Jimmy Carter's White House years were the prelude to one of the great second acts in US history


Nick March
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Jimmy Carter, who has died aged 100, once famously said that “I am a better ex-president than I was a president.” It was a typically self-deprecating and charming comment, but also one that wasn’t true. His White House years have been reassessed several times over the decades and many former critics have come to view them with more benevolent eyes than they did in the 1980s.

He won the 1976 election, beating incumbent Gerald Ford, despite entering the presidential race as a little-known former governor from Georgia. Ford had presided over America’s months-long bicentennial celebrations earlier that year and later remarked that the “nation’s wounds had healed” in the act of marking the country’s 200th anniversary. In truth, the scar tissue left by the humiliating retreat from Vietnam and the scandal of Watergate was still very evident in US society.

As Carter’s campaign gathered pace through the autumn, it helped in that febrile moment that he was a Washington outsider and, perhaps, the world's most famous former peanut farmer. He carried the popular vote by the narrowest margin, winning 50.1 per cent of the ballot.

UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, welcomes former US president Jimmy Carter in 1990. Photo: UAE Embassy in the US
UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, welcomes former US president Jimmy Carter in 1990. Photo: UAE Embassy in the US

His four years in office delivered key diplomatic wins, notably the Camp David Accords, a regional peace deal between Egypt and Israel, and the Salt-II treaty with the Soviet Union to set limitations on nuclear weapons. He was also an early champion of renewables during the energy crisis of the 1970s, placing him decades ahead of his time, and an honest and compassionate leader who sought consensus in government and progressive change in society.

Above all, he exuded the type of dignified and calm leadership people so often yearn for in politicians today, but ultimately, foreign and domestic woes would hasten his departure from Washington DC in 1981.

The US economy stagnated in the late 1970s, which he tried and failed to fix through Congress, but the 39th president was almost certainly undone by the long-running hostage crisis in Tehran and the unsuccessful mission to rescue the 52 Americans held captive by revolutionaries who had earlier stormed the US embassy in Iran.

Above all, he exuded the type of dignified and calm leadership people so often yearn for in politicians today

The power of Ronald Reagan’s charismatic campaign to “make America great again” at home and abroad swept Carter out of office after a single term. Reagan won 44 of the 50 states in the 1980 election with a little under 51 per cent of the popular vote, while the hostages were eventually released minutes after he was sworn into office in January 1981.

After leaving the White House, it would have been easy for Carter to retreat from public life rather than rush towards it, which he did, with vigour.

Carter Centre work

The Carter Centre, which he co-founded in 1982 with his wife Rosalynn, became the hub for his four decades of work following his four years in DC.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and led the centre’s work with energy and purpose.

It is hard to put a number on how many people the Carter Centre has helped since it was established. Its peace programmes have monitored more than 100 elections in 39 countries. The centre works ceaselessly on conflict resolution.

Its health programme has led the fight to eliminate preventable diseases, including Guinea worm and river blindness. The centre’s mental health programme has improved access to treatment, and its mental health journalism fellowship scheme has trained and supported reporters and editors around the world on how to report fairly and accurately in that field.

The National is the Carter Centre’s country partner in mental health journalism in the UAE and it has been my honour to administer the fellowship programme in the Emirates for the past six years.

Carter led a life of devoted service and leaves an enduring legacy.

Long into his nineties, he exhibited a clarity of thought and expression that many of us struggle to find even in our best moments.

The last time I saw him speak was at the Carter Centre in the immediate pre-Covid period when the term “in-person meeting” would have been considered a redundancy.

Carter's legacy



He and Rosalynn, who died in 2023, hosted A Conversation with the Carters and fielded questions from an audience of a few hundred guests in Atlanta.

Even from seats far back in the centre's auditorium it was possible to detect the twinkle in his eyes as he discussed everything from married life – he and Rosalynn wed in 1946 – to the turbulent White House years of Donald Trump, as well as the urgent foreign policy solutions that were required for Iran, Syria, Yemen and North Korea.

On every issue he had a thoughtful and fair perspective. There was neither bitterness nor rancour towards those who succeeded him in Washington DC.

Most presidents end up consumed by the burdens of office when they are in power. So often, too, the post-White House years are a short postscript.

Carter, of course, disrupted that convention, finding fresh spirit and purpose after returning to Georgia and living a long and fulfilling life. He was thoroughly reconciled to the slings and arrows of his presidential years.

As it transpired, his presidency was a mere prelude to one of the most successful and longest running second acts ever in the US. In hindsight, the first act seems very good, too.

The world has lost one of its great post-war western leaders this week and a tireless campaigner for social justice.

Jimmy Carter's life – in pictures

Most wanted allegations
  • Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
  • Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
  • Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer. 
  • Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
  • Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
  • John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
  • Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
  • Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
  • Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain. 
  • Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
  • James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
  • Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack. 
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Bert van Marwijk factfile

Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder

Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia

Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

Seven tips from Emirates NBD

1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details

2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet

3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details

4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure

5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs  (one-time passwords) with third parties

6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies

7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sav%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Purvi%20Munot%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%20as%20of%20March%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The%20specs%3A%20Panamera%20Turbo%20E-Hybrid
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The%20specs%3A%202024%20Panamera
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E353hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E500Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh408%2C200%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

Other must-tries

Tomato and walnut salad

A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.

Badrijani nigvzit

A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.

Pkhali

This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.

RESULT

Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay:
 Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')

Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)

Kill%20
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EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdinburgh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%204%20%3Cem%3E(unchanged)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBahrain%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%2015%20%3Cem%3E(from%20September%2015)%3C%2Fem%3E%3B%20second%20daily%20service%20from%20January%201%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EKuwait%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%2015%20%3Cem%3E(from%20September%2016)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMumbai%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%201%20%3Cem%3E(from%20October%2027)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAhmedabad%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%201%20%3Cem%3E(from%20October%2027)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColombo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202%20%3Cem%3E(from%20January%201)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMuscat%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cem%3E%20%3C%2Fem%3EMarch%201%3Cem%3E%20(from%20December%201)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELyon%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20March%201%20%3Cem%3E(from%20December%201)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBologna%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20March%201%20%3Cem%3E(from%20December%201)%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20Emirates%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: April 23, 2025, 12:21 PM