Jimmy Carter set a strong role model for previous presidents despite the political crises he faced in the White House.
The beloved leader's legacy extended far beyond his single term in the Oval Office, as his sad death at the age of 100 marked the passing of one of America's kindest souls.
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James Earl Carter Jr. came from humble beginnings, born and raised on a peanut farm in Plains, Georgia,
He was also the only U.S. Naval Academy graduate to be elected to the White House before holding public office.
But Carter's background was part of his appeal, according to political scientist and University of Oregon professor Daniel Tichenor.
Tichenor exclusively told the US Sun:[Carter] He was relatively inexperienced, but that was also his enormous appeal because most Americans had lost confidence in government and the presidency in particular and felt it was corrupt.
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Carter ran for president in 1976, just two years after former President Richard Nixon resigned from office in the wake of the Watergate scandal.
Americans also felt as if there was “a lot of deception surrounding the Vietnam War,” which ended in 1975 after two decades of fighting, Tichenor added.
“The national spirit was low and there was someone coming in with new ideas who wanted to make human rights and American morality center stage in our foreign policy,” the expert said.
“and [Carter] He also promised unprecedented transparency and honesty as an elected official.
Carter was “very popular at first,” according to Tichenor.
One of the most notable events of Carter's presidency was the Camp David Accords, which were political agreements signed by Egypt and Israel in 1978 with the aim of bringing peace to the Middle East.
But the Carter administration also took several political blows from which the 39th president was unable to recover.
Tichenor said: “In his first term, he faced a number of crises and challenges that really tested him and ultimately led to his defeat in the 1980 elections.”
This included the Iran Hostage Crisis, in which 52 American diplomats and citizens of the national embassy in Tehran were held hostage for 444 days, in 1979. oil The crisis resulting from a decline in oil production during the Iranian Revolution and the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.
“All of these things shook confidence in his administration,” Tichenor said.
In 1980, Carter lost the presidency to Republican candidate Ronald Reagan.
Post-presidential service
While Carter may have suffered a harsh defeat, he never abandoned his commitment to service; in fact, he remained active in public engagements until 2021 at the age of 97.
“The vast majority of former presidents typically spend their time at leisure,” Tichenor said.
“Instead, President Carter has really set a powerful model of how to truly be an agenda setter and someone who is an agent of post-presidential change.”
Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, founded the Carter Center in 1982, which “seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, promote freedom and democracy, and improve health“, on the world stage, according to their mission statement.
One of the centre's health programmes, which has been in operation since 1986, includes the eradication of Guinea worm disease.
“He once told me that he hoped to survive the last guinea worm,” Kay Bird, Carter’s biographer, wrote in the New York Times.
“Last year there were only 13 cases of Guinea worm disease in humans,” he said. “Maybe it worked.”
Carter and his wife also contributed to Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization that builds homes for people in need around the world.
Tichenor said the former president was “someone who was willing to roll up his sleeves and give back in a powerful way.”
In 2002, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which the head of the Nobel Committee believes the former president deserves since the 1978 Camp David Accords.
This award was given to only three other presidents, and Carter was the only one who received the award after his presidency.
Tichenor believes Carter received the award “for his long standing as a statesman who has tried to resolve conflicts around the world and be a constructive force to encourage lasting peace.”
From peanut farmer to Noble Prize winner, Jimmy Carter He dedicated his life to the well-being of not only the American people, but also those in need around the world.
Jimmy Carter once said, “I have one life and one chance to make it count for something.”
“My faith requires me to do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can and with everything I have to try to make a difference.”
The 39th President of the United States has died, after nearly two years in hospice care.
His son, Chip Carter, confirmed that the former leader died at his home in Georgia on Sunday around 3:45 p.m. ET.
Carter died peacefully surrounded by his family who paid emotional tributes to the former leader.
Carter is survived by his children, Jack, James, Donnell and Amy, as well as 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
It is expected that an official funeral will be announced in the coming days.
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