A Man Who Kept His Promises

(This essay originally appeared in early 2023 when former President Jimmy Carter first entered hospice care. In reflecting on his recent death, I have revised the article with additional details about his life and achievements. He is one of my favorite presidents not because of his party affiliation or his political successes or failures while in office, but because his integrity was unimpeachable. Our Founding Fathers believed that our fragile democracy was dependent on moral and principled leaders. Jimmy Carter exemplified the moral and principled characteristics our Founding Fathers envisioned.) 

Politicians have generally not fared very well when it comes to honesty, integrity, and truth-telling. President Harry Truman once quipped, “My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. To tell you the truth, there’s hardly a difference.”

Of course there are exceptions to Truman’s cynical but, unfortunately, all too true view of many politicians. George Washington, for instance, was an unquestionably honorable man who turned down a third term for president when it was offered to him. The monarch in England King George III, knowing the intoxicating effects of power, was surprised by Washington’s decision to step away from the presidency and become an ordinary citizen, but such was the character of America’s first president.

Jimmy Carter is another such politician whose integrity closely tracks with that of such highly honorable men as Washington. Former President Carter became our nation’s chief executive when Americans had soured on politics. The Watergate scandal was still fresh in our nation’s psyche, eroding people’s trust in government. Carter believed that his primary task as president was to restore the credibility of America’s most important office.

One of the first things that stood out for me as I listened to his inaugural address on January 20, 1977 was his humility and love of country. He did not use his bully pulpit, with the entire country watching and listening, to fan flames of political partisanship. How easy it would have been for Carter to condemn President Nixon and the corruption that had taken place during his tenure. Notably, Carter did not choose that path.

He began his speech by thanking President Gerald Ford, whom he had defeated, “for all he had done to heal our land.” He then read from the Bible Micah 6:8, a verse that George Washington had used in his inaugural address: “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” Whatever else Jimmy Carter did or failed to do during his presidency, he certainly fulfilled what God requires of a human being. No one ever questioned President Carter’s honesty, his concern and care for people, and his deep devotion and humility when it came to the service of his country.

A Southern Baptist, President Carter made many southerners uncomfortable with his emphasis on racial equality. He knew that racism continues to stain our national character and worked tirelessly to bring understanding and respect between racial groups. Historians have written that his advocacy for equality between the races alienated many White voters in the Southern States and turned them against the Democratic Party. 

Kai Bird, who spent considerable time with the former president and extensively researched his life, writes that Carter often ignored what was politically advantageous, even if it cost him popularity among his constituency, in order to do the right thing. He appointed more African Americans, Hispanics, and women to the federal bench than anyone before him. He tripled the size of the nation’s protected wilderness areas, creating a backlash from those who wanted to exploit America’s natural resources. He warned about climate change and emphasized the need for America to become energy independent far ahead of his time. He installed solar panels on the White House to set an example for the rest of the country. If only we had listened!  

He advocated human rights, not just in our country but around the world. His negotiating skills were put on full display when he brought together the nations of Israel and Egypt, countries that had been at each other’s throat for millennia. The signing of the Camp David peace accord, one of the great achievements of his presidency, continues to stabilize relations between Israel and Egypt.

A speech he made in 1979 that his opponents called “The Malaise Speech” was prophetic. Carter saw deep into the heart of our nation and recognized that our country had lost its moral compass. Among his many insightful comments, he said, “Too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption.” He noted that Americans had lost their sense of community and sacrifice. As true as his words were then, they are exponentially truer today. Corporate greed and a national narcissism are threatening to unravel the American way of life.

He probably is most remembered and criticized for his handling of the Iranian hostage crisis, the result of giving the deposed shah asylum in our country. For months President Carter refused to give the shah sanctuary, knowing that it would inflame the fragile and volatile Iranian regime. When Carter at last allowed the shah to enter our country for medical reasons at the urgent request of his Cabinet, the Iranians overran the embassy in Tehran and took 66 Americans hostage.  

President Carter’s “Malaise Speech” - 1979

The hostages were not released until President Ronald Reagan took office in January 1981. What many people overlook is that President Carter and his team had been negotiating the release of the hostages for months, but, as one final attempt to embarrass the president, the Iranians did not let the hostages go until a new president took office.

It will be interesting to read how future historians will regard President Carter’s time in office. He served our country during an incredibly difficult time. The aftermath of the Watergate scandal, the energy crisis, inflation, and Iran’s capture of 66 Americans were significant problems that Carter had to deal with. In addition, he struggled to pass much of his legislative agenda, which seriously undermined his presidency. Still, it will be decades from now, when the partisan smoke has cleared, before scholars are able to fully evaluate the plusses and minuses of his presidency and offer a more objective analysis.

After he left office, the former president and Rosalynn created the Carter Center, a place where conflict resolution, public health issues and election monitoring across the world were undertaken. He also labored with Habitat for Humanity, building and restoring houses for the disadvantaged. His biographer writes that above all else, President Carter “was a problem solver.” His fervent desire was to help people live a better life, materially and spiritually. 

In spite of his travel and unending work to improve lives, not only in our country but across the world, he could usually be found on Sunday morning at the Plains Baptist Church teaching his Sunday School class. His lessons were simple, practical, and sprinkled with stories and bits of humor. The people who came from far and wide to hear him were mesmerized by the former president, who even took time to shake hands with the visitors.

Around twelve years ago some friends of ours went to visit the Plains Baptist Church and hear President Carter deliver one of his lessons. They were struck by how down-to-earth the famous former president was. There wasn’t even a hint of arrogance or condescension. With open Bible, he shared from his heart his faith in Jesus, his failures, his common humanity, and his desire to continue to improve as a human being.

The former president has now ended his journey on earth. He lived life well, and his integrity as a public servant serves as a model for all who aspire to the highest office in the land. He served honorably in the Navy. He was a respected businessman in his home state of Georgia and was later elected governor. He ran as a dark horse candidate for President of the United States and won. While his time in office is not without controversy, he never lied to the American people, and was respected as a man of integrity by both sides of the political divide. Through it all, he lived faithfully as a follower of Jesus. By now he has undoubtedly heard the words, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.”

I wonder if Harry Truman ever met Jimmy Carter. If he had, I think he would have made an exception for Jimmy Carter!