RSS 2.0
Since You Brought it Up, Jimmy
Former President Jimmy Carter made headlines last weekend for stating that the Bush administration “administration has been the worst in history.” He has since tried to back away from his comments, calling them “careless” and clarifying that he wasn’t “comparing this administration with other administrations throughout history but just with President Nixon’s.” Right. Because “the worst in history” isn’t a comparison to other administrations throughout history.
Perhaps the reason for Carter’s backpedaling is that he would prefer to avoid an active “Whose administration was the worst ever” debate because of how often his name might come up. The Chicago Tribune has already thrown their opinion into the mix, declaring that “Carter takes the prize among the worst presidents.” The article points out that Carter had more than his fair share of problems with issues ranging from foreign relations to gas prices, common complaints against the current administration.
The author argues that Carter’s weakness in negotiating the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty emboldened the Soviet Union, who would go on to invade Afghanistan and give rise to the chaotic environment in which al Qaeda and the Taliban were able to thrive. The fact that we have Islamic terrorists attacking Americans can be linked, at least indirectly, to the failures of the Carter administration.
And, of course, we can’t forget the hostage crisis that lasted 444 days. The Muslim Student Followers attacked the U.S. embassy in Tehran, and Carter’s response included endless negotiations and a half-hearted rescue mission which ended in the deaths of five USAF Airmen and three US Marines. “His handling of the embassy crisis sent a message that the U.S. prefers sanctimony to fighting back against violent fundamentalist Islam. That picture of wishy-washy America is still costing lives today.”
U.S. News & World Report has also published a comparison of Bush and Carter’s approval ratings during their respective administrations. Gallup asked the following question: “Do you approve or disapprove of the way [Carter/Bush] is handling his job as president?” In June of 1980, the last year of Carter’s presidency, his approval rating was 31%. The most recent poll available for Bush lists his approval rating at 33%.
Keep in mind that I do not intend to compare Carter’s administration with other administrations throughout history. I’m sure there have been some that were worse. Well, maybe not.