As a candidate for president in 1976, Jimmy Carter called for a government “as honest and decent and fair and competent and truthful and idealistic as are the American people.” The cynics rolled their eyes. They misjudged him.
Carter believed sincerely in the potential goodness of both the government and its people, and we would all be so much better off if more politicians did. Leadership can inspire the best or worst in people. He strove for the best.
His record as president was mixed, but his record as a former president is unsurpassed. His untiring efforts over five decades for peace, democracy, human rights, fair elections and public health around the world richly earned him the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize and set a towering example that would be challenging to match.
