Jimmy Carter seems tailor-made for the celebration of the US bicentennial. a living proof of the richness of the American dream. He is portrayed as the 1970s version of the log cabin president, the peanut farmer; as the respectable Southern Baptist who proves American racism is no more; as the candidate who beat the party posses or me Democrauc machine; the people's choice.
Heis the candidate born olane old God values of America and of the ageing rebellious youth of the 1960s - the man who quoted Bob Dylan during his acceptance speech. He is George Washington revisited, the president who will never tell a lie. Jimmy Carter stands as 3 celebraton ortree enteronse America; as the man who made it against all the odds, he has proved the system works.
At least such was the vision which won Carter his nomination as Demo cratic candidate for the US presidency, a vision wich appened because carten appeared to hark back to the good old days and the good old values before Vietnam and Washington. Who wouldn't buy a second-hand car from the clean, blond, quiet-spoken Southern gentleman? Stink-tank But inevitably the broad smile and the eyes overflowing with sincerity don't tell it all. Jimmy Carter may now pose as the Southern integrationist who shares none of the white hysteria of George wanace, burm a letter written in 19/z in reply to a consatuent wo was upset that he had not endorsed Wallace then, Carter wrote: *I have never had anything but the highest praise for Governor Wallace....J think you will find that Senator Jackson, Governor Wallace and 1 are in close agreement on most issues.
Then there is the Jimmy Carter who waxes indignant against the dirty tricks of me Nixon era. but in 19/1, when Carter was standing for the governorship of Georgia, there was an anonymous leaflet distributed which showed Carter's opponent being given a champagne shampoo by two blacks he played basketball with. The leaflet was mance unrougnour the stare to wilte Baptist ministers-a group for whom Carter has a particular fondness.
Carter denies any knowledge of the leaflet, as did Nixon over similar ventures on his behalf. But an American public relations man who worked for Carter's campaign has said: 'We distributed the leaflet. It was prepared for Carter's press secretary. It was part of an operation we called the "stink tank"!
Or take Carter's tears about the Vietnam War-tears which, going by his record, must have been produced not so much by the involvement as by the defeat. Because Jimmy Carter in 1972 sponsored a resolution at the DemoFord Il is a motor mechanic; he is a businessman who deals in peanuts.
There is some truth in the view that Carter ran against the Democratic party macine. but uns was becaus that machine had doubts about the electoral credibility of a Southern Baptist. As far as Carter himself goes, he is as much a professional politician In 1974 he became chairman of the National Democratic Campaign elections, and as The Times put it, got priceless recogniton wavering round the country from professional politicians. Now the Democratic machine is united behind Carter. They can tell a good candidate when they see one; mey can see ne varue or a president who appears clean and respectable; appears outside the unsavoury era of Nixon and the bungling era of Ford; appears capable of repolishing the American image.