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(Former president Carter gets fawning treatment from Parade Magazine. Try as I might, I cannot recall Republicans getting this kind of treatment. Not a single question about his disastrous presidency. No questions about his controversial remarks. No challenging questions at all. This is a puff piece intended for no other reason than to pump of the legacy of the former president.)
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Nearly 33 years after leaving the White House, the former president and first lady reflect on the work they are most proud of, how Washington politics have changed, and the secret to their 67-year marriage
BY MARK K. UPDEGROVE
At 10 o’clock on Sunday mornings, Jimmy Carter can often be found teaching scripture at the Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Ga. (pop. 776). People from all over the world visit the modest brick structure in hopes of seeing the 39th president hold forth on the Good Book. Afterward, they line up on the church’s rolling lawn as Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, pose patiently for photos. For many, it’s an “only in America” moment. (If you read this paragraph and then expected the former president to be asked about his faith, you'd be wrong. This central part of Mr. Carter's life was not borught up. You know, if Democrats engage in religious behavior or make religious professions, the media is remarkably incurious. But if a conservative or a Republican does so, well, it's a crisis situation with an extremist.)
The Carters moved back to Plains in 1981, after Carter found himself, as he said, “involuntarily retired.” But his life of public service was far from over. Carter has enjoyed the longest post-presidency of any U.S. president, and one of the most productive. His work through the Carter Center, the nonprofit he and Mrs. Carter began in 1982 with the aim of “waging peace, fighting disease, and building hope” throughout the world, played a large part in his 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.
At 89 and 86 years old, respectively, President and Mrs. Carter have hardly slowed down. On a Saturday afternoon this fall at their four-bedroom ranch home, they spoke with author and presidential historian Mark K. Updegrove about their lives today and shared their views on the nation and the world. Later, they then sent Updegrove on his way with a brown bag lunch of tomato and onion sandwiches, baby carrots, and graham crackers spread with peanut butter— naturally, from the peanut farmers from Plains—prepared by the former first lady herself.
PARADE: What do your lives look like today?
JIMMY CARTER: I get up at 5 o’clock, and I work on whatever project is most important at the moment. I’m writing my 28th book and in constant communication with the Carter Center. I deal with foreign leaders regularly. Once a month I go to Atlanta to teach at Emory University.
Our work here in Plains is demanding, too. We try to keep our little town vibrant and alive. And we own two farms. I have a full and very unpredictable—I’d say adventurous—challenging, interesting, and most of the time gratifying life.
What is the mission of the Carter Center?
JC: To promote peace and human rights. When we see a situation not being addressed by the UN or the U.S. government, that’s where we concentrate our efforts. One example is neglected diseases; we’re trying to eliminate guinea-worm disease in South Sudan. We’re almost finished now eliminating river blindness in Latin America.
We also help with troubled elections, and try to deal with political situations that aren’t being adequately addressed.
Mrs. Carter, you’ve been active in mental health for more than 40 years. Has it been destigmatized as much as you’d hoped?
ROSALYNN CARTER: No. The stigma on depression and anxiety disorders is lifting a bit, but for major mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, there’s been very little change. The mental health community has been trying to educate people that the brain is just like any other body part. If you have a heart problem, you get help. But a poll showed that the more people learn something’s wrong with the brain, the more afraid they get of dealing with it.
Many cite the perpetrators in the Sandy Hook and Aurora shootings and say we don’t have a gun control issue—we have a mental health issue. What is your view?
RC: There’s a mental health problem in the sense that people are so afraid of the stigma that they don’t get help. But there’s absolutely a gun control problem in the country. Only 4 percent of all violent crimes in the U.S. are committed by people with mental illnesses. It’s just unbelievable to me that the National Rifle Association has so much power. (The NRA is a voluntary association of people. Their power comes from time-honored American values. Ms. Carter's outrage is inappropriate.) I think Americans probably want gun control but Congress can’t vote for it. (This explains why Ms. Carter never was in politics. She apparently doesn't understand that Congress is supposed to represent their constituencies. If the people indeed did want gun control [actually, MORE gun control], then their representatives would vote that way. In actual fact, gun control is unpopular, and that's why Congress won't vote for it.)
In the House you had a legislative batting average of 76 percent, according to Congressional Quarterly . Today’s Washington seems defined by bitter partisanship. How has it changed?
JC: Dramatically. The most seminal cause has been the massive influx of money into campaigns. The Citizens United ruling was a terrible mistake. Now even corporations with partial ownership from overseas have an almost unlimited impact on elections. (This is simply not true, but is a persistent myth on the Left. From Wikipedia: "This ruling was frequently interpreted as permitting corporations and unions to donate to political campaigns,[23] or else removing limits on how much a donor can contribute to a campaign.[24] However, these claims are incorrect, as the ruling did not affect the 1907 Tillman Act's ban on corporate campaign donations (as the Court noted explicitly in its decision[25]), nor the prohibition on foreign corporate donations to American campaigns,[26] nor did it concern campaign contribution limits.[27]") A lot of that money is used for negative advertising. The main way you win elections these days is by destroying the reputation of your opponent. (Something that the Left is particularly adept at.) And the winners go to Washington highly imbued with partisanship. There’s no social relationship between Democratic and Republican senators or House members. (It used to be that the Democrats were perpetually in power, and they were never questioned. The media was largely silent about the shenanigans in Congress. Republicans, if they wanted to be invited to the parties and be part of the legislative process, would simply shut up and go along. And for that they were given a pat on the head and tossed a few crumbs.
At 10 o’clock on Sunday mornings, Jimmy Carter can often be found teaching scripture at the Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Ga. (pop. 776). People from all over the world visit the modest brick structure in hopes of seeing the 39th president hold forth on the Good Book. Afterward, they line up on the church’s rolling lawn as Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, pose patiently for photos. For many, it’s an “only in America” moment. (If you read this paragraph and then expected the former president to be asked about his faith, you'd be wrong. This central part of Mr. Carter's life was not borught up. You know, if Democrats engage in religious behavior or make religious professions, the media is remarkably incurious. But if a conservative or a Republican does so, well, it's a crisis situation with an extremist.)
The Carters moved back to Plains in 1981, after Carter found himself, as he said, “involuntarily retired.” But his life of public service was far from over. Carter has enjoyed the longest post-presidency of any U.S. president, and one of the most productive. His work through the Carter Center, the nonprofit he and Mrs. Carter began in 1982 with the aim of “waging peace, fighting disease, and building hope” throughout the world, played a large part in his 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.
At 89 and 86 years old, respectively, President and Mrs. Carter have hardly slowed down. On a Saturday afternoon this fall at their four-bedroom ranch home, they spoke with author and presidential historian Mark K. Updegrove about their lives today and shared their views on the nation and the world. Later, they then sent Updegrove on his way with a brown bag lunch of tomato and onion sandwiches, baby carrots, and graham crackers spread with peanut butter— naturally, from the peanut farmers from Plains—prepared by the former first lady herself.
PARADE: What do your lives look like today?
JIMMY CARTER: I get up at 5 o’clock, and I work on whatever project is most important at the moment. I’m writing my 28th book and in constant communication with the Carter Center. I deal with foreign leaders regularly. Once a month I go to Atlanta to teach at Emory University.
Our work here in Plains is demanding, too. We try to keep our little town vibrant and alive. And we own two farms. I have a full and very unpredictable—I’d say adventurous—challenging, interesting, and most of the time gratifying life.
What is the mission of the Carter Center?
JC: To promote peace and human rights. When we see a situation not being addressed by the UN or the U.S. government, that’s where we concentrate our efforts. One example is neglected diseases; we’re trying to eliminate guinea-worm disease in South Sudan. We’re almost finished now eliminating river blindness in Latin America.
We also help with troubled elections, and try to deal with political situations that aren’t being adequately addressed.
Mrs. Carter, you’ve been active in mental health for more than 40 years. Has it been destigmatized as much as you’d hoped?
ROSALYNN CARTER: No. The stigma on depression and anxiety disorders is lifting a bit, but for major mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, there’s been very little change. The mental health community has been trying to educate people that the brain is just like any other body part. If you have a heart problem, you get help. But a poll showed that the more people learn something’s wrong with the brain, the more afraid they get of dealing with it.
Many cite the perpetrators in the Sandy Hook and Aurora shootings and say we don’t have a gun control issue—we have a mental health issue. What is your view?
RC: There’s a mental health problem in the sense that people are so afraid of the stigma that they don’t get help. But there’s absolutely a gun control problem in the country. Only 4 percent of all violent crimes in the U.S. are committed by people with mental illnesses. It’s just unbelievable to me that the National Rifle Association has so much power. (The NRA is a voluntary association of people. Their power comes from time-honored American values. Ms. Carter's outrage is inappropriate.) I think Americans probably want gun control but Congress can’t vote for it. (This explains why Ms. Carter never was in politics. She apparently doesn't understand that Congress is supposed to represent their constituencies. If the people indeed did want gun control [actually, MORE gun control], then their representatives would vote that way. In actual fact, gun control is unpopular, and that's why Congress won't vote for it.)
In the House you had a legislative batting average of 76 percent, according to Congressional Quarterly . Today’s Washington seems defined by bitter partisanship. How has it changed?
JC: Dramatically. The most seminal cause has been the massive influx of money into campaigns. The Citizens United ruling was a terrible mistake. Now even corporations with partial ownership from overseas have an almost unlimited impact on elections. (This is simply not true, but is a persistent myth on the Left. From Wikipedia: "This ruling was frequently interpreted as permitting corporations and unions to donate to political campaigns,[23] or else removing limits on how much a donor can contribute to a campaign.[24] However, these claims are incorrect, as the ruling did not affect the 1907 Tillman Act's ban on corporate campaign donations (as the Court noted explicitly in its decision[25]), nor the prohibition on foreign corporate donations to American campaigns,[26] nor did it concern campaign contribution limits.[27]") A lot of that money is used for negative advertising. The main way you win elections these days is by destroying the reputation of your opponent. (Something that the Left is particularly adept at.) And the winners go to Washington highly imbued with partisanship. There’s no social relationship between Democratic and Republican senators or House members. (It used to be that the Democrats were perpetually in power, and they were never questioned. The media was largely silent about the shenanigans in Congress. Republicans, if they wanted to be invited to the parties and be part of the legislative process, would simply shut up and go along. And for that they were given a pat on the head and tossed a few crumbs.
But more recently, with the advent of talk radio and National Review, the cronyism and back room deals of government are coming more and more into the public consciousness. A new breed of Republican, emboldened by the light of free speech shining into the often outrageous actions of congressman. They are not used to being challenged. they have had the power and free reign for so long, with an entitlement mentality, they are not happy now that this new breed of Republican is coming in and upsetting the system.
Thus, the backlash. You rarely hear the TEA party discussed in the dinosaur media without allegations of racism being brought up. These old-line legislators are losing their power, and they don't like it.
And floor debates have become rare . The country is polarized—not only in Washington, but back home, too. The other factor is the gerrymandering of districts. (Actually, Mr. Carter left out the word "Republican" in referring to gerrymandering. Democrats are famous for their gerrymandering, but now that Republicans have some power and are starting to engage in similar political tactics, well, Mr. Carter cannot countenance that.)
What was your reaction to your grandson James Carter IV uncovering the hidden camera video of Mitt Romney making his infamous comments about the 47 percent?
JC: I think it was the turning point [in the election]. About six months later, President Obama came to Atlanta, and another grandson, Jason, a state senator, took James over to meet the president, and Obama thanked him profusely. I was very proud.
How would you evaluate the Obama presidency so far?
JC: He’s done the best he could under the circumstances. His major accomplishment was Obamacare, and the implementation of it now is questionable at best. (Whew. What a tepid endorsement. I wish the questioner had went a little deeper here.)
There’s wide speculation Hillary Clinton will run in 2016. What would you advise her?
JC: Most of the Democratic candidates consult with me, at least to be polite. I tell them, “Go ahead and run.” I use myself as an example. Nobody thought I had a chance in God’s world to be the nominee. Obviously, she’ll have a good chance if she does run.
You and George H. W. Bush are our oldest former presidents . Do you have a relationship?
Although Gerald Ford was my closest personal friend, President Bush and I have an excellent relationship. I have often said that his administration cooperated the best with me and the Carter Center .
Although Gerald Ford was my closest personal friend, President Bush and I have an excellent relationship. I have often said that his administration cooperated the best with me and the Carter Center .
You came to the defense of Paula Deen in June after she admitted to using a racial slur, and offered her advice. What was it?
JC: She’s a very close friend. I told her she ought to publicize what she’s done for very poor people in Savannah, more than two-thirds of whom are African-American. She said she’d done that. What she did was admit what almost every southerner of her age would have to admit—that sometime in their lives they probably used the word. I’m not making an excuse—I don’t need to. I was in the navy when Truman ordained that racial discrimination be over in the military. I came home looking upon African-Americans as equals.
Mrs. Carter, what’s the secret to your 67-year marriage?
RC: I think space. He lets me do things I am interested in, and I let him do things he’s interested in. It all developed when we had the farm supply business and I was keeping the books. It wasn’t long before I knew more about the business than he did. So I could give him advice. We learned to respect each other.
What would you like your legacy to be?
RC: I hope I’ve contributed something to the mental health field. But I hope people will think—I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities, I tried to take advantage of them.
Mr. President, how do you hope history remembers you?
JC: I’d like to be judged primarily by our work at the Carter Center for the last 32 years . (He's done a lot of good work in the years after his presidency, and deserves kudos. If only he would keep his mouth shut and keep his nose out of politics, he would be regarded as an exemplary former president.) I don’t mean to exclude the White House. (But he hopes to do so, because of his disastrous presidency. He may have been the worst president of the modern era.) But in my more self-satisfied moments, I think about our unwavering promotion of peace and human rights. We never deliberately deviate from those commitments. Even though it’s sometimes not a popular thing to do.
Read more of our conversation with the Carters, including the former president’s thoughts on the Middle East today, at parade.com/carter.
JC: She’s a very close friend. I told her she ought to publicize what she’s done for very poor people in Savannah, more than two-thirds of whom are African-American. She said she’d done that. What she did was admit what almost every southerner of her age would have to admit—that sometime in their lives they probably used the word. I’m not making an excuse—I don’t need to. I was in the navy when Truman ordained that racial discrimination be over in the military. I came home looking upon African-Americans as equals.
Mrs. Carter, what’s the secret to your 67-year marriage?
RC: I think space. He lets me do things I am interested in, and I let him do things he’s interested in. It all developed when we had the farm supply business and I was keeping the books. It wasn’t long before I knew more about the business than he did. So I could give him advice. We learned to respect each other.
What would you like your legacy to be?
RC: I hope I’ve contributed something to the mental health field. But I hope people will think—I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities, I tried to take advantage of them.
Mr. President, how do you hope history remembers you?
JC: I’d like to be judged primarily by our work at the Carter Center for the last 32 years . (He's done a lot of good work in the years after his presidency, and deserves kudos. If only he would keep his mouth shut and keep his nose out of politics, he would be regarded as an exemplary former president.) I don’t mean to exclude the White House. (But he hopes to do so, because of his disastrous presidency. He may have been the worst president of the modern era.) But in my more self-satisfied moments, I think about our unwavering promotion of peace and human rights. We never deliberately deviate from those commitments. Even though it’s sometimes not a popular thing to do.
Read more of our conversation with the Carters, including the former president’s thoughts on the Middle East today, at parade.com/carter.
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