We had President Jimmy Carter on The Young Turks this morning. He said that this Bush administration is far more radical than anything Ronald Reagan or George H.W. Bush ever did. So, I asked him if he would rather re-do his 1980 loss to Ronald Reagan or the 2000 election where George Bush beat Al Gore.
His answer is right here:
Cenk Uygur: If you had to redo the 1980 election, where Ronald Reagan won, of course up against you, or redo the 2000 election where George Bush defeated Al Gore, which one would you redo?
President Carter: Well knowing what I know now, and knowing the wonderful experiences I've had at the Carter Center in the last 25 years, I would say I would redo the 2000 election. That, you know, I think has had a profoundly adverse effect on our country, and I've had a personal gratifying experience with my wife and many other people at the Carter Center. That in time, that has healed the disappointment that we felt in not getting elected in 1980.
You can watch the whole interview here.
President Carter is right. This is not about being a Republican or a Democrat. This is a truly radical administration that has gone far beyond anything we've seen in this country. It is amazing and profoundly disappointing that the press, and apparently the opposition party, can't see this as clear as the American people (that's why Bush is the most consistently unpopular president of all time) and those outside DC.
Watch More Young Turks Clips Here
Mo Rocca has appeared on a bunch of shows, including 'The Daily Show,' 'I Love the 80s,'...
Mo's Blog Roll
Resources
President Carter: I'd Rather Lose to Reagan Than Have Bush Win in 2000
Posted Oct 11th 2007 2:06PM by Cenk Uygur
Filed under: George Bush, Young Turks, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan
Mo's Video
The Sound of a Smoke-Free Barack...Almost two years ago we speculated on how Barack Obama's voice would change if he stopped smoking. ...
Most Popular Stories
- Don't Like Goodbyes...
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Is it Time to get some Cheerleaders?
- How NOT to give an Oscar Acceptance Speech
- Could Jim Belushi Win the Nobel Peace Prize?
- Spring Break Sexy T-Shirt Removal Training!
- Quest for the Crown 5: Plastic Wrap to Make you Less Fat!
- Quest for the Crown 4: Work Those Heels!
Most Commented On
-
Coming Soon
Recent Comments
- FL Chick on Jesus Statue Stolen By Dog Haters?
- Roert Dean on General Clark is Absolutely Right!
- GearHedEd on Obama and the Reagan Doctrine
- GearHedEd on Obama and the Reagan Doctrine
- mac on Obama and the Reagan Doctrine
- not-pboyfloyd on Obama and the Reagan Doctrine
- not-pboyfloyd on Obama and the Reagan Doctrine
Mo's Bio
Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.
Top News Headlines
Political Machine Blog
- Washington in 60 Seconds: Senate May Work 24/7; Jenny Sanford Files for Divorce
- More Federal Workers Make Six Figures in the Recession
- Sarah Palin Praises Obama's Nobel Acceptance Speech
- Divorce and the Changing Fortunes of Mark and Jenny Sanford
- Help the Children -- It Won't Cost a Thing
- Coakley Wins, Nelson Loses: A Victory for Women
- John Thune: The GOP's Answer to Obama?
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 3)
1. Jimmy Carter. Great American - great president. Funny how the right wing claims to be a christian nation. They had a decent christian in the Whitehouse and they shunned him.
Captain Negative at 3:38PM on Oct 11th 2007
2. nothing more pathetic than a one term, horrible president trying to make another american president look worse than he was. carter does and will forever hold that title as far as i am concerned! i'm embarrassed to say i voted for this chump! but proud to say i didnt vote for him a second time. fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me. my mother didnt raise a fool carter and your ass was out by an ameican land slide due to your double digit interest rates, long gas lines, hold american hostages for over a year , lets talk, lets chat, pathetic foreign policys. you build bad houses for poor people so stick to your day job and let this president do what he thinks is right you had your turn and you blew it and you know it too! keep your bad opinions to yourself. we've had enough of you to last a lifetime, ... the iran debackle started under your watch and we are still dealing with it 30 some years later so when you make such a mistake that lasts that long you are the last person i want opinions from.
Mary at 3:54PM on Oct 11th 2007
3. Jimmy Carter has to be the worst President in our time. He reminds me of George McClellan, one of Lincoln's generals. McClennan was always fearful of being outnumbered by the Confederats, so he woulldn't take the army out on a campaign.
Carter would rather talk than use the military option.
Now, I'm no George Patton. One must always engage in diplomacy. But Carter would never realize that he wasn't getting anywhere and send out the military.
George Bush, on the other hand, understands that talk is cheap, and unless talks go somewhere, we may need to call on our men and women in uniform.
Kent at 4:01PM on Oct 11th 2007
4. WHEN I THINK OF THE TIME CARTER WAS PRESIDENT I REMEMBER AMERICAN HOSTAGES BEING HELD IN IRAN FOR OVER A YEAR ...ONE OF THEM DIED WAITING FOR THEIR GOVERNMENT TO TAKE ACTION... ALL THE WHILE CARTER SAT AND SAT AND SAT IN THE OVAL OFFICE TILL ONE DAY HE DECIDED TO TAKE ACTION AFTER AMERICANS REFUSED TO PUT UP WITH HIM OR THE SITUATION ANY LONGER... THAT "PLAN" ENDED WITH HELICOPTERS GOING DOWN AND SOLDIERS BEING KILLED DUE TO HIS INCOMPETANCE. IT TOOK PRESIDENT REAGANS "LANDSLIDE" VICTORY TO UNSEAT THIS IMBECILE ALONG WITH HIS THREATS TO IRAN DURING HIS CAMPAIGN, THAT HE WASNT GOING TO "TALK" TO THEM LIKE CARTER.. HE WAS GOING IN TO KICK ASS AND BRING THE HOSTAGES HOME. ON THE VERY DAY REAGAN TOOK OFFICE IRAN RELEASED THE HOSTAGES BECAUSE THEY KNEW THE AMERICANS (FINALLY) HAD A PRESIDENT THAT MEANT WHAT HE SAID. THE IRANIANS RESPECTED THAT.
JIM at 4:14PM on Oct 11th 2007
5. How come HE is PRESIDENT Jimmy Carter - and everyone else is "Reagan" "Bush" - no titles?
Isn't he "ex-President Carter?
Face it - the man is senile and was our worst President ever. His lack of gonads is what has us in this position now. 400 days he allowed our citizens to be held as prisoners - that was some show of strength he gave the arab world.
RobertSewa at 4:16PM on Oct 11th 2007
6. TYPICAL ONE TERM DEMOCART LOOSER, TRYING TO REWRITE HISTORY... CARTER IS THE WORST PRESIDENT I CAN REMEMBER IN MY LIFETIME. HE WAS HORRIBLE ON DOMESTIC POLICY AND THEN THERE WAS HIS DISASTROUS FOREIGN POLICY THAT WE ARE STILL PAYING FOR... TO THIS VERY DAY. ALL FAILED CARTER POLICIES, FROM A BYGONE ERA. GOOD RIDDENS!
JIM at 4:24PM on Oct 11th 2007
7. I LIVED THRU HIS DEMOCRAT PRESIDENCY. HUGH INFLATION, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND TAXES, LONG GAS LINES, FAILED FOREIGN (AND DOMESTIC) POLICIES...AND NOW I FIND HIS CONDUCT UNBECOMING TO A FORMER PRESIDENT... AND SO AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED HE AND HIS OPINIONS ARE AS IRRELEVANT AS A BOTTLE OF BILLY BEER...RETIRE TO YOUR PEANUT FARM CARTER, GIVE YOURSELF AND US... A BREAK!
SAM at 4:35PM on Oct 11th 2007
8. #5
"that was some show of strength he gave the arab world."
How about the other one where his response to the Soviet incursion/invasion of Afghanistan was to withdraw our Olympic team from Moscow. It wasn't until after he was replaced that things were done, although not publically to send assistance to Afghanistan. Doees the term "Stinger" mean anything?
At least these connections and relationships bore fruit after 9/11 when people whom we had supported during the Soviet "incursion" were willing to help against the Taliban. Kind of funny when you think about, 25 years after Carter we are still "paying" for some of his decisions and while some of Reagan's decisions have "paid off"
JZeeee at 4:38PM on Oct 11th 2007
9. Typical Republicans. I don't think this story had anything to do with Carter's presidency itself. Which I must agree was a disaster.
This is about our current presidency, which is a much worse disaster. I think Carter's point is that given the opportunity he would "do-over" the 2000 presidential election which had no personal attachment for him.
As opposed to a "do-over" of the 1980 election which was obviously very personal for him.
Its just another way to point out what an awful President George W. Bush is. Considering Carter's record in the same role... he would know.
Richard at 4:50PM on Oct 11th 2007
10. #9,
Who's a republican? certainly not me.
Just commenting on what I have seen and experienced.
JZeeee at 5:00PM on Oct 11th 2007
11. I was never more unhappy and depressed than when this man was our president. we were in a deep recession...my mortgage was at an 18% interest rate and i had to work two jobs to make the payment, then i lost one of my jobs due to cut backs. i had to rent out my home not to loose it and move to an efficiency apartment, then i had to leave my home state to move cross country to stay with friends in texas because i was able to find a job there. i didnt have a credit card because the rates were as high as my mortage rate... i sat in gas lines on days i was "allowed" to get gas (we went by the last number on our license plates, so if they ended in an odd number you were "allowed" gas on a particular day and if they ended in an even number you were "allowed" to get gas the following day...info for those of you that didnt live thru it...)I hope I NEVER have to live like that again and I truely believe Hillary will take us "back there" so I urge everyone to remember the carter years and be extemely careful with your vote, thank god there were only four years of dealing with this man... but i found that what can happen to you domestically in those four years can be absolutely devestating...
Mary at 5:10PM on Oct 11th 2007
12. I was never more unhappy and depressed than when this man was our president. we were in a deep recession...my mortgage was at an 18% interest rate and i had to work two jobs to make the payment, then i lost one of my jobs due to cut backs. i had to rent out my home not to loose it and move to an efficiency apartment, then i had to leave my home state to move cross country to stay with friends in texas because i was able to find a job there. i didnt have a credit card because the rates were as high as my mortage rate... i sat in gas lines on days i was "allowed" to get gas (we went by the last number on our license plates, so if they ended in an odd number you were "allowed" gas on a particular day and if they ended in an even number you were "allowed" to get gas the following day...info for those of you that didnt live thru it...)I hope I NEVER have to live like that again and I truely believe Hillary will take us "back there" so I urge everyone to remember the carter years and be extemely careful with your vote, thank god there were only four years of dealing with this man... but i found that what can happen to you domestically in those four years can be absolutely devestating...
Mary at 5:26PM on Oct 11th 2007
13. #10. Please just take a look at how 6 & 7 started their posts.
And just a point... we supported the Afghans in their war against the Soviet Union. And one of the the leaders of those Afghans turned out to be Osama Bin Laden.
I thought Ronald Reagan was a very good President. But unfortunately not everything he did turned out he way he planned it to either.
Richard at 6:00PM on Oct 11th 2007
14. I get depressed just looking at Carters face. I will never forgive him for his failed policies and what they did to this country that I'd lay my life down for. President Bush is a fine president compared to this idiot! We have a good economy, if you need a job... go get one... they are available, we have a strong defense and are winning the war against terriorism due to the fine military and generals we have in place, interests rates are in single digits, and our President doesnt set on his ass and talk with and negociate with terriorists who would sooner cut your head off as to look at you. Some people dont know how good we have it. Maybe it'll have to take another attack or a depression era for you to come to your senses, to realize we are the luckiest people on the face of the earth!
Karen at 5:27PM on Oct 11th 2007
15. President Carter will be better remembered by history than he is now. I doubt the same will be true of President Reagan and both President Bush's. He may have been our last President to have governed with any sense of principals.
The only ctriticism I have of the President Carter is that he failed to refute the lies of candidate and then President Reagan. His re-writing of history should not have gone unanswered. You must stand up for the truth, even when you've been defeated and you know you'll be shouted down.
Keith at 5:36PM on Oct 11th 2007