At news conference talking about his current status. Not one of my favorites as a POTUS but credit the man, Ninety, cancer and he's pretty damn coherent up there. Nice guy, hope he can keep on keeping on.
...being a Georgia boy I may be a bit biased but I always thought Jimmy got a real bad rap. He really did have good intentions and was not your a-typical Washington politician and once he got into office he ran into a stone wall of "the good ole boy network" in Washington and found it hard to get much done...he was also the victim of bad advisors and bad intelligence and some flat out bad luck. ...was he one of the best POTUS's ever?...no, but I'm confident that after Obama, people will hold Jimmy Carter in a kinder light.
I'd have to think that in Carters case many people took his kindness for stupidity. I always thought of him as a well intentioned individual and his actions in life verify that. But seeing him in that conference fielding questions and giving responses with much fluidity was damn cool. Reminded me of an interview Costas did with Bob Feller whom at his advanced age likewise fielded questions with recall that was astounding. These are people that you cheer for. Obama: fuck him.
What does Jimmy Carter & the Long Island railroad have in common? They both pull out of Roslyn at 8:15 .......................................................................Sorry all, I couldn't resist. BTW: For you non NYers, Roslyn is the name of a town here in NY & a stop on the railroad.
I have no sympathy for a progressive socialist democrat. To quote his disciple, give gramps a pill and stick him a the corner. His only saving grace was to be so incompetent that it has rise to the conservative ascention of Reagan.
Sad and tough way to go. Hear the cancer has spread to his brain. Hopefully he will not suffer too long.
Yeah, although he'll not go down as one of the better presidents my heart goes out to his family. And as someone who's seen first hand what cancer can do to someone I also hope he doesn't suffer long.
We could sit here all day and piss back n forth about how bad this Prez was, or how great this one was, and we'd get no where, no matter if we debated this issue for a month...... the bottom line is not about the Hostage Crisis, or even your support or lack of it, for Carter, its nothing more than about an ex-sitting Prez, who is dying of a wicked cancer.......Shit, I'd euthanize myself if I developed brain cancer, one of the worst forms I've ever witnessed.....while wishing no ill will on anyone........
me? sure, along with most historians...even the liberal ones. Carter's bungled Middle East policies directly led to the destabilization of the Shah. They knew things were eroding and he could have pulled the staff out of the embassy, but he waffled and waited too long. His cabinet discussed the potential of the embassy to be overrun IF they let the Shah into the US for medical treatment. That was 10/22/79. They had nearly 2 weeks...the hostages were taken on 11/4/79. Most of the problems we face in the Middle East are borne of Carter's fuck ups. Lucky for his legacy, Obama and Hillary's doubling down will takeover as the much larger fuck ups.
...LOL...yeah, an incompetent military mission and bad luck did him in...did he take responsibility for it, yes...what is really his fault?...no. And exactly how old were you when this happened?...4 or 5? So I'm guessing your knowledge of what really went on back then is not at all from actually experiencing the times. ...and claiming that today's problems in the middle east are because of Carter's policies 40 fucking years ago is laughable. ...your relative was held captive, not killed. Was it an bad experience?...I'm sure it was. But the Ayatollah was pissed at Carter for among other things freezing Iranian assets. Hell, there a "historians" who insist that Reagan's own people negotiated a deal with Iran for the hostages to be released, much earlier than they were, but insisted that they should not be released until AFTER the election...if that is true, how does it make you feel about Reagan? ...funny how history remembers things sometimes...Carter was in a bind and got no one killed but is vilified for it, yet Kennedy fucked around on his wife multiple times while in the White House, gets a bunch of people killed at the ill-advised Bay of Pigs which leads directly to the missile crisis that came close to destroying us all, yet he's somehow remembered as a great president. ...and oh, in case you forgot, the poor guy is 90 and is dying...glad you're focussed on what's really important.
I was a member of the US Army Quartermaster Corp (logistics) when the Carter Administration came to power. I can tell you beyond shadow of doubt that the ability of US Army units to maintain a TDA or MTOE got very difficult. You could look up major end items, put them on order and that was as far as it went. Aviation units charged with various missions could not maintain a PLL for a baby buggy let alone Chinooks, Sea Stallions or even a God Damn Loch. About the time the Hostage Crisis got under way I was at Fort Myer Virginia. That whole MDW area had gotten lax so when that rescue failed it was no surprise. When Reagan came into office all that changed, he wanted his military people back in uniform taking names and kicking ass. Reagans actions with improved logistics and improvement of the Armed Forces gave the US the big edge in the Gulf War. The Russian made stuff that Iraq Forces were using was no match. My original post was lauding a ninety year old man with cancer who stood up before a group of reporters and fielded questions on different issues and more than held his course. Should I face similar circumstances should I reach that age it will be something I'd admire to do. I served this country under 6 presidents, did I think Carter was the best, I did not, but I do laud his actions today and I'll stand on that one.
