ANDREW LIMBONG, HOST:

Former President Jimmy Carter has died on the age of 100. We’re spending this hour remembering his legacy as president. Becoming a member of me now are two NPR correspondents who’ve spent years overlaying the White Home. We have got nationwide political correspondent Mara Liasson and with me is senior White Home correspondent Tamara Keith. Hi there. Hi there.

TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: Hi there.

LIMBONG: Hey, Tam.

KEITH: Thanks for having me.

LIMBONG: All proper, so we’ve not really heard something but from President Biden, yeah?

KEITH: Effectively, really, we simply did. The White Home simply despatched out an announcement from President Biden and First Girl Jill Biden. They discuss over six many years of friendship with Jimmy Carter, calling him a pricey good friend. They usually discuss his legacy. In addition they, on this assertion – the half that stands out to me, and I am going to simply learn you this fast paragraph. It says, (studying) to the entire younger folks on this nation and for anybody in quest of what it means to reside a lifetime of function and that means, the great life, research Jimmy Carter, a person of precept, religion and humility. He confirmed that we’re a fantastic nation as a result of we’re a superb folks – respectable and honorable, brave and compassionate, humble and powerful.

LIMBONG: Wow. That is a powerful assertion. What sort of relationship did the 2 of them have?

KEITH: Yeah, in order that they return many, many, a few years.

LIMBONG: Proper.

KEITH: President Biden was a younger senator when Jimmy Carter ran for president, and he was one of many first folks to endorse Jimmy Carter approach again when. After which they’ve continued to be in public life collectively. President Biden visited Jimmy Carter and his now late spouse, Rosalynn, early within the Biden presidency, they usually had a powerful relationship. And, you understand, there’s this concept of President Carter as a one-term president, as possibly not somebody you’ll need to affiliate with as a politician. However that definitely wasn’t the case with President Biden and positively wasn’t the case with Jimmy Carter just because his legacy, his post-presidency, is one thing that basically each president aspires to, and none can fairly obtain. He had a 40-year post-presidency that actually redefined life after the White Home.

LIMBONG: Yeah. Mara, what do you see as Jimmy Carter’s lasting affect on politics?

MARA LIASSON, BYLINE: Effectively, I believe that Jimmy Carter’s lasting affect on politics goes to be how he performed himself as a citizen. He had an extremely lengthy post-White Home profession, the place he devoted himself to public service, to eradicating illnesses, to constructing houses for individuals who could not afford them and for mainly residing a life that was rooted in easy American values. He taught Sunday faculty nearly his total life. He lived in the identical small city that he grew up in. These are nearly bygone values.

I believe when it comes to his presidency, will probably be remembered that he ruled at a time of stagflation – excessive unemployment, excessive inflation. That is one of many predominant causes that he misplaced. We simply noticed one other president lose underneath an identical financial scenario. But in addition, there was the hostage disaster. And that was a – his presidency was held hostage by Iran, mainly, who waited till he was out of workplace to launch the hostages. So I believe he will likely be thought-about a way more profitable ex-president than he was as a president, and we occur to have a metric on this nation you could’t actually be thought-about a profitable president when you do not serve two phrases, which he didn’t.

LIMBONG: Tam, I need to hit on that time just a little bit that Mara simply stated that how profitable of a report he has, you understand, after leaving the Oval Workplace. Is that going to paint his legacy with Democrats?

KEITH: Yeah, I imply, I do assume that as a result of Jimmy Carter had 40 years to have a post-presidency, as a result of he had all of this time to actually make a distinction on the earth, win a Nobel Peace Prize and dedicate himself to public service, it in a approach permits him to have – you understand, possibly the primary line is one-term president. However then the second line turns into Nobel Peace Prize winner, man who did all of those unbelievable issues. One factor I used to be speaking to a historian about this final week in trying on the parallels between President Biden and President Carter is that President Biden will now additionally solely be a one-term president. However except he vastly overperforms all actuarial tables, he is not going to have the ability to have a post-presidency like Jimmy Carter. President Biden’s legacy goes to be tied very a lot to his presidency in a approach that Jimmy Carter’s is not as a lot.

LIMBONG: Yeah. Have we heard every other notable reactions to date since studying of President Carter’s loss of life?

KEITH: Yeah, completely. They’ve been rolling in. There’s a put up on Fact Social from President-elect Donald Trump, who stated that he had simply heard the information of Jimmy Carter’s passing and stated that – these of us who’ve been lucky to have served as President perceive this can be a very unique membership, and solely we are able to relate to the large accountability of main the best nation in historical past. He provides – the challenges Jimmy confronted as president got here at a pivotal time for our nation, and he did every thing in his energy to enhance the lives of People. For that, all of us owe him a debt of gratitude.

One other assertion that got here in that stood out to me was from Mitch McConnell, the Republican from Kentucky, former – or yeah, former majority chief within the Senate, and he talked quite a bit about Carter’s easy life, his religion, his American dream, going from being a devoutly non secular peanut farmer from a small city in Georgia to somebody who was president of the USA after which made an actual stamp on the world in his post-presidency. He says, President Carter served throughout instances of rigidity and uncertainty, each at residence and overseas, however his calm spirit and deep religion appeared unshakable. Jimmy Carter served as our commander in chief for 4 years, however he served because the beloved unassuming Sunday faculty trainer at Marantha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, for 40. And his humble devotion leaves us little doubt which of these two necessary roles he prized probably the most. That was from Mitch McConnell.

LIMBONG: , these are all very sort, measured responses. Mara, what is the ordinary view of Carter from the Republican facet of the aisle?

LIASSON: Effectively, I believe that Republicans would say he was a one-term president. He failed. He did not convey the hostages residence whereas he was nonetheless in workplace. However I believe that, you understand, historical past has a wide-angle view. And I believe there are – already been a few books written that reexamine Carter’s legacy – and one among them, really, by Jonathan Alter says that Carter was probably the most misunderstood president in American historical past – and that historians of Jimmy Carter say he was forward of his time. He put a photo voltaic panel on the White Home roof. In fact, it was a symbolic photo voltaic panel. However he additionally – he was targeted on decreasing fossil gas use approach forward of his time. He expanded the variety of folks of shade who had federal judgeships.

However the different factor that was fascinating is when Jimmy Carter ran for the presidency, his motto or his tagline was, I am going to by no means misinform you. And that was very vital as a result of the nation had simply gone by means of the expertise of Richard Nixon, who lied to the nation. And he ran that he would by no means inform a lie. That appears completely quaint trying again now…

LIMBONG: Yeah.

LIASSON: …As a result of fact shouldn’t be…

LIMBONG: Yeah.

LIASSON: …Telling the reality shouldn’t be a prerequisite for being president, and mendacity flagrantly shouldn’t be a – you understand, one thing that disqualifies you from being president.

LIMBONG: Yeah. That is nationwide political correspondent Mara Liasson. Additionally with us was NPR’s White Home correspondent, Tamara Keith. Thanks a lot to you each.

KEITH: You are welcome.

LIASSON: Thanks.

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