulogy, a testament

01:02:40.969 --> 01:02:43.329
to the respect he commanded. Jimmy Carter died

01:02:43.329 --> 01:02:45.710
at his home in Plains, Georgia, on December 29,

01:02:45.989 --> 01:02:48.829
2024, at the age of 100. President Joe Biden

01:02:48.829 --> 01:02:51.170
issued a statement honoring his legacy, calling

01:02:51.170 --> 01:02:53.670
him a man of principle, faith, and humility.

01:02:53.880 --> 01:02:55.880
A state funeral and day of mourning were held

01:02:55.880 --> 01:02:58.960
on January 9th, 2025, attended by all five living

01:02:58.960 --> 01:03:01.820
U .S. presidents, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush,

01:03:02.139 --> 01:03:04.099
Barack Obama, President -elect Donald Trump,

01:03:04.219 --> 01:03:06.980
and incumbent Biden. A rare and powerful display

01:03:06.980 --> 01:03:09.579
of national unity for a man whose life transcended

01:03:09.579 --> 01:03:12.760
political divides. When he left office in 1981,

01:03:13.500 --> 01:03:15.920
scholars and many Democrats viewed his presidency

01:03:15.920 --> 01:03:18.980
as a failure. Political scientist Betty Glad

01:03:18.980 --> 01:03:22.199
summarized the consensus. He didn't have a well

01:03:22.199 --> 01:03:24.659
developed political philosophy and gave people

01:03:24.659 --> 01:03:26.619
a feeling he didn't quite know where he was headed.

01:03:27.179 --> 01:03:29.480
Historians ranked his presidency below average,

01:03:29.780 --> 01:03:33.800
even as the 10th worst in a 1982 survey. Carter,

01:03:34.039 --> 01:03:36.280
however, famously predicted history would be

01:03:36.280 --> 01:03:39.280
kinder. This initial assessment, of course, highlights

01:03:39.280 --> 01:03:41.579
the immediate impact of the economic challenges

01:03:41.579 --> 01:03:44.079
and foreign policy crises that plagued his single

01:03:44.079 --> 01:03:46.780
term, overshadowing many of his policy achievements.

01:03:47.380 --> 01:03:49.519
However, some of his policy accomplishments have

01:03:49.519 --> 01:03:51.579
been much more favorably received in hindsight.

01:03:59.679 --> 01:04:02.440
And Stuart E. Eisenstadt, his chief White House

01:04:02.440 --> 01:04:11.699
domestic policy advisor, wrote that, This reflects

01:04:11.699 --> 01:04:14.019
a growing recognition of the long -term impact

01:04:14.019 --> 01:04:16.360
of policies like deregulation, environmental

01:04:16.360 --> 01:04:19.280
protection, and a human rights focus, often only

01:04:19.280 --> 01:04:21.840
truly appreciated years later. While historians

01:04:21.840 --> 01:04:24.219
generally consider his presidency below average,

01:04:24.460 --> 01:04:27.000
his post -presidency activities have been universally

01:04:27.000 --> 01:04:30.300
praised, particularly his peacekeeping and humanitarian

01:04:30.300 --> 01:04:33.320
efforts. The Independent famously wrote in 2009,

01:04:33.539 --> 01:04:36.159
encapsulating this dichotomy, Carter is widely

01:04:36.159 --> 01:04:38.139
considered a better man than he was a president.

01:04:38.250 --> 01:04:40.789
His public opinion trajectory is truly fascinating,

01:04:40.969 --> 01:04:43.289
isn't it? Illustrating a profound transformation

01:04:43.289 --> 01:04:47.349
in how he was perceived. In 1976, seen as sincere,

01:04:47.489 --> 01:04:49.710
honest, moral, with approval ratings starting

01:04:49.710 --> 01:04:53.849
high, 66 -75%. Then they dipped below 50 % by

01:04:53.849 --> 01:04:56.929
March 1978 due to the economy, rebounded after

01:04:56.929 --> 01:05:00.230
Camp David in 1978, then dipped again to 28 %

01:05:00.230 --> 01:05:04.090
during the 1979 energy crisis. It surged to 61

01:05:04.090 --> 01:05:06.429
% at the beginning of the Iran hostage crisis,

01:05:06.590 --> 01:05:10.510
but slumped to 30%. by June 1980 due to his failure

01:05:10.510 --> 01:05:13.250
to free the hostages. He left office as one of

01:05:13.250 --> 01:05:16.210
the most unpopular presidents with a 46 % average

01:05:16.210 --> 01:05:19.250
approval. However, post presidency opinion saw

01:05:19.250 --> 01:05:23.829
a dramatic shift. By 2006, 61 % approved, his

01:05:23.829 --> 01:05:28.309
highest since 1979. A 2021 survey found 43 %

01:05:28.309 --> 01:05:31.730
regarded him as average and 27 % as outstanding

01:05:31.730 --> 01:05:34.849
or above average. And by 2025, a YouGov poll

01:05:34.849 --> 01:05:36.809
listed Karger as the most popular politician.

01:05:36.750 --> 01:05:40.570
in America with a remarkable 64 % approval. So

01:05:40.570 --> 01:05:42.969
what does this all mean? From a worst president

01:05:42.969 --> 01:05:45.170
ranking to the most popular politician in America,

01:05:45.250 --> 01:05:47.329
that's quite a transformation in public perception.

01:05:47.510 --> 01:05:49.889
Yeah. A testament to a life lived in unwavering

01:05:49.889 --> 01:05:52.469
commitment and a clear demonstration that legacies

01:05:52.469 --> 01:05:55.289
can be and often are redefined over time. He

01:05:55.289 --> 01:05:57.329
received the American Academy of Achievement's

01:05:57.329 --> 01:05:59.730
Golden Plate Award in 1984. The Jimmy Carter

01:05:59.730 --> 01:06:02.210
Library and Museum opened in 1986, and buildings

01:06:02.210 --> 01:06:04.070
related to his life became national historic

01:06:04.070 --> 01:06:06.960
sites in 1987, later renamed Jimmy Carter National

01:06:06.960 --> 01:06:09.699
Historic Park in 2021. He was made an honorary

01:06:09.699 --> 01:06:12.840
member of Phi Beta Kappa in 1991 and elected

01:06:12.840 --> 01:06:15.079
to the American Philosophical Society that same

01:06:15.079 --> 01:06:17.719
year, recognizing his intellectual contributions.

01:06:18.360 --> 01:06:21.239
The U .S. Navy named the USS Jimmy Carter a Sea

01:06:21.239 --> 01:06:24.860
Wolf class submarine in 1998, a unique honor

01:06:24.860 --> 01:06:27.360
for a living former president and a nod to his

01:06:27.360 --> 01:06:29.980
naval past. He received the United Nations Prize

01:06:29.980 --> 01:06:31.920
in the field of human rights, the Hoover Medal,

01:06:32.400 --> 01:06:35.519
and most famously the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

01:06:35.920 --> 01:06:38.139
Which was notably awarded partially in response

01:06:38.139 --> 01:06:41.059
to George W. Bush's threats against Iraq and

01:06:41.059 --> 01:06:43.199
Carter's outspoken criticism of those policies,

01:06:43.639 --> 01:06:45.500
highlighting his continued willingness to challenge

01:06:45.500 --> 01:06:48.280
power. even on the world stage. The Sutherfield

01:06:48.280 --> 01:06:51.099
Airport in Georgia was renamed Jimmy Parter Regional

01:06:51.099 --> 01:06:54.280
Airport in 2009. He received his 10th Grammy

01:06:54.280 --> 01:06:57.000
Award nomination in 2024 for best spoken word

01:06:57.000 --> 01:06:59.400
album, having won four times for audio recordings

01:06:59.400 --> 01:07:01.980
of his books, making him the most nominated and

01:07:01.980 --> 01:07:04.280
awarded recipient in the category, a remarkable

01:07:04.280 --> 01:07:07.469
achievement for a former president. In 2024,

01:07:07.650 --> 01:07:09.469
the White House Historical Association unveiled

01:07:09.469 --> 01:07:11.789
its official Christmas ornament honoring his

01:07:11.789 --> 01:07:13.989
naval service and peace efforts. The first time

01:07:13.989 --> 01:07:16.170
a president being honored was alive at the unveiling.

01:07:16.320 --> 01:07:18.880
And in a heartwarming international gesture,

01:07:19.380 --> 01:07:21.820
Kartapuri, a village in India, was renamed in

01:07:21.820 --> 01:07:24.840
his honor after he visited in 1978, demonstrating

01:07:24.840 --> 01:07:27.639
his global impact beyond official diplomacy.

01:07:27.719 --> 01:07:30.280
Wow. We've journeyed through the remarkable,

01:07:30.840 --> 01:07:33.179
complex, and ultimately transformative life of

01:07:33.179 --> 01:07:36.320
Jimmy Carter. From his humble origins and disciplined

01:07:36.320 --> 01:07:38.940
naval career, through a challenging presidency,

01:07:39.340 --> 01:07:41.800
to an extraordinary post -presidential period

01:07:41.800 --> 01:07:44.599
of humanitarian work. You've seen a man of deep

01:07:44.599 --> 01:07:47.679
convictions evolving principles and unwavering

01:07:47.679 --> 01:07:50.559
commitment to service. His legacy, initially

01:07:50.559 --> 01:07:53.780
fraught with criticism, has blossomed into widespread

01:07:53.780 --> 01:07:56.880
admiration creating a powerful narrative of redemption

01:07:56.880 --> 01:08:00.630
and sustained purpose. It's a testament to a

01:08:00.630 --> 01:08:03.409
life of quiet determination and a profound sense

01:08:03.409 --> 01:08:05.610
of purpose that transcended political office.

01:08:05.849 --> 01:08:07.929
Showing that impact can truly be measured over

01:08:07.929 --> 01:08:10.530
a lifetime, not just a single term. Right. So

01:08:10.530 --> 01:08:12.650
consider this. How does a leader who experiences

01:08:12.650 --> 01:08:15.570
such a dramatic shift in both public and historical

01:08:15.570 --> 01:08:17.989
perception from being initially assessed as below

01:08:17.989 --> 01:08:20.029
average to becoming arguably the most respected

01:08:20.029 --> 01:08:22.369
ex -president challenge our conventional metrics

01:08:22.369 --> 01:08:25.439
of success? That's a great question. What enduring

01:08:25.439 --> 01:08:28.039
lessons does Jimmy Carter's full life offer us

01:08:28.039 --> 01:08:31.020
about the long game of impact, the power of perseverance,

01:08:31.560 --> 01:08:34.340
and the ultimate value of humanitarian service

01:08:34.340 --> 01:08:37.359
over political victories? Perhaps true legacy

01:08:37.359 --> 01:08:40.300
isn't forged in a single term, but in a lifetime

01:08:40.300 --> 01:08:42.579
dedicated to constant learning, compassionate

01:08:42.579 --> 01:08:44.800
action, and a persistent pursuit of justice,

01:08:45.199 --> 01:08:47.770
even when it means standing apart. We encourage

01:08:47.770 --> 01:08:50.470
you to reflect on how such an outlier in presidential

01:08:50.470 --> 01:08:53.090
history offers a unique perspective on leadership,

01:08:53.510 --> 01:08:55.590
integrity, and what it truly means to leave a

01:08:55.590 --> 01:08:56.569
lasting mark on the world.