Jimmy Carter

Kamala Harris Will Bring Uniqueness And Challenge In Her Role As Vice President

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Kamala Harris will bring a sense of uniqueness and challenge to the status quo as she takes on the new role as Vice President of the United States on January 20, 2021.

As the first woman Vice President, and as a person of color with her African American and South Asian American heritage, Harris will draw attention just on that basis, but also with the reality that she may have to spend a lot of time in the US Senate, if the Democratic Party can win both open Georgia seats coming up for a vote on January 5.

If that occurs, she will organize the Senate as Presiding Officer, and make New York Senator Chuck Schumer the Majority Leader, and will have to break ties on many issues that may arise.

Even if a Democratic controlled Senate does not occur, she will have an extremely active role as Vice President, and will be utilized by President Biden in a way only that Biden himself had with Barack Obama, and Walter Mondale had with Jimmy Carter, and Al Gore had with Bill Clinton.

Harris will be combative, as she was as a California Senator for four years, and she will be constantly judged by the news media, and by opposition Republicans.

And with the strong likelihood that Joe Biden may retire after one term, she will certainly be the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency in 2024.

Believe it or not, the speculation over the next Presidential race has begun in earnest!

Joe Biden The Sixth Vice President To Be Elected President

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Joe Biden is the sixth Vice President to be elected President.

Four of the six were elected from the Vice Presidency:

John Adams after George Washington 1796
Thomas Jefferson after John Adams 1800
Martin Van Buren after Andrew Jackson 1836
George H. W. Bush after Ronald Reagan 1988

Richard Nixon was elected eight years after losing the Presidency in 1960, and was the first Vice President to be elected President in 132 years.

And now, Joe Biden was elected President four years after leaving the Vice Presidency, not attempting to run due to the death of his son, Beau Biden.

Many have speculated that had Beau Biden not passed away, that Joe Biden would have competed with Hillary Clinton for the 2016 nomination, and might have defeated her, and gone on to win over Donald Trump.

Sadly, if that had happened, the nation would have avoided the horrible tragedy of Donald Trump and the damage he has perpetrated.

But at least, now, Joe Biden can right much of the wrong of Donald Trump, and he will carry on the Barack Obama tradition!

Additionally, four of the nine Vice Presidents who succeeded to the Presidency due to the demise of the President, went on to be elected to a full term—Theodore Roosevelt in 1904, Calvin Coolidge in 1924, Harry Truman in 1948, and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

The other five Vice Presidents who succeeded to the Presidency were not elected on their own—John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester Alan Arthur, and Gerald Ford, who succeeded Richard Nixon after his resignation, and was the only Vice President not elected to either the Vice Presidency or the Presidency, as he lost to Jimmy Carter for a full term in 1976.

The Tradition Of Gracious Losers Of Presidential Elections Not Being Accepted By Donald Trump!

Ronald 46 Comments

The tradition in Presidential elections is for the loser to concede with grace and statesmanship.

One can forget about that with President Donald Trump, who is promoting conspiracy theories, and according to some sources, has every intention of refusing to cooperate on the transition, and staying in the White House on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2021, refusing to leave the building or attend the inauguration of his successor.

Other Presidents have refused to attend the inauguration of their successor, including John Adams when Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated in 1801; John Quincy Adams when Andrew Jackson was inaugurated in 1829; and Andrew Johnson when Ulysses S. Grant was inaugurated in 1869.

We have seen in modern times all of the Presidential losers concede graciously—Richard Nixon in 1960, Barry Goldwater in 1964, Hubert Humphrey in 1968, George McGovern in 1972, Gerald Ford in 1976, Jimmy Carter in 1980, Walter Mondale in 1984, Michael Dukakis in 1988, George H. W. Bush in 1992, Bob Dole in 1996, Al Gore in 2000, John Kerry in 2004, John McCain in 2008, Mitt Romney in 2012, and Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Donald Trump is acting like a spoiled child, a privileged character, a prima donna, who clearly would love to be an authoritarian dictator and has been a threat for four years, but the American people have clearly made him aware that his “employment” in the White House for four more years is not desired, and that he has, effectively, been “fired” by a vast margin of about 5-6 million popular votes by the time all of the votes are counted!

Happy 96th Birthday, President Jimmy Carter! You Will Rise In Historical Reputation In The Future!

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Today is the 96th Birthday of former President Jimmy Carter, the longest lived American President, who surpassed Herbert Hoover in retirement years in 2012.

He and his wife and Vice President Walter Mondale will, God Willing, celebrate 40 years in retirement on January 20, 2021, when we will see the likely inauguration of a man just as decent and humane as Jimmy Carter, Joe Biden!

Carter has been much attacked unjustly, and not appreciated for his amazing environmentalism; the creation of three Cabinet agencies (Education, Health and Human Services, Energy); the Egyptian Israeli Peace Treaty at Camp David, which has held for more than 40 years; the Panama Canal Treaty; and his amazing Post Presidential career of good deeds, including the building of housing for Habitat for Humanity, but also his Carter Center fighting against disease, insuring fair elections in other nations, and promoting peace and democracy around the world.

Carter will rise in ratings of scholars once he passes from the scene, just as Harry Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower did in the years after their deaths, as often, Presidents are not appreciated in their lifetimes, with the best example being Abraham Lincoln!

Let us hope that Carter reaches the age of 100 four years from now with his bride Rosalynn by his side, and Walter Mondale too!

Will Ohio Go Against The National Trend In 2020?

Ronald 8 Comments

The state of Ohio has long been seen as a crucial state, and no Republican has been elected President without winning Ohio, including Donald Trump in 2016.

So only Gerald Ford has been a Republican President and lost Ohio, when he ran for a full term against Jimmy Carter in 1976. Once we knew that Carter had won Ohio, it was clear Ford would not have a full term, after succeeding the resigned Richard Nixon in 1974.

When one looks at party history since the Republican Party was founded in 1854, we find only five elections in which the Republican candidate lost Ohio to a Democrat, as follows:

John C. Fremont 1856 lost to James Buchanan

James G. Blaine 1884 lost to Grover Cleveland

President Benjamin Harrison 1892 lost to former President Grover Cleveland

Thomas E. Dewey 1944 lost to President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Richard Nixon 1960 lost to John F. Kennedy

So only three Democratic Presidents have won the White House without winning Ohio–James Buchanan in 1856, Grover Cleveland in 1884, and John F. Kennedy in 1960, with Cleveland second time and FDR fourth time winning a return to the White House without winning Ohio.

Right now, polls show Donald Trump winning Ohio by 5 points instead of the 8 point lead he had over Hillary Clinton in 2016.

So if polls hold up, Joe Biden will be the fourth Democrat to become President without Ohio, only the sixth time in 166 years, and the first time since 1960.

Ohio has been steadily losing electoral votes, as the balance of population has moved South and West, and will likely lose one electoral vote in 2024 and 2028, going down from 18 to 17, so will have less impact politically in the future!

Joe Biden Proves He Is Mentally Stable, And Hits A Home Run In His Acceptance Speech At The Democratic National Convention

Ronald 41 Comments

Joe Biden had a masterful performance last night, as he accepted the Democratic nomination for President!

He proved he was mentally stable and competent, and his speech was flawless.

It demonstrated the man he is–one of empathy, decency, compassion, competence, experience.

He made clear that America is in a crisis, and that he, with Kamala Harris by his side, will have the best people available to assist him in dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Second Great Depression, racial matters, and the crisis of climate change.

He will make it an issue of patriotism for the American people to have a national commitment to wear face masks and sacrifice for the common good, as otherwise, the pandemic will destroy us if the American people do not cooperate.

I have followed Joe Biden for a half century, and while I have not always agreed with him on every issue, I believe he is a unique politician, as he truly cares and is sincere, in a manner rarely found in politicians.

He will, when elected, follow through on progressive reforms, in the tradition of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and especially, Barack Obama.

And Joe Biden will have his college professor wife, Dr. Jill Biden, by his side, and she will become of the most outstanding First Ladies in American history.

The crimes of the Trump Presidency must also be pursued and prosecuted, as that should be a priority of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Early public opinion polls since Biden chose Harris show him gaining more of a lead, a good sign, while Donald Trump is flailing aimlessly!

Typical For A Democratic President To Select A Republican Secretary Of Defense

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History demonstrates that it is typical for a Democratic President to select a Republican for his cabinet, with the Defense Department the usual position awarded to a member of the opposition party.

This was true with Robert McNamara, who was Secretary of Defense under John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

The same scenario occurred with William Cohen serving under Bill Clinton in his second term.

And under Barack Obama, we saw carryover Robert Gates and later Chuck Hagel head the Pentagon.

If we go back to before the Defense Department was created in 1947, it was known as the War Department, and Republican Henry Stimson served as Secretary of War for Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Republican Robert Lovett served for two years in that position under Harry Truman.

Only Jimmy Carter among Democratic Presidents never had a Republican serve as Secretary of Defense, but he did have James Schlesinger as the first Secretary of Energy.

So it seems likely that Joe Biden will pick a Republican for the Cabinet, and the most likely choice would be former Congressman and Ohio Governor John Kasich, who will deliver a speech of endorsement at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night.

Three Longest Economic Expansions Since World War II Took Place Under Democratic Presidents

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When one realizes that all economic recessions since 1953, except one brief one in 1980 under Jimmy Carter, occurred under Republican Presidents, it makes it an important issue for the upcoming Presidential Election of 2020.

It turns out that the three longest economic expansions since World War II took place under Democratic Presidents as follows:

128 months–from June 2009 to February 2020—occurring under Barack Obama, and President Donald Trump benefiting from it for three years as a carryover.

120 months–from March 1991 to March 2001–ironically not helping Republican President George H. W. Bush, and with Bill Clinton presiding over every month of his Presidency seeing economic expansion.

106 months–February 1961 to December 1969–under John F. Kennedy after first month all the way through Lyndon B . Johnson, and carrying over for 11 months for Republican President Richard Nixon.

So four of the last five Democratic Presidents had superb records of economic expansion, with Bill Clinton and Lyndon B. Johnson having such conditions throughout their Presidencies, and John F. Kennedy all but the first month, and Barack Obama all but five months.

But even under Jimmy Carter, expansion went on from his inauguration in January 1977 until January 1980, as part of economic growth that began under Republican President Gerald Ford in March 1975. Had the economy not gone downhill in 1980, it is likely that Carter might have defeated Ronald Reagan!

Quite a record for Democrats to brag about on the campaign trail!

The Empathy Of Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, And Also Lincoln, TR, LBJ, And Carter, As Compared To Trump

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One of the most important traits that any President should have, but not all do, is to have empathy, an understanding of the struggles and difficulties of people’s lives, and the ability to relate to the tragedies of others.

Donald Trump has not an ounce of empathy for anyone, as he is a total narcissist, and clearly does not care about others, only his own advancement financially, and to control others to his own benefit.

Trump does not lose sleep over the devastation wrought by the CoronaVirus Pandemic that could have been dealt with two months earlier, and made the tragedy far less deadly.

The three Presidents before him had empathy as, for example:

Bill Clinton at the time of the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995.

George W. Bush after the attack on New York City on September 11, 2001.

Barack Obama and the Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre in 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut.

Many other earlier Presidents also displayed empathy, with a few examples being

Abraham Lincoln mourning the loss of life at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg and the later Gettysburg Address in 1863.

Theodore Roosevelt demanding action on protection for workers and consumers with the protection of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, after Publication of Upton Sinclair’s realistic novel, “The Jungle”, that same year.

Lyndon B. Johnson making a commitment to civil rights legislation and the War On Poverty despite his Southern heritage.

Jimmy Carter’s entire life of empathy, including his post Presidential activities even now at age 95.

Crucial Vice Presidential Choices In American History, Good And Bad

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As Joe Biden decides soon who will be his Vice Presidential running mate, this is a good time to look at crucial Vice Presidential choices in American history, both good and bad.

There is a myth that the Vice Presidential choice does not matter, but it most certainly does.

Abraham Lincoln, in order to help his reelection chances in 1864, dropped Vice President Hannibal Hamlin in favor of Andrew Johnson. Johnson would go on to be the worst blunder of Lincoln, as he succeeded Lincoln after only six weeks in office, divided the country, and was impeached.

William McKinley lost his Vice President, Garret Hobart, in 1899, due to heart disease. If Hobart had not died, he would have become President in 1901, but instead, it was Theodore Roosevelt, who transformed the office of the Presidency.

Franklin D. Roosevelt dropped third term Vice President Henry A. Wallace in 1944 in favor of Harry Truman, who succeeded him after 82 days as Vice President, and most scholars believe Wallace would have been a terrible choice to be President.

John F. Kennedy could not have won in 1960 without Lyndon B. Johnson, who would carry along to success the domestic goals of JFK, and expand beyond it in the “Great Society” programs in the mid 1960s.

Jimmy Carter had a perfect match for Vice President in Walter Mondale, who became the most active and engaged Vice President, practically a co-President.

Ronald Reagan had no foreign policy experience, and George H. W. Bush was a great asset to him in the 1980s.

Bush made a terrible choice in Dan Quayle as his Vice President, and made everyone pray for his health when he had an “atrial fibrillation” in office.

Bill Clinton was fortunate to have Al Gore as his VP, as Gore helped to direct Clinton on the environment, an issue Clinton had performed poorly as Arkansas Governor.

George W. Bush had a smart, intelligent, capable Vice President in Dick Cheney, except for the reality that he “ran the show” in the first term, and pushed us into unwise wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and managed to make millions of personal wealth from Halliburton.

He is often called the most powerful Vice President in American history, in the sense of his impact and powerful influence in policy under Bush, although somewhat less so in the second term, as Bush separated himself to some extent from Cheney.

The Barack Obama-Joe Biden “Bromance” was extremely close and influential, only matched by the Carter-Mondale partnership.

The relationship between Donald Trump and Mike Pence has been one of total sycophancy by Pence, as he hopes to become President at some point in the future. The evangelical Christian Right has been a major factor in the total degradation, and lack of ethics and morals of the Trump Presidency.

So for good or for bad, the Vice Presidency has made a difference!