In what way was Carter a bad president?

Question

People seem to take it as a given that Carter was not a good president. He took over a total disaster from the idiot Gerald Ford, the most forgettable president since Rutherford B. Hayes, stagnation and inflation, and a country totally demoralized by the Nixon mess. He had a hard time dealing with Iran, but who wouldn't? and his negotiations finally got the hostages released, just in time for Reagan, the hair dyed and rouge cheeked plastic doll, to take the credit.

Answer 1

Yeah, I was around then too. When Reagan died they made a big deal over him and spoke as if he achieved something.
My family, friends and I were aghast when they credited him for the hostage release, because EVERYONE knows Carter negotiated it and was state man's enough to keep silent as Reagan took credit.

Thanks for the reminder. Now watch, the fairy tales Repugs will tell now.

Answer 2

Carter's biggest mess was the Iran affair. He tried appeasement and failed horribly. He also had the botched rescue mission. What solved it was Regan ran on a platform he was going to invade Iran and take bloody retribution for any hostage hurt, they were released the day he took office. Carter did not negotiate their release. But carter started the fostering of the paper tiger idea which we are still dealing with today, but other presidents have helped with that image.

Carter was also in during a real bad recession and energy crisis which he handled very mediocre. On the bright side savings accounts back then paid 18% interest because rates were so high, if you had any money to save.

His crowning achievment in my mind though was 3 Mile Island. He is the only president I know to head to a disaster while it is still going on. He went there and basically took charge and got that situation under control. He pretty much told the scientist to quit coming up with doomsday scenerios and deal with reality and fix the problem. So not everything about his presidency was bad.

Answer 3

He was WEAK as Commander in Chief.

It was NOT - Carter's negotiations that got the hostages released.

It was Iran's fear of Reagan. Iran know Reagan would ask for authorization and be given it to launch a war for the hostages release as the American people were fed up.
The military was tired of being forced to sit on its hands while American hostages were paraded in front of the world blindfolded and bond.

A common misconception is that the president has the authority to declare war. But a declaration of war can only be made by a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate. This was made clear in the Constitution due to the founders’ fear of a president that could grow too strong and make decisions of that nature based on personal reasons.

Answer 4

In a word incompetence. Most historians who look at the Carter presidency conclude he did not have the political moxie for the job.

Also, regarding your example about Ford; Carter invented a new economic indicator: "the Misery Index" which he defined as the sum of the inflation rate and the unemployment rate. He claimed that the Misery Index of Ford was too high for him to be an acceptable president. Four years later the Misery Index of Carter when many points higher still. By Carter's own standard, therefore, he was incompetent.

I do think Carter was and remains a decent, generally honest man. He simply had the wrong job.

Answer 5

Carter was not a bad president.

The ppl that think that do not know history. Before Reagan was president and was running in 79, he made an arms deal with the Contras in exchange for hostages being held in Iran. So, no matter what Carter did, the contras wouldnt release the hostages. This made him look very weak.

Than Reagan ran saying that he would get them freed or go to war... he already had the deal made.

On Jan. 20, 1980 the day Reagan was sworn into office, the hostages were released.

All of this came out years later and I have never understood why Reagan was not charged with treason for undermining the president of the USA.

Answer 6

Actually, his negotiations did not effect the release the hostages. That was one thing Reagan could honestly claim, even if his methodology in doing so was questionable.

In any case, the peanut farmer was not a bad bad President, per se, merely an inept politician. He was honest, forthright, optimistic but naive and easily manipulated. He and Chamberlain had much in common, sadly, and suffered similar ignoble fates despite their honourable intentions.

Answer 7

Carter was the worst President I can ever imagine having.

If you think gas prices are bad now, think again guys. In 1977-1978, the gas wars were on. People waited in line at the gas station for days for gas that cost 1.60-1.70 a gallon. People were getting shot at the gas pumps. My what short memories you all have.

There was NO such thing as an economical car either. Everyone drove a boat. Only they forgot to include the oars. Interest rates climbed to 20-22%. This is what Reagan had to fix.

Answer 8

Interest rates started at 14% for a mortgage.
Unemployment at an all-time high.
Gas lines.
Kicked the democratic Taiwan out of the UN.
Put communist China in.
Gave back the Panama Canal.
Didn't destroy radical Islam when it was doable.

Answer 9

Obviously you were not around when jimmy was ruining the Country, Double digit unemployment and interest rates, not to mention gas tripled in price! He also made us look like fools in Iran.

PS REAGAN got the hostages released, don't let little jimmy re-write history, he is the worst president period!

Answer 10

The only thing I did not like about Carter was that he boycotted the Olympics. There were a lot of great atheletes in the U.S. who lost their chances to get an Olympic medal.