St Paul Proud Of Carter’s Good Race?

Jimmy Carter at 98 & after many illnesses is in hospice care. Few have deserved our thanks more. Not for iffy presidency & Reagan shellacking but for having wisdom & faith to be “The Eleanor Roosevelt” of ex-Presidents.

As if prepping a premature obit, the WSJ notes how “Mr. Carter, a Democrat who served as president from 1977 to 1981, brokered a historic peace treaty between Israel & Egypt … But the 39th president’s sole term in office was also marred by stubborn inflation, gasoline lines, gridlock in Congress & the seizure of American hostages in Iran.” After being beaten decidedly by Mr. Reagan in 1980, Mr. Carter’s political career was clearly finished. Yet, as the newspaper marvels, “from that defeat he launched an extraordinary second act, diving headlong into hands-on philanthropy in the US & worldwide, earning praise as the most successful former president.

A hopelessly creative thinker who wanted to “get things done,” Mr. Carter moved on to gain “renown for work over decades monitoring elections around the world, fighting neglected diseases, building houses & working to raise living standards for the poor & advocating for human rights.” As Mr. Carter would come to say, his post-presidency work was “far more gratifying personally” than that while living in the White House. Others were grateful in return, e.g., being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work in resolving international conflicts & to promote democracy, human rights & economic & social development everywhere. As St. Paul would have observed: “Mr. Carter has fought the good fight, finished the race, he has kept the faith.”

Davd Soul