Barack Obama is like Jimmy Carter...

[kentuck]

.


...and I mean that in a good way.

Those not old enough to remember Watergate and the distrust sown by Richard Nixon and the Republicans cannot know the situation that Jimmy Carter walked into in January 1977.

Jimmy Carter was like the last honest politician. He was a simple peanut farmer that won the Governorship of Georgia and decided to step forward when the country was in desperate search of a leader that could restore honesty and respect to the White House and our government.

He tried to attack the status quo, although arguably in a different way than Barack Obama. His own Party resented some of his initiatives. He drew a primary battle from Ted Kennedy in 1980. The Republicans attacked him as if he was to bring the end of the world. This was so soon after Watergate it was like Watergate had never happened.

Today is like deja vu all over again. So soon after the greatest disaster in our lifetimes, namely George W Bush, the Republicans are attacking Barack Obama as if the previous eight years had never happened. George who??

Will Barack Obama be a one-term President like Jimmy Carter? He says he would rather be a good one-term President than a mediocre two-termer. Whether or not that turns out to be true will be judged by history. In my opinion, under the circumstances of that time, Jimmy Carter was a very good President. Barack Obama will be judged a great deal by the circumstances he inherited also, in my opinion.

It is unfortunate that President Obama and the Democrats cannot devote more effort into getting their base prepared for the elections in November. The "truth" is still the Democrats best weapon for the next election. The Republicans created a mess of gigantic proportion and they refuse to help clean it up. They refuse to accept responsibility for the great damage they did to our country in their eight years in power. They refuse to accept that reality.

But the people know. And the Democrats need to remind them that they know also. We will not surrender the country to the Republicans once again to choke off the little life they left us, without a fight. If the Democrats wish to survive, then they must fight for what they believe in. Get out the base. Raise hell. Tell the truth.







.

[KonaKane]

1. There you go with that horrible Democratic solidarity again.

Good post.

[flamingdem]

2. You don't know what you've got until it's gone

that's what some people forget lately..

[KonaKane]

5. Which it will be in Nov. 2012 if we dont stop all this horseshit and start pulling together

you know, more of that nasty solidarity.

[flamingdem]

8. I couldn't agree more, imagine how the naysayers will feel if the wingnuts take over

Please feel free not to imagine this bad ending!

[Name removed]

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[JTFrog]

20. Be careful what you wish for.

Hyperbole gone wild at DU these days.

[Name removed]

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[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I agree...

Recommended.

[jobycom]

4. Those are some big shoes to fill. Obama, or anyone, has to earn that praise.

Carter is the closest thing to a personal hero I've got. He was honest, visionary, and loved peace, and was willing to sacrifice his chance for reelection so he could resolve the Iran hostage crisis peacefully without killing hundreds or thousands of innocent people over it. He took the brave, moral high ground dealing with the Soviet Union, using economic sanctions to punish them for their invasion of Afghanistan, and once again refused to use our military in a reckless, unwinnable venture where thousands or millions of innocent people could die. Those sanctions had as much to do with the Soviet Union's collapse as any of Reagan's popdick threats or off the cuff name calling of the USSR.

Carter was about peace, and resolving conflict without war. His achievements involving Israel and Egypt have had no real equal since. When Carter was faced with a problem, he chose the moral resolution every time over the convenient but immoral one, without looking at the polls or wondering what its affect on his reelection chances would be.

Carter would be an admirable example for Obama to follow.

[flamingdem]

9. Lincoln is not too shabby either nt

[sabrina 1]

10. Nice post. I think Carter will be seen in history as one of the

best presidents, for all of the reasons you stated. As for Obama following his example, that will never happen. Obama admires Ronald Reagan. Looking back, I was stunned when Obama made that statement. But I overlooked it like so many people did. It seems now from what I've learned, that Obama always admired Reagan. I wish it was Carter he admired.

Obama hired the man who betrayed Carter, Gates who helped Reagan/Bush Sr. interfere with Careter's hostage negotiations, an act of treason that if it had been committed by a Democratic Candidate, would have been called that and there would have been an impeachment. But for some reason it Reagan got away with it.

[Enthusiast]

16. All that Iran-Contra stuff,

and actions surrounding it, were quickly forgotten by "the people" because the media just clammed up about it. I assume a young Obama never even gave Iran-Contra much thought as a young man because he heard little about it. And he was mistaken, there was nothing in Reagan to admire, nothing.

[NYC Liberal]

18. "Obama admires Ronald Reagan" Horseshit.

Absolutely 100 percent false. Time to retire that old, old lie.

[joe black]

21. Google it.

It's right there.

[avaistheone1]

11. +1000

What you said~


:kick:

[Enthusiast]

15. Nice!

I voted for him twice.

[saracat]

6. Your last sentence says it all. But so far, the Democratic Party has not catered to its base or

done anything to get out the vote. The teachers and the unions are certainly not going to be motivated after the way they have been treated.The LGBT voters aren't happy. Neither are any of thise without jobs. Or those whose health insurance payments have gone up. or the elderly whose social security is being threatened, or those boomers who may have to wait until they are seventy to collect what they earned. I realize not all of this is directly the president's or the Democratic party's direct fault , but they have to look like they are making an effort and so far, it doesn't look like they are. There is still way to much "bipartisanship". "We must fight for what we believe in "

"If the Democrats wish to survive, then they must fight for what they believe in. Get out the base. Raise hell. Tell the truth."

[Hardrada]

7. The Catfood Commission alone will have older VOTERS

not voting at all. Or for the Greens just to make a statement.

[saracat]

12. I think so as well.

[Enthusiast]

17. It 'almost' seems like part

of a big plan, a plan to alienate the Democratic base. It's workin' on me.

[deacon]

19. Absolutely. The alternative is terrifying. n/t k + r

[Hardrada]

22. But after fascists then usually socialists take power.

Or we all end up as cosmic dust. Well, we will anyway in a few billion years.

[lunatica]

23. What brought Jimmy Carter down was the Iran Hostage situation

Walter Cronkite never let us forget it. He always signed off with how many days it had been. Just like Olbermann signs off with how many days it's been since Bush said "Mission Accomplished".

But in those days none of the cable news channels existed. New was news, not entertainment.