Jimmy Carter, the great legacy of the Peanut Farmer President

As Jimmy Carter announced on August 12 that he has cancer, all the cameras turned back to him. The general coverage of his announcement was full of the expected well-wishes, but was also full of negative comments on his Presidency. We found this terribly disturbing and wrong, so we will show why all the critics are wrong. It is true that his legacy is polarising the public, but people seem to forget that he did a lot for America.

Surveys that try to rank Presidents often put Jimmy Carter towards the end, and brand his presidency ignorable and only as a 'seat-warmer' for Reagan. This however couldn't be more false. And this opinion is coming from a Republican's mouth. 

But first of all, it must be stated that all Presidents deserve the respect of people, as they have huge responsibilities on their back.

Jimmy Carter was a one term President, who greatly suffered from the Iran hostage crisis, and was the only Democrat elected into the White House between 1968 and 1992. But he was in fact so much more.

He was a great believer in peace, and he acted about as well. He was the only American President who didn't deploy combat troops overseas. He was the President who really took it on himself to make peace in the Middle East and his Camp David accords between Israel, Palestine and the rest of the Arab World led to probably the calmest few years in that region. He also continued Nixon's detente with the Soviet Union as best as he could before the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. He also improved relations with Latin and South America, and withdrew from Panama.

Domestically too he had a good record too. He created more jobs than every recent President, except Bill Clinton. Debt and Unemployment rates were relatively low under him, and he kept the economy growing. He was also the first one who deregulated the American economy, and probably saved it. It might have had bad effects later on, but it was necessary then.

The only serious mistake he ever made was a big one though. He didn't handle Iran the way Iran would have liked it too, and thus causing the hostage crisis, which was dramatized in Ben Affleck's Argo. But he held onto America' values and negotiated for his staff. However, at home it destroyed him in the polls, and Ronald Reagan was able to beat him in 1980 due to the scandal.

He didn't play political games, he acted in the best interest of the nation, and not his own. This probably cost him his second term. He deserves a much bigger respect and applause that he is getting right now.

After leaving the White House, he became the most active ex-President ever, even more so than Richard Nixon. He founded the Carter Center with his wife Rosalynn, and they decided to dedicate their life and influence on building peace and hope, and fighting disease in less fortunate countries. He has monitored over a 100 elections (the last being this year, the next is supposed to be in November in Myanmar), and traveled around the world promoting democracy and peace.

He fought wars against wars all his life, but he is now facing his biggest battle yet. Cancer. And we wish him only the best and a quick recovery.

Jimmy Carter is a real American hero.

This is an original material of Finchley 1959.