Since President Carter has decided to be a bit more active in the campaign for his grandson in the closing weeks of the campaign I decided to compare and contrast the record of Jimmy Carter with that of Nathan Deal as Governors of Georgia. I find some of the attacks against Jimmy Carter absolutely disgusting and reprehensible. Here are just a few.
Apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Hamas Supporter, #JimmyCarter, stumps for #JasonCarter! #GAGOP #gapol pic.twitter.com/xKJMHKz86x
— DeKalb County GOP (@DeKalbGOP) October 13, 2014
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Life After the Presidency
To many people, Jimmy Carter has provided Americans with an ideal model of post-presidential life. In fact, some consider him to be the nation’s greatest former President. He has emerged as a champion of human rights and worked for several charitable causes. To that end, Carter founded the Carter Presidential Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The center, began in 1982, is devoted to issues relating to democracy and human rights. Additionally, Carter worked with Habitat for Humanity International, an organization that works worldwide to provide housing for underprivileged people. Through such projects, Carter has maintained a high profile; he is often seen on television, helping with Habitat home construction or providing his opinions on the issues of the day. But this article is not concerned with all his great accomplishment post-presidency, I want to specifically look at what he accomplished as Governor and compare that to Nathan Deal.
Is Nathan Deal Running against Jimmy Carter and President Obama or Jason Carter?
It is actually a very serious question. You would think they are his opponents and not Jason Carter who is far to the right of his grandfather or President Obama. Democratic candidates in the deep South often would be considered Republican in the rest of the country much to the chagrin of many liberals here. Many Republican congressmen in the North are to the left of John Barrow for example on many issues.
I see more attack ads against Obama and Jimmy Carter than any ads telling us what he has accomplished in his first term or what he plans to do if re-elected. Out of curiosity I looked into what Jimmy Carter accomplished while Governor of Georgia since Deal keeps attacking Jimmy Carter who has earned his place as an elderly statesman and through his efforts with the Carter Center and Habitat has helped millions all over the planet. If you happen to read this article, happy 90th birthday and there are many in Georgia who are proud to have you as a native son. Thank you for all the great work you continue to do in service to others.
Jimmy Carter as Governor of Georgia
“Carter was sworn in as the 76th Governor of Georgia on January 12, 1971. He declared in his inaugural speech that “the time of racial segregation was over. No poor, rural, weak, or black person should ever again have to bear the additional burden of being deprived of the opportunity for an education, a job, or simple justice.” The crowd was reportedly shocked by this message, contrasting starkly with Georgia’s political culture and particularly Carter’s campaign. The many segregationists who had supported Carter during the race felt betrayed.
With Carter’s reluctance to engage in back-slapping and political favors, the legislature found him frustrating to work with. He looked to aggressively expand the governor’s authority while reducing the complexity of the state government. Therefore he negotiated a bill allowing him to propose executive restructuring and to force a vote on it. He implemented zero-based budgetingwithin state departments and added a Judicial Selection Commission to verify the credentials of judges appointed by the governor. Ultimately he merged about 300 state agencies into 30.
Civil rights were a heartfelt priority for Carter. He expanded the number of black state employees, judges, and board members. He hired Rita Jackson Samuels, a black woman, to advise him on potential appointments.He placed portraits of Martin Luther King, Jr., and two other prominent black Georgians in the capitol building, even as the Ku Klux Klan picketed the unveiling ceremony.Still, Carter tried to keep his conservative allies comfortable. He co-sponsored an anti-busing resolution with George Wallace at the 1971 National Governors Conference.
Carter pushed reforms through the legislature to provide equal state aid to schools in the wealthy and poor areas of Georgia, set up community centers for mentally handicapped children, and increased educational programs for convicts. He took pride in his program for the appointment of judges and state government officials. Under this program, all such appointments were based on merit, rather than political influence.
Compare that to Nathan Deal’s record as Governor
- #24 in Business Costs
- #1 in country with highest unemployment rate
- Georgia dropped from 33rd in Per capita income in 2007 to 40th in 2012
- Only state in country to have 3 cities in top 10 for losing population
- #11 in Labor Supply
- #4 in Regulatory Environment
- #40 in Economic Climate
- #12 in Growth Prospects
- #36 in Quality of Life
- 28th worst per Taxpayer Burden
- Georgia ranked 42nd by AARP for elderly Care
- Georgia fell from 35th to 45th in health care rankings
- Georgia 48th in the country when it comes to children being covered by health insurance.
- Georgia ranked 11th worst state for working Moms
- Georgia ranked #2 in country for stress
Did I leave anything off Nathan Deal’s accomplishments? These attacks against an elder statesman like Jimmy Carter who accomplished and continues to accomplish great things for Georgia and people all over the world will hopefully backfire. For them to stoop so low as to call Jimmy Carter an anti-Semite or Hamas supporter which is a bald faced lie is despicable.
Thanks for posting this article. I was wondering the same. A poor governor wouldn’t have been able to run a successful presidential campaign.
Yes Governor Deal stinks. Carter vs. Deal is like comparing fresh oranges to rotten apples.