Jimmy Carter is the oldest living former US president. Now he is celebrating his 100th birthday – but his health is poor. He still has one mission.
Washington – Cast your vote for Kamala Harris. This is the goal of former US President Jimmy Carter, who turns 100 today. “I’m just trying to make it to elect Kamala Harris,” Carter is said to have told his son Chip a few weeks ago, referring to his birthday and the election. Carter’s grandson Jason told the regional newspaper “Atlanta Journal Constitution.” The postal voting documents will be sent out in the southern state of Georgia, the home of the ex-president, around a month before the presidential election on November 5th.
The race for the White House is between Democrat Harris and Republican Donald Trump. Carter wants the Trump period to finally end, says his grandson. Georgia is one of the particularly hotly contested states – every vote counts here in the election. Carter grew up there in humble circumstances on a farm – without electricity or running water. The former peanut farmer and nuclear engineer from the town of Plains never made a big fuss about himself. He came to the US capital Washington as an outsider. After the 1976 election, the Democrat moved into the White House, but after just one term he had to move out again. In the 1980 presidential election, he lost to Republican Ronald Reagan.
Carter and his difficult presidency
His term of office has gone down in history as partly unfortunate. Hardly any other US president has had to experience such severe embarrassments and defeats during his presidency as Carter – from the Tehran hostage crisis to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Even triumphs like the Camp David peace agreement between Egypt and Israel paled in comparison. It was especially the period after his presidency that earned him respect and recognition.
In the years that followed, the Democrat made a name for himself as a mediator in crises and with humanitarian aid. In 1982, he and his wife Rosalynn founded the Carter Center in Atlanta to promote democracy, human rights and economic development, particularly in poorer countries. Carter became involved as a mediator in peace efforts. In 2002 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for this. He always remained loyal to his hometown of Plains. He moved from the capital Washington back to the small town with a few hundred inhabitants. Every year it is celebrated there at a peanut festival.
Painful farewell to his wife Rosalynn
At the end of last year, Carter suffered a serious loss. His wife Rosalynn died at the age of 96 – her health had deteriorated rapidly and she suffered from dementia, among other things. The Carters were married for 77 years. At the memorial service it also became clear how poor Carter’s health was. Around a year and a half ago, after several hospital stays, he stopped his medical treatment and sought home care.
His poor health marked him. The ex-president attended the funeral service of his beloved Rosalynn last November, half lying in a wheelchair, warmed by a blanket. It seemed like he wasn’t really awake. “He’s physically deteriorated a lot and can’t do much on his own anymore, but he’s very committed emotionally,” said Carter’s grandson Jason a few weeks ago.
Campaign jokes about Carter’s old age
Carter is the oldest living former US president. His old age was often a source of laughter, especially during the presidential election campaign. When 81-year-old US President Joe Biden was still in the race for the White House, comedian Colin Jost joked at the Washington press corps’ traditional gala dinner: “You know Jimmy Carter is out there thinking: I could maybe win this thing. ” When Biden had to throw in the towel after the disastrous TV debate against Trump, some people joked that Carter could run for Biden.
Since the ex-president only served one term in the White House, he could theoretically run again for the highest office in the state. His presidency was particularly marked by high consumer prices and the “disgrace of Tehran”. At that time, Iranian students took dozens of Americans hostage in a raid on the US embassy. Carter’s popularity ratings plummeted. He eventually sent elite soldiers to end the hostage crisis after more than five months. But the campaign ended in a debacle. Eight soldiers were killed.
The incident ultimately cost him re-election – the Reagan era began. But because of his achievements after his time in the White House, the down-to-earth southerner is considered the best ex-president the country has ever had.
