Jimmy Carter Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Public opinion === In exit polls from the 1976 presidential election, many voters still held Ford's pardon of Nixon against him.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/27/opinion/polls/main2301584.shtml |work=CBS News |title=Polls: Ford's Image Improved Over Time |date=December 27, 2006 |access-date=March 21, 2022 |archive-date=September 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908032831/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/27/opinion/polls/main2301584.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> By comparison, Carter was viewed as a sincere, honest, and well-meaning southerner.<ref name="Independent 2009-01-22" /> However, in the 1980 election, Reagan projected an easy self-confidence, in contrast to Carter's serious and introspective temperament. Carter was portrayed as pessimistic and indecisive in comparison to Reagan, who was known for his charm and delegation of tasks to subordinates.<ref name="NYT 1989-05-18">{{cite news |first=E. J. |last=Dionne |date=May 18, 1989 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/18/us/washington-talk-carter-begins-to-shed-negative-public-image.html |title=Washington Talk; Carter Begins to Shed Negative Public Image |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 28, 2009 |archive-date=May 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524021900/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/18/us/washington-talk-carter-begins-to-shed-negative-public-image.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Reagan used the economic issues, Iran hostage crisis, and lack of Washington cooperation to portray Carter as a weak and ineffectual leader. Carter was the first elected incumbent president since [[Herbert Hoover]] [[1932 United States presidential election|in 1932]] to lose a reelection bid.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/b/brinkley-unfinished.html |title=The Unfinished Presidency β Jimmy Carter's Journey Beyond the White House |website=The New York Times |year=1998 |access-date=November 27, 2015 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233450/https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/b/brinkley-unfinished.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Carter began his presidency with a 66 percent approval rating,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/113923/History-Foretells-Obama-First-Job-Approval-Rating.aspx |title=What History Foretells for Obama's First Job Approval Rating |publisher=Gallup.com |date=January 22, 2009 |access-date=December 10, 2011 |archive-date=January 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111182110/http://www.gallup.com/poll/113923/History-Foretells-Obama-First-Job-Approval-Rating.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> which had dropped to 34 percent approval by the time he left office, with 55 percent disapproving.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/113770/Bush-Presidency-Closes-34-Approval-61-Disapproval.aspx |title=Bush Presidency Closes With 34% Approval, 61% Disapproval |publisher=Gallup.com |access-date=December 10, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090119053947/http://www.gallup.com/poll/113770/Bush-Presidency-Closes-34-Approval-61-Disapproval.aspx |archive-date=January 19, 2009}}</ref> Carter's presidency was initially viewed by some scholars as a failure.<ref>{{cite news |title=Jimmy Carter's Legacy of Failure |url=http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Jimmy-Carter-s-Legacy-of-Failure-2483048.php <!-- also: https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Jimmy-Carter-s-Legacy-of-Failure-2483048.php --> |date=December 12, 2006 |first=Cinnamon |last=Stillwell |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=June 22, 2015 |archive-date=July 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717125517/http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Jimmy-Carter-s-Legacy-of-Failure-2483048.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Jimmy Carter: Why He Failed |url=http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2000/01/21politics-hess |date=January 21, 2000 |publisher=Brookings Institution |access-date=June 22, 2015 |archive-date=July 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725153444/http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2000/01/21politics-hess |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=Ramesh |last=Ponnuru |title=In Carter's Shadow |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1810305,00.html |magazine=Time |date=May 28, 2008 |access-date=June 22, 2015 |archive-date=July 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725145652/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1810305,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the [[historical rankings of American presidents]], Carter's presidency has ranged from 18th to 34th place.<ref name="Jimmy Carter's Post-Presidency">{{cite web |title=Jimmy Carter's Post-Presidency |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/carter-post-presidency/ |website=American Experience |publisher=PBS, WGBH |access-date=June 22, 2015 |archive-date=May 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150506081425/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/carter-post-presidency/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Brinkley, pp. 505β530.">Brinkley, pp. 505β530.</ref> The documentary ''[[Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace]]'' (2009) credits Carter's efforts at Camp David, which brought peace between Israel and Egypt, with bringing the only meaningful peace to the Middle East.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gibb |first=Lindsay |url=http://realscreen.com/2009/06/08/montecarlofest-20090608/ |title=Monte-Carlo TV fest opens with doc for first time |date=June 4, 2009 |access-date=June 12, 2012 |archive-date=March 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326204832/http://realscreen.com/2009/06/08/montecarlofest-20090608/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=WorldScreen.com β Archives |url=http://www.worldscreen.com/articles/display/21252 |website=worldscreen.com |access-date=June 22, 2015 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> His post-presidency activities have been favorably received. ''[[The Independent]]'' wrote, "Carter is widely considered a better man than he was a president."<ref name="Independent 2009-01-22">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/presidents/jimmy-carter-1482922.html |title=Jimmy Carter:39th president β 1977β1981 |work=The Independent |location=London |date=January 22, 2009 |access-date=January 28, 2009 |archive-date=February 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223024100/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/presidents/jimmy-carter-1482922.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Although his presidency received a mixed reception, his [[peacekeeping]] and humanitarian efforts since he left office have made Carter renowned as one of the most successful ex-presidents in American history.<ref name="Jimmy Carter's Post-Presidency"/><ref name="Brinkley, pp. 505β530."/> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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