Jimmy Carter Died: Let's Remember All of Him
Ted Kennedy, when giving the eulogy for his brother Robert, said, “My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.”
I’m thinking about this now as I write about Jimmy Carter, who was a complicated, good, and decent man. But in this new world that will emerge from 2024’s shredding of all I thought was true, I recognize that we must stop elevating people in death from what they were. It’s not good or bad. It’s the sum total of it all. If we are to fix what is wrong, truth matters, and Jimmy Carter, like the rest of us, had greatness in him, and some other traits he might have worked on had he had the opportunity to revisit them before his die was cast.
Jimmy Carter: The Man Behind the Myth
Jimmy Carter was a man of deep conviction, relentless faith, and undeniable humanity. He dedicated his life to service—service to his country, his faith, and the ideals he held dear. And, like all of us, he was wonderfully, beautifully flawed. It’s time we embrace the full truth about our heroes, not to diminish them, but to understand them, and in understanding, to rebuild a world that recognizes greatness is not perfection.
If ever a person led a life with purpose and faith as its core, it was Jimmy Carter. He was a deeply devout Christian, driven by his belief in doing good for others and leaving the world better than he found it. Even in hospice care, his wish to stay alive to vote for Kamala Harris tells me something. He did live to vote for her.
Jimmy Carter’s presidency is usually remembered the Camp David Accords, his dedication to environmental conservation, and his insistence on centering human rights in foreign policy. And, of course, for the debacle of the botched rescue of our Americans in Iran.
His refusal—or inability—to collaborate with Washington insiders significantly hampered his administration. By positioning himself as an outsider in the very heart of D.C., Carter alienated the people whose support he needed to succeed. His uncompromising nature may have been morally sound, but it was politically disastrous.
One of the things that really resonated with me was when, years ago, he said in an interview that he had made the mistake of taking away the pomp and circumstance of the presidency. No more playing ‘Hail to the Chief’ when he walked in the room. Things like that. He said it was a mistake; that Americans need that in their president. No worries, Jimmy, Reagan brought back all you took out and then some, and never again has the president tried to be one of us. Ah, the hindsight and what it could do if it was foresight.
Before his presidency, Carter’s political journey was also fraught with contradictions. He lost his first gubernatorial bid in Georgia by standing on a platform of civil rights—a brave and necessary stance, but it put him third in the primaries. As in dead last. But in his second run, he shifted to a more palatable message for white voters in the South, winning the election and then discarding that platform to champion progressive reforms. This pivot reflects both his pragmatism and the moral complexity of his leadership—a man who did what he thought he had to do to win, and then worked to make good on the ideals he truly believed in.
After his presidency, Carter’s commitment to service didn’t waver, but his actions occasionally baffled me. He recreated the Oval Office in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, working from his own version of the presidency long after leaving office. Huh? His rogue diplomatic efforts sometimes clashed with sitting presidents, sparking debates about whether he was overstepping or simply doing what he thought was right.
He is the only president to win the Nobel Peace Prize for work he did after his presidency. He was tireless in his quest for justice and equality, which he said was part of his commitment to God, not something that was negotiable. There is greatness in what he accomplished - he launched a war against "neglected" diseases — diseases in far-off lands that most Americans will never suffer from and may not have even heard of. Diseases like lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, river blindness, schistosomiasis ... and a nasty little bug called Guinea worm. He actually got rid of it.
So his post-presidency work was a testament to his character and inspirational to all of us. Seeing the press cover his work with Habitat for Humanity, his election monitoring, and his vocal criticism of political and moral failures showcased a man deeply committed to justice. And, quietly, with grace and certainty. Humility surrounding it. It’s what I will lean on most from what he left behind as we all face 2025.
He never stopped trying to make the world a better place, even if his methods were sometimes unconventional. And what a beacon that can be for us all this year.
Again, we must resist the urge to place Carter—or anyone—on a pedestal. He wasn’t the best thing he ever did, nor was he the worst. He was the sum of his deeds, and in that sum, he stands taller than most. Carter’s legacy is one of humanity: flawed, complex, and deeply good.
In a world where we seem to need to create saints or villains, and nothing in between, Carter reminds me that greatness lies in embracing the full spectrum of who we are. I honor him not by elevating him to impossible heights, but by seeing him as he was—a man who tried, failed, learned, and succeeded.
One hundred years. Wow. I will miss him but never forget what he can bring out in me.