Book #31: “Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President” by Jimmy Carter

 

Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President

Jimmy Carter

 Released: January 1st, 1982

I set a goal to read another 30 books this year.  I spent 6 months getting through book 1 for 2024.  I know a lot of people probably think this is a bad choice of a book.  My goal is to read all presidential memoirs.  I would never be able to handle the job, but I respect those who do enter that office as the have a great deal more patience than I do.  I want to know what it felt like to sit in that chair as major world events played out.  I want to know what they thought, and how they felt.  Would I agree or disagree?  It’s quite intriguing.  

Honestly, Keeping Faith reads well from an informative perspective.  When I was younger, I was disrespectful of President Jimmy Carter and would generally insult his credibility.  As time has gone on, I have come to respect him a bit more.  I look more fondly on his last 40 years dedicated to his humanitarian efforts vs his actual time in office.  I wanted to learn more about why he struggled and what led to his resounding defeat in the 1980 U.S. Presidential Election to Ronald Reagan.  

Carter is an extremely detailed man.  This works to favor and disadvantage.  The depth of this book is incredible, and anyone researching information regarding this period in time can certainly use this as a reference point.  That being said, going into such depth with things can lose the reader.  The Camp David Accords is where I struggled.  Nearly 200 pages dedicated to a very difficult situation attempting to broker peace between Egypt and Israel.  Carter goes over everything with an ultra-fine tooth comb.  

I learned a ton of things, but six months on one book sets me behind.  I have a greater respect for him after reading this.  But understand that there were more struggles hidden from the public than what history remembers.  This is presented in objective style with Carter’s point of view establishing the information.  This is not meant to persuade to one ideology or another, but more for the information extracted from this book.  

Here is what I learned:

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• Jimmy Carter had 18 large black volumes, encompassing 5,000 pages, of diary notes from his 4 years as President.
• He kept a tape recorder where he would record his impressions of people and any notable events that occurred.
• During the Iranian Hostage Crisis, the Iranians, who spoke Persian, only communicated with the Algerians, who spoke French.  So it would have to me meticulously translated twice, and slowly to convey negotiations.
• The Iranian Hostage Crisis marked the first time in history the Bank of England had ever been open on a weekend.
• Former President Lyndon Johnson had rows of electrical outlets installed in the president’s private bathroom when he found electrical devices plugged into all the existing ones.
• “As I looked at myself in the mirror, I wondered if I had aged so much a President or whether I was just exhausted.”
• The Carters walked as a family down the parade route to his January 1977 inauguration.
• Vice President Walter Mondale was known by his nickname “Fritz”
• In preparing his inaugural speech, Carter was captivated by Woodrow Wilson’s speech.
• They both were seeking a return to first principles by the government, and a call for National repentance.
• “The American dream endures. We must once again have faith in our country and in one another. ... Let our recent mistakes bring a resurgent commitment to the basic principles of our nation, for we know that if we despise our own government we have no future.”
• Carter considered “Dealing with Limits” the subliminal theme of his 4 years in office.
• Carter associated with the beliefs of Jefferson, Madison, Jackson, and Wilson to create fiscal responsibility and a balanced budget.  Not a popular stand with some in his party, but aligned with Southern Democrats.
• After being elected, Jimmy and Roselyn attended eleven inaugural parties in seven different locations.  There were 35,000 guests in all.
• When they first moved in, Carter found you could only move vertically by elevator.
• Carter enjoyed the White House yard and gardens, and was given a special color-coded map identifying every tree on the grounds.
• The Carters’ contribution to the White House grounds was a Red Maple from north Georgia.
• His first movie in the White House was “All The President’s Men”.
• Carter was not a man of the excessive lauding the office carried, but respected traditions.  
• He felt a brotherhood to service members who expressed their religious faith.
• Carter had Mary Fitzpatrick, an ex-convict serve in the White House.  In her younger years, she was involved in a street fight where a man she had never met before was killed.  Her legal counsel wasn’t the best, and she found herself on the receiving end of a life sentence.  After serving the Carter’s in the Georgia Governor’s Mansion, she was moved up to DC to continue the role as a regular government employee.  This led to a full pardon by the state of Georgia.
• Jimmy used his family to help with his leadership.  He mother served as the US representative when the president of India passed away.  Rosalynn was well versed in domestic and foreign policy, and could be used as an official voice of the Carter Administration.
• Jimmy had 20 different people in mind for Vice President.  He chose Walter Fritz Mondale as his running made.  They shared similar views, and Mondale’s strengths supported Carter’s weaker areas.  
• Mondale gave Carter full support as President, even when contrary to his own recommendation.
• Carter integrated the VP and Presidential staff.
• He involved Mondale in National defense sessions because if he because incapacitated, Mondale would need to be instructed on how to react.
• Jody Powell was one of Carter’s most trusted advisors.  He was a lock for Press Secretary.
• Carter, dismayed by the Nixon Administration, sought to change the dynamic between the president and local leaders around the country.
• Adjusting to Washington was an interesting experience for Carter.  His Deep South Baptist ideas crept into conversations.
• “Sometimes my visitors were amused at the ways in which my Deep South Baptist ideas crept into discussions. Once when we were discussing the Far East, I remarked that the people of our country had a deep and natural affection for the people of China. When most of the group laughed, I was perplexed and a little embarrassed. It took me a few moments to realize that not everyone had looked upon Christian missionaries in China as the ultimate heroes and had not, as youngsters, contributed a penny or a nickel each week, year after year, toward schools and hospitals for the little Chinese children.”
• Carter has always enjoyed the solitude and beauty of the early morning hours.
• Carter preferred to receive questions and advice in written form.
• He and several cabinet members took a speed reading class.  This helped him to get through his daily paperwork at a bearable rate.
• He built an effective routine.
• Between appointments, I managed the mountains of paper work that could not be avoided. At first, sixty or seventy documents arrived on my desk each day, some of them consisting of many pages of detailed analysis. There would be proposals from Cabinet officers that I had to approve; correspondence to sign; presidential appointments to major executive posts to be considered; reports from meetings in the Situation Room on foreign, intelli-gence, or defense subjects; facts about legislation before Congress; or proposals we were developing to send to Capitol Hill. Throughout the day, I would also receive copies of news bulletins and diplomatic reports that Jody or Zbig thought I should see.
• “After working long hours at the office, I was having to carry home with me each night a briefcase of paper work. At first all of it was enjoyable, but after a few weeks I concluded that the workload would have to be reduced. With my staff I analyzed the reports, screened out the ones I did not need to see, and asked that the others be abbreviated. Then I arranged for Rosalynn, myself, and my key aides to attend weekly sessions of a speed-reading course in the Cabinet Room. After the first couple of lessons, my reading speed doubled, finally it quadrupled, and by the time the course was completed, the burden of paper work had been eased to a bearable level. Afterward, only special study of an issue would require me to work after supper, and I was usually free to read, watch a movie, or just relax with my family.”
• One of the biggest obstacles the Carter Administration faced was leaking of stories to the press.  While it was a thorn in his side, Carter felt less pressure from it than say Nixon or Johnson.
• Carter relied on prayer to get him through some difficult days.
• “And I prayed a lot more than ever before in my life asking God to give me a clear mind, sound judgment, and wisdom in dealing with affairs that could affect the lives of so many people in our own country and around the world. Although I cannot claim that my decisions were always the best ones, prayer was a great help to me. At least, it removed any possibility of timidity or despair as I faced my daily responsibilities.”
• Carter held a conference at the Smithsonian Institution with all members of Congress involved in foreign policy to cover the challenges they would save together.  This was the first such conference to ever happen.
• He considered Jack Brooks to be an excellent legislator.
• He struggled rallying the Democratic Party because they had grown used to working with a President of the opposite party in the White House.
• “There are few things more debilitating to a person than to be deprived of a job -a chance for self-respect, the realization that one's life is meaningful, the ability to nurture and care for loved ones.”
• Carter created the Secretary of Education in October 1979.
• He considered himself a fiscal conservative and would go to battle against other Democratic leaders in efforts to “balance the budget”.
• According to a Staff Memorandum addressed to Carter, 85% of the criticism of [Carter] came from other democrats.
• “The lobbies are a growing menace to our democratic system of government.”
• He was against the building of the B-1 Bomber program, insisting it was a gross waste of money.
• Carter found that passing legislation dealing with tax reform or welfare was torn apart by congressional leaders who were determined to secure additional benefits at the expense of other Americans.
• Sen. Ted Kennedy caused issues reforming healthcare insisting it be his plan or no plan.
• Carter had a plan in place for healthcare that he was set to announce in July 1978.  He met with Sen. Kennedy, who asked him to delay announcing the plan until he could review it further.  They had a mutual agreement and shook hands.  Instead of announcing the plan, Kennedy had a press conference hours later trashing the plan and making Carter look bad.
• In 1979, the Energy Crisis was still in full swing.  Carter went to Japan for an Energy Summit.  It did not go as well as planned as Europe and Japan had already put measures in place against the crisis early on, where the US still had not adopted an energy policy.
• Carter flew back early, and cancelled an address to the nation to take a few days at Camp David with his advisors to assess why they struggled so much.
• “Their criticisms of me were the most severe, questioning my ability to deal with the existing problems of the nation without bringing about some change in public perceptions. They told me hat I seemed bogged down in the details of administration, and that the public was disillusioned in having to face intractable problems like energy shortages and growing inflation after their expectations had been so elevated at the time of my election. On the one hand, I was involved in too many things simultaneously, but, in some cases, I had delegated too much authority to my Cabinet members. The consensus was that the public acknowledged my intelligence and integrity, my ability to articulate problems and to devise good solutions to them, but doubted my capacity to follow through with a strong enough thrust to suc-ceed. Most of this doubt about me had arisen from the struggle over energy, with my repeated exhortations and lack of final action by Congress. It was not pleasant for me to hear this, but I felt their analysis was sound.”
• Carter was definitive of his friend Bert Lance who was facing charges.  The media attacked him every chance they got, and Carter had to deal with the struggles of being ethical, and defending his friend.
• One of the biggest obstacles he had on the international stage was the idea of human rights with Russia.  After making his point clear, the Russians let him know they view human rights very differently in their country.
• In 1903, a treaty was hastily signed that gave America access to the Panama Canal and keep all rights regarding use of it.
• Carter tackled this issue during his presidency.
• In December 1963, the flying of either the American or Panamanian flags was banned in the area.
• It has been said that Ronald Reagan’s support for the US retaining the Panama Canal was the cause for him winning several primaries in the 1976 election.
• The Panama treaties were worth the effort but left Carter exhausted at what it took to make a change with our government
• The Panama Canal became Panamanian Territory October 1st, 1979
• A great number of politicians, Carter included, who supported the Panama Treaties were defeated in 1980
• In 1949 Tsingtao, China, small boys and old men where recruited into the army at bayonet point.
• After his election, Carter met with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to be briefed on Chinese-American relations and learn more about what Nixon accomplished years before.
• Carter worked with China on a state visit where they discussed relations with Taiwan, and a potential attack on Vietnam that he was against.
• American explosives tend to have greater range where Soviet explosives tend to have bigger explosive effect.
• “We have more warheads with higher average accuracy, and the Soviet’s have more launchers with greater total explosive power.”
• In 1974, India carried out a nuclear bombing test.
• SALT talks began in November 1969
• Compared to the Chinese and Panamanians, Russians give colder welcomes for political visits.
• The SALT II talks were long and difficult
• The Soviet Union had about 20,000 troops stationed in Cuba in the early 1960’s
• “In the 34 years since Hiroshima, humanity has by no means been free of armed conflict, but at least we have avoided a world war.  Yet this kind of twilight peace carries the ever-present danger of a catastrophic nuclear war, a war that in horror and destruction and massive death would dwarf all the combined wars of man's long and bloody history.  We must prevent such a war. We absolutely must prevent such a war.”
• The failure to ratify the SALT II Treaty was considered the most profound disappointment of his presidency.
• Carter and Rosalynn attended the funeral of Egyptian leader Anwar El-Sadat as a U.S. delegation with former presidents Nixon and Fort.
• The funeral struck Carter in a personal way.  He was immediately recognized in Cairo and known to be a close ally.
• “…as Rosalynn and I were driven to the airport to leave the ancient city of Cairo, I was flooded with memories of my all-too-brief days with Anwar Sadat and our effort to find the peace for which he had now given his life.”
• “In my affinity for Israel, I shared the sentiment of most other Southern Baptists that the holy places we revered should be preserved and made available for visits by Christians, and that members of other religious faiths should have the same guaranteed privileges concerning their sacred sites.  I remembered that prior to the 1967 war there were no such assurances; under Jordanian rule, the areas were often closed, and some of the sacred burial sites and other holy places were vandalized.  The Judeo-Christian ethic and study of the Bible were bonds between Jews and Christians which had always been part of my life. I also believed very deeply that the Jews who had survived the Holocaust deserved their own nation, and that they had a right to live in peace among their neighbors. I considered this homeland for the Jews to be compatible with the teachings of the Bible, hence ordained by God. These moral and religious beliefs made my commitment to the security of Israel unshakable.”
• Carter never had strong feelings about the Arab countries and did not know any of their leaders.
• Carter considered the best day of his presidency, to be the day he had Sadat agree to potential recognition of Israel.
• As he dealt with Arab leaders, he soon discovered the disparity between private assurances and public comments.
• The royal family of Saudi Arabia were responsible for protecting Islamic holy sites 
• The Saudis looked down on the Soviet Union due to their contrasting views on atheism and communism.
• In reflecting on his time in office, Carter considered 1977 “The Year of the Middle East.”
• King Khalid was a very friendly royal leader who held open courts daily for citizens of his country to come in and visit with him.
• Carter created a special session to conduct Middle East talks at Camp David with Sadat and Begin.
• The talks went on for hours and saw very little ground gained
• Prime Minister Begin was seen as an he soul of propriety
• He always wore a tie and a coat as he considered himself beneath the two elected presidents
• Carter goes into considerable length detailing these peace talk efforts.  It comes across very informative, and short of studying the historical nature of the events, one must understand that it reads a bit dry, as he leaves very little out.  
• King Hassan of Morocco was a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln
• After the Accords, Begin returned for another trip to Washington.  During dinner one night, Carter talked about where the road goes 5-10 years down the line.  This caused Begin some great difficulty sleeping and he realized how important this was.
• When Carter arrived in Cairo to continue discussion following the Camp David Accords, he saw a welcoming sign saying “Welcome Billy’s Brother.”  That showed him he was in a true democracy.
• Carter had a testy meeting in Israel with Begin.  He was frustrated over his stern demeanor and changing cooperation.  
• After a visit to a Holocaust memorial church, Carter understood Begin’s complete need for Israel’s security.  The Holocaust had cast a long shadow over the Israeli people, and leaders of all generations were fiercely committed to their survival.
• Following Carter’s trip to Tel Aviv and Cairo, the peace agreements were signed, and it was seen as a huge win for all the countries involved.
• Within 4 years, President Sadat and Moshe Dayan, who were important parts of the peace process were dead.  They risk their lives to create a stronger world.
• Carter reflects that of all the international situations he focuses on of his 4 years in office, the Camp David Accords were the biggest one.  He committed so much time, energy, late nights, difficulties to bring about a peaceful agreement.  He felt that the only true way to tell if it worked would be to see how it played out in future generations.  
• The Shah of Iran visited in 1977.  He was met by student demonstrations against him.  Tear gas used to ward off violent protestors blew through the air to the welcoming ceremony, and caused some issues.  
• The Shah was upset that the U.S. was taking so long to approve the sale of fixed radar stations around Iran to protect them.  Carter felt that an AWACS (Aircraft Warning And Control System) would be less expensive and more effective.
• Carter spent the last days of 1977 on a visit to the Middle East including a New Year’s Eve spent in Iran.  He made a toast where he quoted an ancient Persian Poet.
• “Human beings are like parts of a body, created from the same essence.  When one part is hurt and in pain, others cannot remain in peace and quiet.  If the misery of others leaves you indifferent and with no feeling of sorrow, then you cannot be called a human being.”
• Revolutionary feelings were rising up in Iran, and destabilization slowly began.
• Carter send General Robert E. Huyser to Iran to stabilize Iran during the early stages of the 1979 Iranian Revolution
• Carter was a supporter of the Shah in Iran, but believe in a peaceful transfer of power
• Iranian Ambassador had a loss of control, blasting US efforts to contact Ruhollah Khomeini in Paris as opposed to doing so directly.  Carter nearly recalled him, but at the advice of Cy Vance, reconsidered. 
• Carter recalled all American ambassadors when Sullivan reported Tehran was no longer safe
• No Americans were harms during the withdrawal as chaos ensued
• General Huyser was recalled to Washington to report directly to Carter, where it was found that Sullivan was defying Carter’s direct orders
• Carter called all Iranian desk officers to the White House where he told them that he needed loyalty or their resignation.  He discharged individuals who spread misinformation regardless of innocence.
• The U.S. went from a staff of 1100 at the Iranian embassy to 75 post-Revolution.
• As the new government struggled to attain power, Khomeini shifted blame to the U.S., which created anti-American sentiment.
• A group of mercenaries overtook the U.S. embassy and held everyone hostage.
• In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.
• Carter worked to punish the Soviets for this with grain embargo’s, and a proposed boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics
• He also skipped a Democratic primary debate in Iowa due to the hostage situation and invasion events.
• Vice President Fritz was opposed to the Grain Embargo, because of how it would affect American farmers.  Carter understood this being a farmer himself, and optioned for the American taxpayers to pay the difference.
• Carter watched the GOP’s Iowa Primary debate.  He found it interesting to see his opponents struggle with the same questions that he struggled with daily
• He felt the winner was Ronald Reagan, who did not show up.
• In January 1980, corn was up to $0.38, wheat was $0.13, and soybeans were $0.08 which Carter found shocking and unbelievable.
• Carter received an uncensored letter from William Ode, one of the hostages on January 16, 1979.  They stated that they were denied basic human rights.  No news of any kind.  Hands and feet tied up morning and night, bright lights in the room nightly, constant noise, forbidden to speak, 3 brief periods of outdoor exercise in 53 days, no personal mail or visits from any diplomats.  During Christmas Eve, they were denied private worship, even with clergymen there.
• Carter announced the 1980 Olympic boycott on the Jan 20th, 1980 edition of “Meet the Press”.
• Fritz and Stu Eizenstat, the Domestic Affairs Advisor, strongly opposed the Olympic Boycott, the Grain Embargo, and have a nationwide Draft Register.  Despite their objection, Carter continued with these initiatives.
• Carter was also opposed regarding his warning to the Soviet Union over their activity in the Persian Gulf, and their invasion of Afghanistan.
• “Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.”
• This warning was dubbed by the press as the “Carter Doctrine”.
• As the hostage crisis raged on, Carter tried every level of diplomacy to set the hostages free.  Soon he discovered that it wasn’t so much the hostages were held by student demonstrators, but those who were defying the new Iranian government 
• Begin and Sadat had become a lot more friendly since Camp David.  Both had won the Noble Peace Prize for their efforts in 1978
• A UN resolution was drafted regarding Israel building settlements in the West Bank.
• US policy had a long-standing stance about disapproving of Israeli building in established settlements on the West Bank.
• Due to a communications error, Carter was told that Jerusalem was deleted from all texts in the UN Resolution.  Based on this, he gave the go-ahead to vote “Aye” in agreement with the resolution.
• After the vote, it was realized that Jerusalem was mentioned six times, and the Carter Administration suffered from condemnation in the Jewish community.  
• The administration released a statement apologizing for the error due to a communication issue, but the damage was done.
• Khomeini was upset over economic sanctions and detriments to their political structure.  He aborted a resolution of the crisis, and destroyed the last chance for a diplomatic solution to the hostages’ release.
• Carter spoke to Congress, and asked them to patiently wait on UN Resolutions and not jump to military action.  Advice that was surprisingly supported by Republican members of Congress.
• Carter secretly put plans in place to stage a remote desert part of Iran as an extraction point to get the hostages out safely.
• After weeks of Iran not holding their promises to free the hostages, Iraq made plans to invade Iran.
• Carter couldn’t take the chance, and on April 11th, decided on a military rescue operation.
• Cy Vance resigned as a result of the decision to pursue military action 
• The mission was a complete failure when one of the rescue helicopters hit bad visibility and crashed into the C-130, killing 8 servicemembers of the rescue team.
• Carter made a public statement acknowledging the failure, and met the returning servicemen to thank them for their bravery.
• Senator Ed Muskie of Maine was chosen to replace Cy Vance as Secretary of State
• Carter worked with Congress to reduce the 1980 inflation, and worked to maintain a balanced budget.  
• Mt St Helen’s in Washington State erupted on May 19th, 1980.  The explosive force was equivalent to 10,000,000 tons of TNT dynamite.
• While it was a natural occurrence, it made Carter wonder about what it would be if it had been a nuclear bomb.  It helped him stay on track to navigating a more peaceful world.
• In June 1989, Chancellor Helmut Schmidt gave a speech that was poorly translated from German to English.  He was committed to supporting theater nuclear force.  But his comments were translated as he wanted to abandon such a program, seemingly giving in to the Soviet persuasion.
• This led to Carter writing a letter attempting to diffuse the situation.  Instead, it blew up into a rage-filled situation.
• At the Annual Economic Summit Conference in Venice, Carter quickly scheduled a meeting with Schmidt to clear the air and clarify why he wrote the letter.
• Carter considers this the most unpleasant personal exchange he ever had with a foreign leader, in all his years being in office.
• Carter was please with the 1980 Republicans National Convention.  He believed Reagan was the weakest opponent they could have chosen.
• Carter called and congratulated Reagan, and welcomed him to several debates which he accepted.
• Billy Carter was Jimmy’s brother.  He ran the Carter Warehouse in Plains, GA.
• Billy was an entertainer, who developed alcoholism and made some poor judgment comments
• He was an early example of being cancelled
• He attended a rehab in California, and successfully recovered
• Billy made business deals with Libya that were twisted in the news as he and Jimmy pulling unethical deals being true.
• Jimmy Carter did not get along with New York Mayor Ed Koch
• Koch wanted Carter to use executive order to change the basic general revenue-sharing laws that had been in effect since the Nixon Administration.
• Carter fall campaign kicked off in Tuscumbia, Alabama
• The KKK demonstrated against Carter
• Carter lost all but six states in the 1980 election
• Carter spent the months after his presidency in debt.  He had to sell of his Warehouse as it was losing money since Billy left
• Jimmy and Rosalynn never intended to lose so following the defeat, their future became wide open.
• Under federal law, a President has the right to some documents, letters, files, and mementos.  They are responsible for their storage until they can raise enough funds to build a presidential library.
• Carter realized his status as a defeated president vs one who was waiting to serve his next term was debilitating.  His words did not carry the authority once did.
• He involved Reagan as much as he could during the transition.  Meeting, procedure overviews, recommendations and advice from past presidents.
• Carter remained obsessed with freeing the American hostages from Iran as his presidency expired.
• Max Cleland was Carter first and last official visitor to the Oval Office.
• Carter was presented with a plaque containing a quote from former President that he has cherished his entire life.
• “I have the consolation to reflect that during the period of my administration not a drop of the blood of a single citizen was shed by the sword of war.” - Thomas Jefferson

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A good book with a great deal of perspective from a man whose legacy is generally dismissed from a presidential standpoint but revered from a human standpoint.  Jimmy Carter is a great man.  He has great intelligence and has good character and judgment.  I hope to read more presidential memoirs in the near future.

I recommend this book only to people whom have interest in his presidency, the time period, or Middle Eastern struggles of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

On to Book #32: “My Word Is My Bond” by Roger Moore.  This will be my 2nd book of 2024.