Jimmy Carter’s long life is coming to an end. The 39th President of the United States of America (1977-1981) decided to die at home, surrounded by his family and receiving palliative care rather than receiving desperate treatment from doctors. This is dignity, sovereignty and idealism.
This also concludes a chapter of American history worth reading in Washington, D.C. today: the incredible friendship between Carter (98) and his predecessor, Gerald Ford. The Democrat from Georgia overthrew the incumbent Republican president in the 1976 election won by Michigan.
Camaraderie was by no means predetermined. Ford handled his narrow loss to Carter poorly. As a longtime senior member of Congress, he had snuck the vice presidential position in 1973 to Spiro Agnew, who had to resign over tax affairs. A year later, the bang came: President Richard Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Ford practically entered the White House, neither vice president-elect nor president-elect.
Style, class and form
Ford sought further to legitimize his former position, to rid himself of the shortcoming of temporary commissioner. The fact that he had failed, of all things against a previously unknown Southern governor, who had already shown weaknesses on the campaign trail, troubled Ford’s old professional Capitol. A kind face at Carter’s inauguration for the bitter game. However, this is no longer normal. Donald Trump, upset, skipped Joe Biden’s inauguration. Well, if your election was stolen.
“The collaboration between Carter and Ford grew into a mild male friendship in the fall.”
This is just one of the symptoms of the moral decay in American politics which leads to the ill health of society as a whole. Naturally, the two main parties would disagree (and vice versa would be worrisome), but the fact that their advocates are either silent or even deeply hostile is damaging to the country and to the reputation of democracy.
Not only were Presidents Ford and Carter among the most important presidents in American history, they were very short in the Oval Office, and at times, and Carter in particular, seemed completely unlucky. But in style, class, and form, they deserve antiquities. In the televised debates, they give each other nothing; They fought with hard bandages. But nonetheless: the two always spoke of my “esteemed adversary” (or “honorable” or “worthy”)—formalism and politeness are not vain or even hypocritical, but a lubricant to the machinery of civilisation.
Martinez aboard Air Force One
The way Carter and Ford found each other as human beings is almost the stuff of a comic book novel. The three former presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter traveled to Cairo in 1981 to attend the funeral of murdered Egyptian head of state Anwar Sadat (Carter successfully negotiated the Camp David Accords with Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Begin). She was persuaded to do so by incumbent President Ronald Reagan, who did not want to participate for political reasons and who had been shot by an assassin six months earlier. On their way back together, somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, the ice is beginning to melt. Maybe a couple of martinis would add to the bonhomie.
In any case, Jerry and Jimmy agreed to support each other in the creation of the Carter Center and the Ford Library: former presidents tend to go to great lengths to prepare their memorabilia in a dignified manner and make it accessible to the public, thus endowed with posterity. The best possible picture of themselves to give yourself (a few shoeboxes full of files in the garage isn’t enough).
From this arose a close collaboration in charitable projects and finally a mild autumnal male friendship. Jimmy Carter gave a moving speech at Gerald Ford’s grave in 2006. If Jimmy had died first, Jerry would have delivered the eulogy.
Speaking of Reagan: Carter and Ford didn’t like him, that’s related. Reagan pushed Ford hard in the 1976 Republican primary and humiliated Carter four years later in the presidential run. Jovial as the Hollywood veteran appeared, he was ultimately unapproachable. Carter simply thought Reagan was immoral.
Who will compete (again) in 2024?
Sometimes, the toxic saying goes, Carter is the best ex-president of the United States ever. That’s right: Instead of touring the golf course and giving expensive presentations, Carter, a biblical scholar, campaigned tirelessly for human rights and election observation. For this he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 – for merit, and not, like Obama in 2009, as a prior commendation.
The 2024 election campaign is already on the horizon. Depending on who wants to participate (again), it gets dirty. Competitors don’t need to become buddies, but they do need to heed the wisdom of Gerald Ford: “Learn to disagree without being obnoxious” — moderate your opinion with morals.
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– Jimmy and Jerry, gentlemen
American presidential campaigns are tough. But once the opponents remained civilized. Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford became friends.