Jimmy Carter: Outsider
2023-11-26
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1VOA Learning English presents America's Presidents.
2Today we are talking about Jimmy Carter.
3His given name was James, but he liked to be called Jimmy.
4Carter was elected president in 1976.
5Until he campaigned for the office, few Americans knew who he was.
6But Carter said his lack of experience with the federal government made him the best candidate.
7After witnessing years of problems in the White House, many voters appeared to agree with him.
8However, Carter's inexperience also became a problem.
9Some of the issues he faced were complex and, at times, they seemed overwhelming.
10After only one term, Carter failed to get re-elected.
11But in time, his public image improved.
12His years after leaving the White House are generally considered more successful than his time in office.
13Jimmy Carter was born in the southern state of Georgia.
14He was the oldest of four children.
15His father was a businessman. His mother was a nurse.
16The family owned a store, as well as a peanut farm and warehouse.
17Although the businesses did well, Jimmy Carter grew up very modestly.
18His family's house did not have electricity or running water.
19But he was hardworking and wanted to be successful.
20As a boy, he saved enough money to buy four houses.
21He earned more money by renting them to other people.
22He also decided to attend college at the United States Naval Academy.
23And in time, he did so.
24Carter was an excellent student.
25And he became a fine Naval officer.
26As a midshipman, Carter worked on one of the country's first nuclear submarines.
27He later taught nuclear engineering to other crewmembers.
28But Carter's promising career in the Navy ended after only seven years.
29His father was dying. And the family farm was in trouble.
30Carter, his wife, Rosalynn, and their three sons, decided to return to Georgia and try to save it.
31The first years back on the farm were difficult.
32But in time, the business became successful again.
33Carter began to turn his attention to other issues.
34He became involved in his church, local school, hospitals and libraries.
35When he had a chance to compete for a position in the state senate, he took it.
36As a politician, Carter developed an image as an independent thinker who tried to save the government money.
37He also acted and spoke strongly against racial discrimination.
38In Georgia at the time, many voters did not agree with Carter's support of racial equality.
39In 1966, even his own Democratic Party did not choose him to be its candidate to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate.
40So Carter began campaigning for the office of state governor instead.
41In 1970, he was elected.
42As Georgia's governor, Carter was known as a social and political reformer.
43However, historian Robert Strong notes that Carter did not always work well with others in his party.
44Strong teaches at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.
45He writes that some Georgia lawmakers believed Carter was "arrogant."
46He could appear to think he was morally right, and they were morally wrong.
47Carter's difficulty in getting along with other officials proved to be one of the problems he would later face.
48But in the presidential election of 1976, many Americans seemed to like this quality.
49The little-known governor from Georgia defeated the sitting president, Gerald Ford.
50Carter won, in part, by saying that he was different than other politicians.
51He was, he said, a Washington outsider.
52Then suddenly, Carter was the biggest insider of all: the American president.
53One of the things Carter wanted to do was change the image of the president.
54Earlier leaders, such as Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson, had increased the power of the presidency.
55Nixon had also been shown to be dishonest, and resigned from office.
56Carter promised never to lie to the American people.
57And on the day of his swearing-in as president, he purposefully tried to keep things simple.
58He walked to the White House from the U.S. Capitol building instead of riding in the back of an automobile.
59His wife, Rosalynn, wore clothes that she had worn in public before.
60The National First Ladies' Library notes that her choice of clothing sent a message of "an old American value of thrift - or respecting money, and not spending it needlessly."
61What she wore was meaningful because the country was going through difficult economic times.
62The Carters wanted to show that the new government would work to cut costs.
63They also wanted to show that they were there to help the American people, not enjoy the powers of the White House.
64But in the end, the Carter administration received poor ratings in surveys of public opinion.
65President Carter had trouble dealing with U.S. lawmakers, even when his party was in control of Congress.
66One result was that Carter could not advance many of his ideas for legislation.
67He appeared ineffective.
68Many historians point out that, in fact, Carter had a number of successes.
69He helped reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil.
70He took steps to make the federal government more efficient, and to improve the environment.
71He appointed a number of women and racial minorities to top government jobs -- an important move at a time when many were pressing for women's rights and civil rights.
72And, in many cases, Carter supported human rights causes, both in the United States and around the world.
73But the public generally did not see Carter for his successes.
74Instead, many Americans blamed him for the country's economic problems.
75Some also disliked the way he spoke to them.
76In one speech, Carter blamed the country's troubles on what he called a crisis of confidence. Some listeners were offended.
77He also decided that the U.S. would not attend the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
78The move was meant to punish the Soviet Union for its involvement in Afghanistan.
79But many Americans believed the move mostly hurt young American Olympians.
80The administration also faced other problems.
81The president was never accused of wrongdoing.
82But other high-level officials were.
83So was the president's brother, Billy.
84As a result, Jimmy Carter's public image for honesty suffered.
85Then came the Iran hostage crisis.
86The conflict between the United States and Iran had a long history.
87One part involved the Shah of Iran.
88The U.S. government had supported his rise to power, partly because American interests wanted to control Iran's oil.
89But the Shah severely abused his power.
90Many Iranians resisted.
91Some wanted a leader who would more closely obey Islamic teachings.
92In 1979, under pressure from those Iranians and others, the Shah fled the country.
93By now, he was suffering from cancer.
94So, as a humanitarian act, President Carter permitted the Shah to come to the United States for medical treatment.
95The move made many Iranians angry.
96In protest, a group of students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran, the capital of Iran.
97They took 90 people, including 66 Americans, hostage.
98Carter worked hard to get the hostages released.
99He tried diplomatic negotiations and economic restrictions.
100But his efforts did not work.
101Finally, he tried a secret military operation.
102He sent eight helicopters and a team of special forces to enter the embassy and rescue the hostages.
103But that operation failed, too.
104The weather was bad. Three of the helicopters crashed.
105Eight Americans were killed.
106And the public's approval of Jimmy Carter dropped even more.
107After 444 days, the remaining hostages were released.
108In exchange, the U.S. government agreed to end some of its economic sanctions against Iran and promised not to interfere in the country's affairs.
109None of the hostages had been seriously hurt.
110But the crisis was the final blow to Carter's presidency.
111A few months before they were released, his effort to seek re-election failed.
112As president, Carter did not meet the high expectations he had set for himself.
113And he faced some unusually difficult situations.
114His presidency also suffered from his problems communicating effectively with Congress, the media, and the American people.
115But his four years as president did leave several marks on the office.
116For one, he showed that the U.S. president could help other nations and sides resolve their disputes.
117Carter's best-known success as president was his help negotiating the Camp David Accords.
118The accords were a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.
119Carter led the talks at Camp David in Maryland.
120Carter's efforts to protect human rights overseas also influenced the foreign policy of later presidents.
121In time, his work as a defender of human rights has become his most important legacy.
122Several years after leaving the presidency, he founded the Carter Presidential Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
123The center "seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health."
124In addition to his work there, Carter has helped build houses for people who need them, written books, and negotiated with world leaders to take steps toward peace.
125In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
126I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.
1VOA Learning English presents America's Presidents. 2Today we are talking about Jimmy Carter. His given name was James, but he liked to be called Jimmy. 3Carter was elected president in 1976. Until he campaigned for the office, few Americans knew who he was. 4But Carter said his lack of experience with the federal government made him the best candidate. After witnessing years of problems in the White House, many voters appeared to agree with him. 5However, Carter's inexperience also became a problem. Some of the issues he faced were complex and, at times, they seemed overwhelming. 6After only one term, Carter failed to get re-elected. 7But in time, his public image improved. His years after leaving the White House are generally considered more successful than his time in office. 8Early life 9Jimmy Carter was born in the southern state of Georgia. He was the oldest of four children. His father was a businessman. His mother was a nurse. The family owned a store, as well as a peanut farm and warehouse. 10Although the businesses did well, Jimmy Carter grew up very modestly. His family's house did not have electricity or running water. 11But he was hardworking and wanted to be successful. As a boy, he saved enough money to buy four houses. He earned more money by renting them to other people. 12He also decided to attend college at the United States Naval Academy. And in time, he did so. 13Carter was an excellent student. And he became a fine Naval officer. As a midshipman, Carter worked on one of the country's first nuclear submarines. He later taught nuclear engineering to other crewmembers. 14But Carter's promising career in the Navy ended after only seven years. 15His father was dying. And the family farm was in trouble. 16Carter, his wife, Rosalynn, and their three sons, decided to return to Georgia and try to save it. 17The first years back on the farm were difficult. But in time, the business became successful again. 18Carter began to turn his attention to other issues. He became involved in his church, local school, hospitals and libraries. When he had a chance to compete for a position in the state senate, he took it. 19As a politician, Carter developed an image as an independent thinker who tried to save the government money. He also acted and spoke strongly against racial discrimination. 20In Georgia at the time, many voters did not agree with Carter's support of racial equality. In 1966, even his own Democratic Party did not choose him to be its candidate to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate. 21So Carter began campaigning for the office of state governor instead. In 1970, he was elected. As Georgia's governor, Carter was known as a social and political reformer. 22However, historian Robert Strong notes that Carter did not always work well with others in his party. 23Strong teaches at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He writes that some Georgia lawmakers believed Carter was "arrogant." He could appear to think he was morally right, and they were morally wrong. 24Carter's difficulty in getting along with other officials proved to be one of the problems he would later face. 25But in the presidential election of 1976, many Americans seemed to like this quality. The little-known governor from Georgia defeated the sitting president, Gerald Ford. 26Carter won, in part, by saying that he was different than other politicians. He was, he said, a Washington outsider. 27Then suddenly, Carter was the biggest insider of all: the American president. 28Presidency 29One of the things Carter wanted to do was change the image of the president. 30Earlier leaders, such as Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson, had increased the power of the presidency. Nixon had also been shown to be dishonest, and resigned from office. 31Carter promised never to lie to the American people. And on the day of his swearing-in as president, he purposefully tried to keep things simple. He walked to the White House from the U.S. Capitol building instead of riding in the back of an automobile. 32His wife, Rosalynn, wore clothes that she had worn in public before. The National First Ladies' Library notes that her choice of clothing sent a message of "an old American value of thrift - or respecting money, and not spending it needlessly." 33What she wore was meaningful because the country was going through difficult economic times. The Carters wanted to show that the new government would work to cut costs. They also wanted to show that they were there to help the American people, not enjoy the powers of the White House. 34But in the end, the Carter administration received poor ratings in surveys of public opinion. 35President Carter had trouble dealing with U.S. lawmakers, even when his party was in control of Congress. One result was that Carter could not advance many of his ideas for legislation. He appeared ineffective. 36Many historians point out that, in fact, Carter had a number of successes. He helped reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil. He took steps to make the federal government more efficient, and to improve the environment. He appointed a number of women and racial minorities to top government jobs -- an important move at a time when many were pressing for women's rights and civil rights. And, in many cases, Carter supported human rights causes, both in the United States and around the world. 37But the public generally did not see Carter for his successes. Instead, many Americans blamed him for the country's economic problems. 38Some also disliked the way he spoke to them. In one speech, Carter blamed the country's troubles on what he called a crisis of confidence. Some listeners were offended. 39He also decided that the U.S. would not attend the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. The move was meant to punish the Soviet Union for its involvement in Afghanistan. But many Americans believed the move mostly hurt young American Olympians. 40The administration also faced other problems. The president was never accused of wrongdoing. But other high-level officials were. So was the president's brother, Billy. As a result, Jimmy Carter's public image for honesty suffered. 41Then came the Iran hostage crisis. 42Iran hostage crisis 43The conflict between the United States and Iran had a long history. One part involved the Shah of Iran. The U.S. government had supported his rise to power, partly because American interests wanted to control Iran's oil. 44But the Shah severely abused his power. Many Iranians resisted. Some wanted a leader who would more closely obey Islamic teachings. 45In 1979, under pressure from those Iranians and others, the Shah fled the country. By now, he was suffering from cancer. 46So, as a humanitarian act, President Carter permitted the Shah to come to the United States for medical treatment. 47The move made many Iranians angry. In protest, a group of students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran, the capital of Iran. They took 90 people, including 66 Americans, hostage. 48Carter worked hard to get the hostages released. He tried diplomatic negotiations and economic restrictions. 49But his efforts did not work. 50Finally, he tried a secret military operation. He sent eight helicopters and a team of special forces to enter the embassy and rescue the hostages. 51But that operation failed, too. The weather was bad. Three of the helicopters crashed. Eight Americans were killed. 52And the public's approval of Jimmy Carter dropped even more. 53After 444 days, the remaining hostages were released. In exchange, the U.S. government agreed to end some of its economic sanctions against Iran and promised not to interfere in the country's affairs. 54None of the hostages had been seriously hurt. But the crisis was the final blow to Carter's presidency. A few months before they were released, his effort to seek re-election failed. 55Legacy 56As president, Carter did not meet the high expectations he had set for himself. And he faced some unusually difficult situations. His presidency also suffered from his problems communicating effectively with Congress, the media, and the American people. 57But his four years as president did leave several marks on the office. For one, he showed that the U.S. president could help other nations and sides resolve their disputes. 58Carter's best-known success as president was his help negotiating the Camp David Accords. 59The accords were a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. Carter led the talks at Camp David in Maryland. 60Carter's efforts to protect human rights overseas also influenced the foreign policy of later presidents. 61In time, his work as a defender of human rights has become his most important legacy. 62Several years after leaving the presidency, he founded the Carter Presidential Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The center "seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health." 63In addition to his work there, Carter has helped build houses for people who need them, written books, and negotiated with world leaders to take steps toward peace. 64In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. 65I'm Kelly Jean Kelly. 66Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 67__________________________________________________________ 68See how well you understand the story by taking this listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer. 69____________________________________________________________ 70Words in This Story 71overwhelming - adj. something that is so confusing or difficult that you feel unable to do it 72nurse - n. a person who is trained to care for sick or injured people 73rent - v. to allow someone to use (something) in return for payment 74advance - v. to move forward 75confidence - n. a feeling or belief that someone or something is good or has the ability to succeed at something