Serves: 5

With only a single term as governor of Georgia and two terms in the state senate on his political resume, Jimmy Carter, the ultimate longshot, became President of the United States in 1977. He was so unknown that when he appeared in 1974 on the TV show “What’s My Line,” he almost stumped the panel.

When he told his mother, “Miss Lillian,” that he was going to run for President, she asked, “President of what?”

Carter’s personality is very different from the other men who have held this awesome job. He is introspective, always ready to confront his own shortcomings and seek self-improvement. He is a strong believer in the power of positive thinking. His greatest strength is his own inner peace. Very unpretentious, he and the First Lady brought a new kind of informality to the White House that, frankly, did not please the press or the American public. He would often carry his own luggage aboard Air Force One and he eliminated the playing of “Hail to the Chief” when he entered a room for a formal occasion. For a simple man, Carter is a complex personality and has been described variously as shy, yet supremely self-confident, compassionate and tender, yet at times, steely and very inconsiderate. Very rarely did he show his temper in front of others - usually he expressed his displeasure with an icy stare or sarcasm. Once he left a top aide on the tarmac and would not allow the plane to turn around and pick him up. With an order to the pilot to take off, he commented, “If he can’t get here on time, he should take another plane.”

Jimmy Carter’s family was very close-knit. When he was sworn in to office, a reporter asked Miss Lillian, “I bet you’re very proud of your son.” To which Miss Lillian answered, “Which one?” The matriarch of the Carter family was a powerful woman in her own right. She became the oldest person ever to join the Peace Corps, and instilled that sense of humanitarianism in her children.

The Carter administration was a real partnership—the first such partnership since FDR’s administration. Mrs. Carter even had an office on the first floor of the White House instead of the small study on the second floor in the family quarters. She decided to do this because she wanted total privacy for the President without any interruptions.

Carter’s reign was lackluster. In the spring of 1979, when he flew to New Hampshire, he and his administration were coming under heavy fire from the press. When a newsman in Portsmouth asked him whether his daughter Amy ever bragged about her father being president, Carter replied, “No, sir, she probably apologizes.”

Plagued by double-digit inflation, Carter seemed to run into a brick wall wherever he turned. A very bright man, he had a difficult time governing because he majored in minors. The hostage situation in Iran was escalating, and with the election for his second term around the corner, the 52 hostages, held captive for more than a year, were more than a great concern to the president and contributed to his defeat. Carter saw no resolution to the situation and found no help through the UN and other diplomatic circles. He made a single-minded decision and dispatched a special team from the U.S. military to rescue the hostages. The unit commander, by the way, was an old friend and high school pal of mine named Colonel Ned Seifert of the United States Marine Corps. When the team landed in Iran, they were hampered by the unexpected malfunction of three helicopters, causing the commander to abort the final assault on Teheran. During the evacuation, two of the aircraft collided, killing eight servicemen. It seemed that if the president didn’t have bad luck, he wouldn’t have had any luck at all.

In November 1980, the militants holding the hostages relinquished them to none other than the Ayatollah Khomeini himself and with Algeria acting as an intermediary, a deal was struck with the United States. Khomeini agreed to release the hostages in exchange for unfreezing Iranian assets in the United States and he dropped all his other demands. The hostages left Iran on January 20, 1981, ending 444 days of captivity just after President Carter turned over the reins of government to Ronald Reagan.

Perhaps the greatest feat of Carter’s presidency was the Camp David Accord. In 1978, the Middle East peace process began with a bold gesture from Egypt’s Anwar Sadat, in his historic visit to Israel in 1977. At that time, Carter united Sadat and Israel’s Menachim Begin at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains. Thirteen days of intense and personal negotiations resulted in the three heads of state hammering out the first two documents of peace between the Arab nation and Israel. This eventually led to a formal peace treaty ending a 31-year state of war between the two countries. Fate had its revenge again, though. Sadat and Begin were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize—and rightfully so—but Carter was nominated too late to share in the award.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daly once said, “Carter talks about true values.”

Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill said, “When it came to understanding the issues of the day, Jimmy Carter was the smartest public figure I’ve ever known. The range and extent of his knowledge was astounding. He could speak with authority about energy, the nuclear issue, space travel, Middle East, Latin America, human rights, American history, and just about any other topic that came up.”

On the other hand, Henry Kissinger, the former secretary of state, said, “The Carter administration has managed an extraordinary feat of having, in the same time, the worst relations with our allies, the worst relations with our adversaries and the most serious upheaval in the developing world since the end of World War II.”

Ronald Reagan said, “We must overcome something the present administration has cooked up. A new and altogether indigestible economic stew, one part inflation, one part high unemployment, one part recession, one part runaway taxes, one part deficit spending, seasoned by an energy crisis. It’s an economic stew that has turned the national stomach. He would be better off offering you the Jimmy Carter sandwich. On two slices of white bread, spread some peanut butter and add lots of bologna.”

For what it’s worth, I personally think Kissinger was completely out of order and Reagan was posturing. Human rights have also been the first priority in Carter’s life and he has always been a great humanitarian.

“Jimmy’s greatest anguish was the aborted mission to rescue the American hostages in Iran. He was sick with fear the hostages would be tortured and killed,” Mrs. Carter said, summing up Carter’s policy of putting people over politics.

Carter acknowledged his defeat while the votes were still being counted. In some parts of the country people were still voting when he made a very gracious concession speech. It went like this:

“I promised you four years ago that I would never lie to you,” he said, “so I can’t stand here and say it doesn’t hurt. I wanted to serve as President because I love this country and because I love the people of this nation…

“Finally, let me say that I am disappointed tonight but I have not lost either love.”

And so the greatest humanitarian to hold the presidency retired. Carter quickly overcame his disappointments and plunged into a myriad of activities. He wrote his memoirs, built his presidential library, and founded the Carter Center Foundation to sponsor projects on behalf of human rights and the peaceful settlement of conflicts around the world. He often flew to foreign countries at the request of the incumbent American President to monitor free elections in various parts of the world. Time magazine declared him to be a superb ex-president. He taught Sunday school, built homes for the Habitat for Humanity and wrote a book of poems titled Always a Reckoning. If this President cannot be remembered for the political accomplishments of his administration, may he be remembered for his heart and selflessness.

More Recipes from the Secrets from the White House Kitchens Cookbook:
James Earl “Jimmy” Carter and Eleanor Rosalynn Smith Carter
Brandied Paté
Clams Casino
Mexican Menudo Soup
Fried Shrimp Curls
Crab Meat en Brochette: White House
Deviled Pig’s Feet
Veal Cutlet Cordon Bleu
Corn Crisped Pork Chops
Roast Fresh Pork with Apricots
Pepper Steak: White House
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Chili Con Carne
Seafood Salad: White House
Herbed Green Salad
Mexican Corn Casserole
Pearl Barley Casserole
Eggplant Parmesan
Chili Barbecue Sauce
Mashed Acorn Squash
Polenta (Corn Aplenty)
Hush Puppies
Potato Rolls
Red Cabbage
Pinto Bean Cakes
Sautéed Vidalia Onion Slices
Black Beans in Garlic Sauce
Rice Pilaf Stuffing
Peanut Stuffing
Spoon Bread
Peanut Brittle