Posted on 01/06/2025 12:41:36 PM PST by ChicagoConservative27
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jimmy Carter and the man he beat for president, Gerald Ford, got so tight after office that their friendship became a kind of buddy movie, complete with road trips that were never long enough because they had so much to gab about.
Carter did not get along nearly so well with the other living presidents. The outsider president was an outlier after his presidency, too.
Nevertheless, past and present Oval Office occupants will attend Carter’s state funeral this week in what could be the largest gathering of the presidents club since five attended Washington services for George H.W. Bush in December 2018.
As a member of that elite, informal club, Carter was uniquely positioned to do important work for his successors, whether Democrat or Republican. He achieved significant results at times, thanks to his public stature as a peacemaker, humanitarian and champion of democracy, and his deep relationships with foreign leaders, troublemakers included.
But with Carter, you never knew when he’d go rogue. This was a man so self-confident, he described himself as “probably superior” to the other ex-presidents who were still knocking about. Ornery about taking orders, he could be invaluable to the man in office, exasperating, or both at once.
(Excerpt) Read more at wdio.com ...
It’s not hard to see why he was a one term potus.
I was just going to say that I remember reading that Carter was angry when he was on Air Force one with the Bushes and Clinton and they kept him out of any discussions in regards to the Gulf War.
he had little use for the “ex presidents” club because he thought he could/should run US foreign policy, even after he was booted from office
Carter was an expert on rabbit wars.
The Beta Male Club
How do you form a deep and lasting friendship with someone unless you share at least some of that person’s underlying principles?
Jimmy Carter was a Marxist.
I’m not old enough to remember the Carter presidency, but from what I know of him it’s not hard to imagine that he was a sanctimonious prick when dealing with presidents who came after him. Probably best that Reagan didn’t have much use for him.
Billy was fun....
I was born in 1978. I missed it also.
I found Hunter s thompsons view interesting
I wonder if Carter knew about what Cathy O’Brien says about Ford.
I think Carter has a massive inferiority complex. That can manifest itself as arrogance and a big ego to hide the feeling of inadequacy. Carter probably felt himself to be less than the other presidents — but Ford? Heck, Jimmy beat Ford! Jimmy was better than Ford! So, Jimmy could be friends with Ford.
You are lucky. I lived through it, soaring interest rates, long gas lines, hostages taken by Iranian students. I can’t believe they are dragging his carcass all over the country. Put him in the ground and be done with it.
Reagan was the first President I knew. I got lucky!
Mrs. abb & I suffered through the 4 years of Carter (debilitating inflation, gas lines, unemployment, etc) as newlyweds. Trust me, it was an ordeal. You have it nailed pretty close: "sanctimonious prick."
Carter loved Ford because Ford was the template against which he validated his life and worth. His greatest moment was in 1976 when he defeated Ford for the Presidency.
I was a kid during Carter and had the honor of voting for Reagan in 1984 as my first election.
Bonus: I was in college and took the day off to drive home to vote. I asked a girl I was getting friendly with to come along for the road trip. We hit 38 years of marriage in April.
Read between the lines - Carter was arrogant. That came through in spades in the 80s and 90s when he was most active.
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