President Jimmy Carter: A president We Can All Be Proud to Have As Part of Our History When President Jimmy Carter was in office, he was often the subject of jokes among comedians and even the general public at large. Some referred to him as 'the peanut farmer', while others remarked on his lack of notoriety during his term of office, dubbing him 'the do-nothing President'. Viewed from the current perspective of American politics, we didn't know when we were well off. Perhaps we would do better to elect a President who keeps America on an even keel. The fact remains that while President Jimmy Carter held office, nothing terrible went wrong with the country. Just about everyone would now agree that this would be an admirable state of affairs. When his term ended, President Jimmy Carter left with less than the usual fanfare. The media found him uninteresting at best and this modest man soon faded from the public eye. He has since had a largely unsung, but significant impact on the betterment of humanity. He has been the driving force behind the Habitat for Humanity efforts. Ex-President Jimmy Carter is a modest and soft-spoken man, who shies away from overt public attention. The media was willing to oblige him. It was ordinary citizens who benefited from his work and his influence on others willing to contribute their time to the building of homes for people in poverty which put him in front of the collective media camera once again. The former President Jimmy Carter was there for all to see, rolling up his sleeves on a construction site, actually doing work. It was the media cameraman who came to him. Unlike other former statesmen, who, once out of office, abide by some unspoken set of politically correct rules, President Jimmy Carter has spoken out publicly on human rights issues and political foreign policy. His apparent motive is not to garner attention for himself, but to intervene in situations where people are needlessly suffering for the political expediency of the current powers-that-be. His recent trip to the Middle East to meet with leaders of Hamas is a case in point. The Hamas group is a major stumbling block in the Israeli-Palestinian peace effort. Political appointees and diplomats have refused to meet with this group to discuss ways in which peace might be achieved. The results of President Jimmy Carter's meetings? He managed to get Hamas to agree that Israel had the right to be regarded as a sovereign state. A small step, perhaps, but nonetheless progress. It does seem a shame that his efforts were downplayed by the media and so soon, have all but been forgotten. The teams of diplomats and negotiators might learn a thing or two by following his example and being willing to communicate in order to serve the objectives of peace. Summary President Jimmy Carter deserves to be honored for his work in Habitat for Humanity projects. He has spoken out more about human rights and other social interest issues much more than other ex-presidents have. He has been an asset to this country with his dedication to foreign policy affairs. Related Articles Conservative Politics Versus Liberal Politics Campaign Slogans Political Campaign Strategies Related Sites