Jimmy Carter

I was a big fan of Jimmy Carter. He was a Democrat and his Christian Faith appeared genuine to me. As a matter of fact, Carter is my favorite of all ten presidents in my lifetime. I was in the Army, at Fort Benning, during this election cycle. I remember sitting in a Sunday School class on post when the teacher (wierdly) asked people to raise thier hands if they were voting for Ford. I was the only one with an unraised hand and received uncomfortable looks. Carter was the first president that I voted for (by absentee ballot). I stayed up late to listen to election results while I was in Jump School. The day after the election, I jumped out of an airplane for the first time. I took of a day off of work to see Carter during his first visit to Plains after the election. (Plains was about an hour's drive). I tried to take a picture, but I was too far away.

I defended Carter to Army folk when I was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, especially during the Panama Canal debate. I thought that he did an outstanding job during the Camp David Accords, and identified with his helplessness during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. My family was in the process of moving from Missouri to Oregon when the 1980 campaigning began. We were vacationing at Lake of the Ozarks when Ted Kennedy tried to take the nomination from Carter at the convention. In November of 1980, I was just begining my studies at the U of O in Eugene. Zachary came home from 1st grade, saying that he was for Ronald Regan. What? I voted for Carter, but the B-movie actor was elected president.

I think that his contributions since 1981 have increased his reputation (at least in my mind) that Carter is the most decent man to ever serve as president.

Events from the Carter Administration.