kchoya
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Enter your message here...
Posts: 9,934
|
Post by kchoya on Sept 20, 2010 17:51:38 GMT -5
Just to poke the bear: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/16/AR2010091605408.htmlBRIAN WILLIAMS: What is it -- about you, you think, the way you've -- decided to conduct your life and post-presidency? Do you feel listened to? Do you feel -- that you receive your due? Or do you feel, in fact, apart from the crowd? JIMMY CARTER: No. I -- I feel that my role as a former president is probably superior to that of other presidents'.  I guess throwing Teddy Kennedy under the submerged Oldsmobile bus wasn't enough. |
|
Boz
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
123 Fireballs!
Posts: 10,355
|
Post by Boz on Sept 20, 2010 17:54:12 GMT -5
Jimmy Carter could take a tip from George Bush. Both of them.
|
|
|
|
Post by jerseyhoya34 on Sept 20, 2010 19:58:29 GMT -5
The best advice Carter could have received after the Bush Presidency was to keep his mouth shut since he, too, had been bailed out and would no longer be considered the worst president of the last 50 years. That he has not "faded to Bolivian" reflects stupidity on his part.
|
|
TC
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 9,480
|
Post by TC on Sept 20, 2010 23:41:45 GMT -5
Jimmy Carter could take a tip from George Bush. Both of them. And what, create his own Legacy Project that basically tries to argue the same thing? I'm not seeing what's wrong here. He clearly dislikes Kennedy and Clinton (who is the only person that statement is really aimed at since the Bushes aren't really in that argument) because of the history there. Why are those grudges such a newsflash? |
|
The Stig
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,844
|
Post by The Stig on Sept 21, 2010 0:09:10 GMT -5
I don't think Carter's comments here are inaccurate. I know people here take exception to a lot of his comments that make it to the media, but you can't deny the huge amount of work he and his center have done to make the world a better place. I think it's safe to say that Carter has done more for the world as an ex-President than any other President has done after they left the White House.
|
|
Elvado
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,080
|
Post by Elvado on Sept 21, 2010 8:00:03 GMT -5
Mr. Carter is a fine man who has done wonderful things after leaving Washington. His work in building homes and bettering the lives of others is nothing but laudable.
Unfortunately, much like during his term in office, his take on foreign affairs and U.S. national security is damn near idiotic.
That said, he remains a fine man who was woefully overmatched as President.
|
|
DFW HOYA
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,911
|
Post by DFW HOYA on Sept 21, 2010 9:27:46 GMT -5
Mr. Carter is a fine man who has done wonderful things after leaving Washington. His work in building homes and bettering the lives of others is nothing but laudable. Unfortunately, much like during his term in office, his take on foreign affairs and U.S. national security is damn near idiotic. That said, he remains a fine man who was woefully overmatched as President. Agreed. But Carter seems incapable of letting go of grudges, and it is pointless to blame Kennedy after his death for the fact that he didn't get a health care bill. As to the point above that he's done a lot in his post-presidential years, true, but modern presidents have had access to good health care and have longer post-presidential lives than their predecessors. Not all presidents in the 20th Century enjoyed such a bountiful retirement: McKinley (--) TR (died 10 years after leaving the White House) Taft (17) Wilson (3) Harding (--) Coolidge (4) Hoover (30) FDR (--) Truman (16) Eisenhower (8) JFK (--) LBJ (4) Nixon (20) |
|
hoyatables
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,606
|
Post by hoyatables on Sept 21, 2010 9:39:37 GMT -5
It's too soon to tell what Clinton's post-presidential legacy will be. And will be very interesting to compare to GW Bush. Both men have many years left.
|
|
The Stig
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,844
|
Post by The Stig on Sept 21, 2010 9:51:21 GMT -5
Clinton and the Bushes have become much more active in recent years on the humanitarian front, starting with the Asian tsunami relief efforts. But before then Clinton was basically raking in the big bucks as a speaker, while both the Bushes were content to lay low.
Sadly, the elder Bush isn't looking so good these days. Hopefully he manages to stay around for a while yet. He's led a truly extraordinary life.
|
|
TC
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 9,480
|
Post by TC on Sept 21, 2010 9:57:23 GMT -5
It's too soon to tell what Clinton's post-presidential legacy will be. And will be very interesting to compare to GW Bush. Both men have many years left. That may be true, but at this point in time, Carter has far and away done more. |
|
kchoya
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Enter your message here...
Posts: 9,934
|
Post by kchoya on Sept 21, 2010 11:02:05 GMT -5
It's too soon to tell what Clinton's post-presidential legacy will be. And will be very interesting to compare to GW Bush. Both men have many years left. That may be true, but at this point in time, Carter has far and away done more. Whether or not one believes that, the reason why this is a story is it's bush league to come out and say, "I'm superior to other former presidents." |
|
SirSaxa
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 747
|
Post by SirSaxa on Sept 21, 2010 11:18:00 GMT -5
Hey, what about that Dam that Hoover built!  OK, bad joke. As for Carter, I do think he's done an outstanding job as ex-prez, but I can't disagree that calling his work "superior" was not an admirable statement. |
|
Boz
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
123 Fireballs!
Posts: 10,355
|
Post by Boz on Sept 21, 2010 11:50:05 GMT -5
but I can't disagree that calling his work "superior" was not an admirable statement. OK, I'm still trying to unravel this one. When I make my way through all the negatives, you are, in fact, saying that Jimmy Carter is history's greatest nightmare, correct? ;D |
|
SirSaxa
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 747
|
Post by SirSaxa on Sept 21, 2010 11:57:08 GMT -5
but I can't disagree that calling his work "superior" was not an admirable statement. OK, I'm still trying to unravel this one. When I make my way through all the negatives, you are, in fact, saying that Jimmy Carter is history's greatest nightmare, correct? ;D Just trying to keep you on your toes Boz!  |
|
TC
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 9,480
|
Post by TC on Sept 21, 2010 12:09:06 GMT -5
When I make my way through all the negatives, you are, in fact, saying that Jimmy Carter is history's greatest nightmare, correct? ;D History's greatest monster, not nightmare. |
|
Boz
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
123 Fireballs!
Posts: 10,355
|
Post by Boz on Sept 21, 2010 12:20:39 GMT -5
When I make my way through all the negatives, you are, in fact, saying that Jimmy Carter is history's greatest nightmare, correct? ;D History's greatest monster, not nightmare. Anyone who knows me at all will know that this has now ruined my entire day. I really am going senile. Getting something like that wrong, never woulda' happened a few short years ago. |
|
kchoya
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Enter your message here...
Posts: 9,934
|
Post by kchoya on Sept 21, 2010 12:22:12 GMT -5
History's greatest monster, not nightmare. Anyone who knows me at all will know that this has now ruined my entire day. I really am going senile. Getting something like that wrong, never woulda' happened a few short years ago. At least you didn't repeat your mistake on washingtonpost.com. ;D |
|
The Stig
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,844
|
Post by The Stig on Sept 21, 2010 12:44:45 GMT -5
For what it's worth, that quote isn't in the article kchoya posted. I'd like to see it to put it into context.
Either way, I can't really criticize Carter for the comment. If he's saying it for his own ego then it's tactless, but still accurate nonetheless. If he's saying it to criticize other ex-Presidents for not doing enough to make the world a better place after they leave the White House, then I think the criticism is warranted. After all, if a President who was as unpopular as Carter was can do so much after leaving the White House, imagine what a popular President like Bush the Elder or Clinton could do.
|
|
kchoya
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Enter your message here...
Posts: 9,934
|
Post by kchoya on Sept 21, 2010 13:08:50 GMT -5
For what it's worth, that quote isn't in the article kchoya posted. I'd like to see it to put it into context. Either way, I can't really criticize Carter for the comment. If he's saying it for his own ego then it's tactless, but still accurate nonetheless. If he's saying it to criticize other ex-Presidents for not doing enough to make the world a better place after they leave the White House, then I think the criticism is warranted. After all, if a President who was as unpopular as Carter was can do so much after leaving the White House, imagine what a popular President like Bush the Elder or Clinton could do. BRIAN WILLIAMS: The last photo of you with your -- fellow former presidents, you were well off to the side on the right. And I thought to myself, well, there's -- there's a possible metaphor. (LAUGHTER) What is it -- about you, you think, the way you've -- decided to conduct your life and post-presidency? Do you feel listened to? Do you feel -- that you receive your due? Or do you feel, in fact, apart from the crowd? JIMMY CARTER: No. I -- I feel that my role as a former president is probably superior to that of other presidents'. Primarily because of the activism and the -- and the injection of working at the Carter Center and in international affairs, and to some degree, domestic affairs, on energy conservation, on -- on environment, and things of that kind. We're right in the midst of the -- of the constant daily debate. And -- and -- and the Carter Center has decided, under my leadership, to fill vacuums in the world. When -- when the United States won't deal with troubled areas, we go there, and we meet with leaders who can bring an end to a conflict, or an end to a human rights abuse, and so forth. So I -- I feel that I have an advantage over many other former presidents in being involved in daily affairs that have shaped the policies of our nation and the world. |
|
The Stig
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,844
|
Post by The Stig on Sept 21, 2010 13:20:37 GMT -5
Thanks. Carter probably could have worded it better, but he's not wrong. Imagine how much Presidents with strong international reputations like Bush Sr. or Clinton could have accomplished if they'd done half as much as Carter's done since left the White House.
|
|
