Althouse: Jimmy Carter has the sads.

March 25, 2014

Jimmy Carter has the sads.

Obama never calls him. Both Bushes called him. Clinton called him. Reagan called him...

51 comments:

YoungHegelian said...: Jimmy C. shouldn't feel bad. It's pretty clear that, aside from a few trusted sidekicks, Obama doesn't talk to anybody.

This is not an administration that knows how to take good advice.; 3/25/14, 7:21 PM
fizzymagic said...: My tears have shorted out my keyboard. Or not.; 3/25/14, 7:21 PM
cubanbob said...: Carter should be rejoicing instead of having the blues. He is no longer the worst president in the last 80 years.; 3/25/14, 7:31 PM
Tom P said...: Perhaps Mr. Obama thinks he can do better than Mr. Carter. Or perhaps he doesn't want to share the credit?; 3/25/14, 7:38 PM
Unknown said...: Obama truly is a fucking joke. So many ex-presidents, so many people you don't want to talk to.; 3/25/14, 7:58 PM
Charlie Eklund said...: I'm not surprised that Reagan, Bush and Bush called Carter and asked him for advice. After all, Jimmy Carter is the perfect sounding board. Just call him up, ask him what he would do about X, thank him for his time and then do the exact opposite. You can't go wrong.; 3/25/14, 8:07 PM
Sorun said...: Calling Jimmy is not like going on Oprah or Ellen or The View. Jimmy would bring up a serious subject, and then wtf is Obama supposed to say?; 3/25/14, 8:09 PM
Gahrie said...: Carter should be rejoicing instead of having the blues. He is no longer the worst president in the last 80 years.

This.

I bet Obama will be a worse ex-president than Carter was too. (Which won't be easy); 3/25/14, 8:12 PM
ddh said...: What's sad is that President Carter criticized President Obama's response to the Russian invasion of Crimea as weak.; 3/25/14, 8:14 PM
Sorun said...: What's funny is imagining any future president calling Obama for advice other than vacation tips.; 3/25/14, 8:16 PM
Bob B said...: Obama does not call because he is intimidated by Carter.; 3/25/14, 8:36 PM
Sam L. said...: Well, I'm just bummmmmmmed for Jimmuh.; 3/25/14, 8:37 PM
Birkel said...: Racism, straight up.
H8R; 3/25/14, 8:56 PM
furious_a said...: Reagan called him...

...to ask if his refrigerator was running.; 3/25/14, 9:02 PM
Skyler said...: I'll be happy to call him all sorts of names.

Even after he left office he continued to try to deprive the nation of jobs by under bidding paid workers with habitats for humanity.

He is a despicable, petty man.; 3/25/14, 9:08 PM
kcom said...: Well, those guys all had class (to one degree or another). Obama has demonstrated none since day one. Combined with extreme arrogance, it's not a combo that recognizes the worth of anyone else's opinion.; 3/25/14, 9:20 PM
Curious George said...: Clinton was calling Amy. Jimmy just happened to answer the phone.; 3/25/14, 9:21 PM
Big Mike said...: I have been told by an econometrician that if we were still counting unemployment the way we were during the Carter years and still evaluating inflation the way we were during the Carter years, our stagflation would be vastly worse than it was during the Carter years.

I found it easy to believe. Our grocery bill keeps going up, up and away.; 3/25/14, 9:21 PM
Paul said...: Both Bushes, Clinton, and Reagan all had RESPECT and DECENCY in them.

Obama as none.

I really think he does not see the Presidency as anything but a community organizer job. All talk and no walk.

He really would prefer just to go play golf and party.; 3/25/14, 9:39 PM
Paul said...: ddh,

Once Carter saw that Brezhnev "LIED TO ME' (Carter's words) and invaded Afghanistan, Carter then sent weapons to the Afghanistan rebels to help them.

Obama just sends words and cuts off Putin's Netflex account.; 3/25/14, 9:42 PM
CWJ said...: What's sad is that Carter should have had a life after 1980 that didn't involve others kissing his ring.

what's sadder on a personal level is that this waste of skin is 89 years old and my personal family history suggests that I have exactly zero chance of making it that far. Why is time bestowed upon someone who can't appreciate it? Sigh.; 3/25/14, 9:43 PM
Quaestor said...: If I were president I'd call him every day -- and tell him to STFU!; 3/25/14, 9:43 PM
Paul said...: and ddh,

At least during the hostage situation in Iran Carter TRIED to save them with a abortive rescue operation.

Obama, on the other hand, let the Ambassador and three others just die in Benghazi.; 3/25/14, 9:44 PM
KCFleming said...: Obama gets all his advice from Amy Carter.; 3/25/14, 9:52 PM
Paul said...: "Both Bushes, Clinton, and Reagan all had RESPECT and DECENCY in them".

Clinton? Respect and decency? Really?; 3/25/14, 9:58 PM
cubanbob said...: Curious George said...
Clinton was calling Amy. Jimmy just happened to answer the phone.

3/25/14, 9:21 PM"

Winner! You said that in jest but CLinton being Clinton how could it be anything but true?; 3/25/14, 10:29 PM
Saint Croix said...: Okay, this cracked me up...

I have felt that my own communications are probably monitored,

Nobody wants to hear what I have to say, but they're definitely listening to my phone anyway.

I'll bet the CIA sent that killer rabbit.; 3/25/14, 10:44 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: So Da Bamstuh is not calling the Peanut Farmer?

That's the first smart decision that Obama has made. Of course one good decision in 6 years does not a competent President make, but it's a start.; 3/25/14, 11:30 PM
Unknown said...: In an interview obama said "I'm a better political director than my political director, a better speech writer than my speech writer," on and on. The part of the interview that wasn't released was "I'm more Carter than Carter was."; 3/25/14, 11:34 PM
Anonymous said...: I'm surprised Obama hasn't called Carter because I'd have thought they'd get along. They clearly share a common outlook when it comes to the Middle East: both of them show a strong sympathy towards the Muslims and intensely dislike the Israelis, blaming them for all of the strife that's going on there.; 3/26/14, 12:35 AM
Anonymous said...: I've heard one reason Obama wants nothing to do with Carter is b/c it stings.

Take that for what it may be worth.; 3/26/14, 6:12 AM
Brando said...: This is very telling. From Carter's complaints, we have to presume that either (1) Obama has been calling Clinton and both Bushes for advice, or (2) Clinton and both Bushes aren't sore about not being called. Just demonstrates that Carter has an inflated view of his own expertise, despite a total absence of evidence that such expertise exists.; 3/26/14, 6:12 AM
ddh said...: Paul,

President Carter did have a relatively strong response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, as you noted, although some of his moves smacked of panic, such as cancelling US participation in the Moscow Olympics. Nonetheless, Carter had earned a reputation for weakness and ineptitude in foreign and domestic policy from his first three years in office that his late change in foreign policy could not overcome. Let us also remember that the hostage crisis and the abortive raid on Tehran wiped out whatever benefit he would have received from getting tougher on Brezhnev.; 3/26/14, 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...: Brando:

Could you think of anyone else who goes tilting at the windmills of peace?

I half-expect a fawning Organizing For Peace Institute with constant lectures and travel, fundraisers and sound bites. It would feed the ego quite nicely.

And the lack of peace will rarely if ever be due to problems with the ideas, leadership and/or policies.

Forces and people conspired to prevent the birth of
Peace from the womb of history.

They haven't seen the light, aren't modern enough, are too racist etc.; 3/26/14, 6:25 AM
Robert Cook said...: "Carter should be rejoicing instead of having the blues. He is no longer the worst president in the last 80 years."

He never was.; 3/26/14, 6:55 AM
Robert Cook said...: "Okay, this cracked me up...

'I have felt that my own communications are probably monitored....'"

Why would that crack you up? Haven't you been reading the news for the last...10 months? ALL our communications are being monitored.; 3/26/14, 7:00 AM
Rusty said...: Robert Cook said...
"Okay, this cracked me up...

'I have felt that my own communications are probably monitored....'"

Why would that crack you up? Haven't you been reading the news for the last...10 months? ALL our communications are being monitored.

Here's a dollar, Bob. Go buy a sense of humor.; 3/26/14, 7:43 AM
James said...: “I have felt that my own communications are probably monitored,” Carter, who has frequently criticized the National Security Agency in the past, said. “And when I want to communicate with a foreign leader privately, I type or write the letter myself, put it in the Post Office and mail it, because I believe if I send an email, it will be monitored.”

Carter is even more naive than I thought; apparently he's unaware that every piece of mail sent through U.S. Mail is photographed. It would be a trivial matter to set a flag in the system to identify and intercept mail sent by him or addressed to him.

Postal Service Confirms Photographing All U.S. Mail

WASHINGTON — The Postal Service on Friday confirmed that it takes a photograph of every letter and package mailed in the United States — about 160 billion pieces last year — and occasionally provides the photos to law enforcement agencies that request them as part of criminal cases.

The images are taken at more than 200 processing plants around the country and are used primarily to help the agency sort mail, the postmaster general, Patrick R. Donahoe, said in an interview with The Associated Press.; 3/26/14, 7:47 AM
Robert Cook said...: Rusty,

I have a fine sense of humor...one has to in order read the many inane comments here without despairing. (But then, despair is probably the more natural response.); 3/26/14, 8:22 AM
Larry J said...: Gahrie said...
Carter should be rejoicing instead of having the blues. He is no longer the worst president in the last 80 years.

This.

I bet Obama will be a worse ex-president than Carter was too. (Which won't be easy)

It's hard to imagine anyone stupid enough to take that bet but then, it's hard to imagine anyone stupid enough to vote for Obama. Seriously, how could anyone be so stupid as to see he's nothing but an empty suit?; 3/26/14, 8:26 AM
Robert Cook said...: James @ 7:47 a.m.

Is all mail opened and the contents photographed, or are just the exterior of the envelopes (displaying the sender and recipient addresses) photographed? Obviously, it must the latter case, and the interior communications remain secure.

Selected mail may be opened and examined...but there simply isn't the manpower to open and photograph all mail, or a means to open all mail without it being more often than not apparent to the recipient on delivery that the mail has been tampered with.; 3/26/14, 8:30 AM
Robert Cook said...: James, reading the story you linked to confirms that only the exterior of mail is photographed, unless warrants are issued to authorize opening mail for examination of the contents.

Analog mail is still the most secure communications available to us.; 3/26/14, 8:36 AM
Larry J said...: Robert Cook said...
James @ 7:47 a.m.

Is all mail opened and the contents photographed, or are just the exterior of the envelopes (displaying the sender and recipient addresses) photographed? Obviously, it must the latter case, and the interior communications remain secure

I suspect the mail is imaged to use optical character recognition (OCR) to read the addresses electronically. Normally, there would be no reason to save the image after the address is read but if they're turning the images over to law enforcement, they must be saving them.

The information captured in the images would be a form of metadata similar to what the NSA has been recording on phone calls - sender, destination, where mailed, etc. OCR can be linked to a database to flag specific pieces of mail being sent to or from specified people or addresses so they can be opened. The metadata by itself may not seem like much but added to other data it can be very revealing even without opening the envelop or listening to a call.; 3/26/14, 8:37 AM
Todd said...: ddh said...
What's sad is that President Carter criticized President Obama's response to the Russian invasion of Crimea as weak.
3/25/14, 8:14 PM

Carter calling another President's response to aggression weak, does he not see the irony?

Also, why would Obama call Carter? Obama thinks he knows everything and Carter would just chant "I'm no longer the worst!" for the entire call.; 3/26/14, 8:40 AM
Gospace said...: YoungHegelian said...

Jimmy C. shouldn't feel bad. It's pretty clear that, aside from a few trusted sidekicks, Obama doesn't talk to anybody.

This is not an administration that knows how to take good advice.*****************

Every comment after this first comment by Young Hegelian is unneeded, including mine.; 3/26/14, 9:20 AM
Andy Freeman said...: > only the exterior of mail is photographed

What wavelengths are being used?

If just you're trying to read the address, you stick to the human visual spectrum. If you'd like some hint of what's inside (including doing OCR on some of the writing), you don't.

I mention wavelengths because pretty much every image sensor has more IR (and/or UV) sensitivity than the human eye. That's why most have filters. In some cases, said filters can be removed/turned off. (A few years ago, a Sony video camera had the ability to turn on "night mode" during the day, which has "interesting" consequences.); 3/26/14, 12:06 PM
Cedarford said...: Paul said...
"Both Bushes, Clinton, and Reagan all had RESPECT and DECENCY in them".

Clinton? Respect and decency? Really?

================
Yes. Clinton. Neither Reagan nor Clinton are exactly candidates for sainthood...but due to their humble beginnings, they each carried some measure of respect and decency towards the average working man and his family. They connected with Americans, and Americans with them. (It took the 1994 elections to blast Clinton out of his "bubble" and out of the hands of the liberal elites that had captured him during the 1992 post-election phase..

Of course, I also think of Nixon as a more fundamentally decent, honest, and patriotic American than Obama.

One defense of Jimmy....most of the military buildup credited to Reagan began under Carter and his "Hawk" democrat allies in Congress. They pretty much ended the liberal efforts to further weaken the military post-Vietnam.; 3/26/14, 12:18 PM
Bilwick said...: Ol' Peanut-brain should count his blessings. Obama probably never calls anyone except to remind them how awesome he is, or threaten them with an IRS audit.; 3/26/14, 1:58 PM
Hyphenated American said...: Imagine the laughter if Obama makes a speech about his foreign policy and says that "at th advice of president carter, I decided to..."; 3/26/14, 1:58 PM
Doug said...: I called Carter ... to recommend daily applications of Visine.; 3/26/14, 3:54 PM
Drago said...: cedarford: "One defense of Jimmy....most of the military buildup credited to Reagan began under Carter and his "Hawk" democrat allies in Congress."

LOL

Yeah, AFTER the left gutted the military for the first 3 years of Carters term and only AFTER the Soviet buildup and actions in Afghanistan made it painfully clear to Carter and his fellow idiots that "gee, those commie guya really aren't ok dudes".

Too funny.

No points to Jimmah for the geo-political equivalent of being hit over the head with brick and looking up and saying "hey, gravity!".; 3/26/14, 7:42 PM