Why not Jimmy Carter for President ?

[Wiregrass Willie]

He may be a litle old, but he's a known quantity and he's not likely to sell out when elected.

Taking part in the film festival's first geo-political talk, taped for television, Carter called for Washington to hold "direct talks" with Iran, laid out his vision for Mideast peace and lamented the "unwarranted and unprecedented" religious fundamentalism that has crept into US politics.

In a stinging attack on US President George W. Bush and his Christian supporters, he said: "I worship Christ who was the prince of peace, not pre-emptive war."

"A superpower like the United States should use all of its resources ... to promote peace," he said.

Talking about his book, Carter said: "I hope it will precipitate attempting to find peace in the Holy Land."

"It's one of the most important political issues in the world, because a lot of the animosity (in the world) is centered around what's happening to bring peace or not bring peace in (Israel-Palestine)."

"There hasn't been one single day of peace talks in the last seven years," he complained.

"I became very frustrated to see the stagnation there and the animosity building up around the world against my own nation just because we had not tried to bring peace to Israel and its (surrounding) states," he said, explaining his inspiration for the book.

Carter noted that he and his wife Rosalynn had visited the Palestinian territories on three occasions in recent years.

"I was amazed and almost nauseated to see the encroachment by Israel on Palestinian land and the persecution of the Palestinians," he said, citing 205 fortified Jewish settlements in "choice places" in the West Bank.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070911/ts_alt_afp/entertainmentcanadafilmfestivalmideastusiranreligion_070911023002

[MADem]

1. He'd be a one term lame duck.

Better to keep him handy as a roving ambassador and advisor.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

8. Jimmy Carter?

If he could hold onto office the first time, we might not be dealing with the enduring effects of Reaganomics, deregulation, etc.

[MADem]

27. Of course. But unfortunately, he couldn't do that, and we ended up with Ronnie. NT

[Horse with no Name]

30. You've obviously never read October Surprise have you?

He could hold on to office--which made it necessary for the Republicans to pull out their dirty tricks.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

31. He would have never won!

I was of voting age back then, and lived through that period. And like millions of other voters, I voted for him once, but not twice.

If the electorate holds the president responsible for the state of the economy, inflation, etc. - and they do - Jimmy Carter was a terrible president. I can't think of a worse democrat in history. The reasons for his loss went way beyond the hostage crisis.

I lived through it. He was incredibly stupid about such countries as Haiti and North Korea. I read a quote that fit: "he was a self deluded pawn for dictators."

Do you realize how many people left the party after Jimmy Carter?

God! I can't believe anyone would want Carter for president. He did to the left what Bush is doing to the right - he destroyed his party almost single-handedly. (Actually, Bush had a lot more help.)

He may be a man of peace, but I'm not at all sure that he isn't just as naive as he was when he was president.

Yes, I know the times were complicated with restructuring of the south, etc., but his presidency was still a disaster.

[Wiregrass Willie]

13. That's better than no term ruptured ducks like we had the last two elections n/t

[MADem]

28. You can't get much done on the downhill slide, especially if you don't have

a veto-proof Congress. It wouldn't be a good idea. Plus, he's too old. He still has a vital role in public life, and I'm sure he'll be a great help to the next Democratic president.

[Selatius]

2. If age weren't a problem, he'd simply have conflicts within the establishment.

We're not dealing with the same Congress that we dealt with back in the 1970s. Things are worse now than they were in the 1970s. Corporate consolidation over the news media is virtually complete, and Carter never faced the labyrinth of corporate/right wing think tanks that now proliferate on the right, think tanks that basically plan ways to defeat the left 24/7.

He has too much integrity. He couldn't get along with people with no integrity.

[Wiregrass Willie]

11. Any man of integrity would be as lonesome as a Maytag repairman in D.C. n/t

[treestar]

17. So we're saying we need a candidate without integrity?

That was thought to be a good quality.

[Selatius]

25. No, what we need is another Carter but with a Congress with integrity.

You can't have one without the other. You need both. As it stands, it's pay to play on Capitol Hill. The money people have tremendous fund raising advantage over your typical voter.

[BlooInBloo]

3. Yah. Jimmy Carter (D) vs Al Gore (R) - god DUers are coming up with GENIUS..

... ideas the last day or so.

[conscious evolution]

4. Secretary of State would be better

As President He would have to divide his time amongst to many issues.
As SecState he could work full time on bringing peace to the Middle East.

[Wiregrass Willie]

10. That's really not a bad idea.

In all honesty we are a little short of heavy weights in the diplomatic area.

[rug]

5. Why not FDR's DNA?

[sufrommich]

6. LOL! nt

[book_worm]

7. In November of 2008 he would be 84 years old

He is a great man, but the Democratic president elected in '08 can better use him in other ways.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

24. Conrad Adenauer Ran Germany At 87

eom

[Jim Sagle]

9. Because he SSSSSSSUXXXXXXXXX!!!!!!!!

[wuushew]

15. wrong....

What is your objection? I find his statements on current Middle Eastern policy well reasoned and fair.

[Jim Sagle]

16. I find them shrill, one-sided, and obsessive.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

18. I do soooo agree

He's losing it when it comes to the Middle East. The Palestinians won't give up until Israel is wiped off the map. I don't see how anyone could deny that, even if we may disagree on how much aid or any aid we should be sending to Israel.

http://www.pmw.org.il/tv%20part7.html

[kitty44]

19. Sorry - no

He brings a voice of reason to the debate.

He asks - why is no one talking about what's happening to the Palestinians?

A valid question, I think.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

20. I see it differently

The Palestinians determine much of their own fate. When they stop declaring that Israel doesn't have a right to exist, maybe more people will take their leaders seriously. The Israelis have one tiny piece of land, and are surrounded by people who say they want to wipe them off the face of the map. They kept that land after they were attacked, and the language of the attackers has never changed: "Israel doesn't have a right to exist."

[kitty44]

21. Palestinians would be a lot happier...

...if settlers would not encroach on their land and they didn't have to deal with a 2-class system with checkpoints, etc.

All Carter does is expose what's going on. Many people do not like this.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

23. I don't like the way...

the Palestinians have to live, and I don't like the way the Israelis have to live with so much security.

But this debate will not be settled here.

Have a nice evening. :)

[Jim Sagle]

26. He talks as if that's the key to solving all the world's problems.

With his obsessions he grieviously wounded the Democratic Party. Given the chance he would reopen those wounds, perhaps fatally.

[L. Coyote]

12. Age.

[L. Coyote]

14. I wish he would speak out and confront the legitamacy of the junta's actions.

[JVS]

22. Because it would never happen

[JCMach1]

29. AIPAC won't allow it...