Comments on: Barack Obama: The New Jimmy Carter

National Review Online: A Look Back At 1976 Election Gives Us Reason To Doubt Democrat's Sincerity

[bonddouble07]

You republicans live in a strange fantasy world. I''d hate to be you.

[neonink]

Jimmy Carter is no longer classified as one of America''s worst presidents.

King George W. Bush did Carter a favor by being the worst.

Carter is a genius in comparison.

[caldwellptr]

If you continue the comparison of then and now, Carter was elected after Nixon tried to subvert the politcal process in a power grab which resulted in his resignation and Ford becoming President, the only President who was not elected to the office.

[Redoubt]

I''m no fan of Barky Obama but this seems a rediculous comparrison.

It seems that perhaps CBS is right and the GOP is getting just a little desperate.

[liceu93]

No, Barack Obama IS NOT, I repeat, IS NOT, the new Jimmy Carter! Jimmy Carter has the dubious distinction to be the only Democratic presidential candidate that I did not vote for, either time. First, I voted to give Gerald Ford a full term and then when Carter ran again, I voted for John Anderson.

Unlike Carter, Obama is a unifyer. He has already in his campaign shown a remarkable ability to inspire and bring together people of differing races, educational levels, and incomes together. There is no reason to believe that if he''s elected he won''t do that with his administration. Carter, by contrast, distanced himself from those in his own party. Loyal Democrats were made to feel that some how they weren''t as good as the Georgia gang that came into town with Carter. In that way, the candidate who''s most like Carter, is Gov. Palin. I mean no disrepect to former President Carter when I say that, I know that for all of his faults, he''s a much smarter, more decent and more honest human being than Gov. Palin.

In addition to not being as divisive a person as Carter, Obama is a much more inspiring leader and speaker. Honestly, even when I agreed with him, listening to a Carter speech was about as exciting as watching paint dry. I was invited to the Carter Inaugural and what stands out most in my mind was the odd sensation of almost falling asleep on my freezing cold feet on the Capitol grounds.
So, please, please, don''t equate Carter with Obama.

[photogeezer]

Carter had to fight Congress at every step. Obama will have a Democratic majority. We can''t go on leaving people on rooftops, homeless and without health care. Any humane society takes care of its people. Any humane society must have some socialistic features. Unrestrained capitalism is every bit as collossal a failure as Communism. We''re going to fix this. It will cost money. Get over it. If you can''t lend a constructive hand in the new administration, get out of the way.

[andor3]

the thing NRO wants us to forget ts that Carter was a great President, but ahead of his time and America. If we had followed Carters ideas on reducing foreign oil dependence, moving to national security through economic power more than military, and encouraging smart technology, we would be leading the world economy today. Instead, we chose Reagan who reversed all the progress and disarmed all the safeguards and balances built-in, sacrificing security for a short-term economic bubble.

[imnho]

It appears that electoral swimming was never Macain speciality. Bush is like an albatross around Macain''s neck. A this point his campagin is treading water as it sinks out of site. If history does not throw Macain a life preserver that he will sink into the history of electoral losers. In the electoral college second place is the first loser.

[sparks224]

The NRO supported George W Bush.

Enough said.

[kazoodan]

...55 Miles Per Hour NATIONAL SPEED LIMIT...

AND the start of NOT BEING ABLE TO DRILL FOR OUR OWN OIL!!!

OBAMA the "SOCIALIST" in 08 for the 2nd CARTER TERM!!!

Thank you Democratic Party for not letting us drill for oil the unemployment RATE is 6.7%.
Thank you Democratic Party for the great job you have done in Northeastern Ohio, 35 years ,mainly Mahoning County, all that open area now is great for the environmentalist, what used to be Steel Plants, pipe plants, industrial area, what a great use of the EPA. Also big spots of were homes used to be. Thank you Again Eco-Liberal Democrats.

Posted by KathySun at 07:17 PM : Oct 24, 2008

None of this would have ever entered your tiny brain if you hadn''t heard it from the right wing mouthpieces. Your entire thought process consists of copy and paste.

[aakalan]

Don''t you wish!

Carter as prologue to Obama? Where in heaven (or otherwise) do you get that? Totally different people, totally different life experiences, totally different temperament, totally different times.

You''re so desperate for -anything- to bash Obama with, you''ll stretch things so far that rationality has no place in your highly-biased, hawkish, rich-white-men worldview.

I feel so bad for you. In less than two weeks, you will become what you really are: irrelevant.

Thank God.

[ubrew12]

Foreign oil imports were reduced by 50% during the Carter administration, and he began many programs to develop energy independence and alternative energy.

I wish we had continued his energy policies. This country would be MUCH better off, and wouldn''t be throwing away trillions each year to purchase foreign oil. But they required an activist government, engaged in energy policy, not a policy written by the oil companies, which is what Republicans prefer.

[dragonfly125]

I wonder how many million Obama has spent with CBS,
ABC and the NY Times in advertising dollars??

[dragonfly125]

Obama will never begin to compare with Jimmy Carter.
Pres. Carter is one of the few morally grounded men
to have served in the White House. Obama''s history,
affiliations and 20 year relationship with Rev. Wright and his support of Wm. Ayers puts Obama in
a very different league morally and ethically.
Of course morals and ethics don''t sell newspapers or
on line advertising..........so the media is supporting Obama and all the money he is putting into
the media coffers with his ads.

[xlib]

Ah, the good old days of gas rationing, high interest rates AND high unemployment of the carter years. Why, I remember the speech written by your own chris mathews (he of the tingle down my leg) blaming the American public for being greedy, etc, etc. I remember waiting patiently for the oil delivery man to come and fill our tank with our newborn son. Oh yea, the good old 70''s.
I think I still have our canning supplies and lanterns, and lots of canles. We have a wood burning stove with lots of wood, Oh yea, ready for the good old days to return. I just wish we still lived on our upstate Pennsylvania farm so we could grow our own food. It would be comforting to be back with those racist, rednecks. Thanks murtha, you''re a real sweetie.

[ktorrent]

LOL. All the great Obama talk is starting to slow down. I guess he isn''t the icon everyone thinks. The other side of the coin is coming out. People are blinking at the idea of voting for Obama, because it is becoming clearer that he is not real.

[darrren12000]

Interestingly, this editorial NEVER mentions the 70s oil price shocks - which make our recent troubles with oil look silly. MOst of the economic turmoil in the Carter administration was caused by OPEC. The price of oil almost tripled in about one month. The impact on the economy was tremendous. I''m a Democrat - and I do not blame Bush for the financial crisis today. Congress (primarily) and Presidents (secondarily) control fiscal policy - not the price of oil or the flow of credit.

[progres_sive]

Kathysun has pointed out all the pitfalls of a President Barack Obama but failed to state ONE reason why I should vote for McCain/Palin.

[westtexas8]

KathySun,
The democrats are indeed hoping for unions to once again energize the labor market. I hope there is a democratic sweep, perhaps we can all go to work.We need not implement just clean coal or nuclear power.
Wind power in Texas , solar power in Arizona. Money for a national grid would all create new jobs. In addition, the R&D behind such technology would create jobs. Wind and Solar can be implemented in other areas as well as these two alone will not power the grids. New battery technology for vehicles. Federal moey for hydrogen refueling stations for vehicles already created. These could also provide jobs. We have to be unafraid of the idea of federal money being the seed money for these projects. All of the GOP screaming about Carter, socialism, and the real fear of high taxes is stopping the country. Think about what will happen with more of the GOP policies in place... I have more faith in the american people than the GOP apparently. After all the GOP trusted the business moguels to practive "capitalism" ad where are we? Keep in mind that the credit scam was an admendmet to the bill allowing "lower income" to borrow. But thanks to the GOP the "lower income" are the bogeyman. I will gladly take a chance on the "regular joe or jane", thanks.

[westtexas8]

loubakin,
agreed.
ubrew12,
I also lived through the carter years. I rememeber that he wanted to raise taxes to pay for our expenses.I also rememebr a quote from Cheney saying Reagan proved one could run a government and win elections with deficits. Great post.