Crisis of Confidence

My first memory of Jimmy Carter occurs in a story my grandfather told me about when he was asked to be president of WFFSA, a floral industry organisation, a sort of governing body for the industry.  Originally disinclined to seek the post from feeling less than confident that he had anything of significance to bring to the position.  As he tells the story, he sat one night considering the role when upon the television came the then President of the USA, Jimmy Carter.  In that moment before a word came out of his mouth he had made up his mind.  Having built up the story with the larger than life personality and flair for dramatic story telling that makes him a truly unique and special man.  He gets on the edge of his chair, rubs his hands together and says, "If that peanut farmer can be President of America, I can be President of WFFSA!"

Since that time President Carter has continued to do some of the best work a former President or any citizen has ever done for the sake of mankind.  The Carter Center is a unique and powerful institution  working to eradicate disease and providing for government and democracy building around the world.  We should all wish to have a heart as big as his and I am thankful for him. 

Continuing the series of entries as outlined earlier--No proper accounting of Carter's career and public statements is complete without reference to the "Crisis of Confidence" speech.  Often identified as one of the worst political speeches ever given my an American president it has stood the test of time to become a historical touch stone.  Upon its 30th anniversary in July of 2009 while America and the world looked up from the abyss of financial collapse its prescient content warranted renewed media  coverage. 

Unfortunately, while the message was right-- a major overhaul of the country's energy policy as an opportunity to rejuvenate America's future, establishing a new, meaningful course for the nation to rally behind.  This call to arms, which was originally warmly received, was jumbled up by Carter some believe in the firing of his cabinet shortly after the speech.  Regardless by the time the Cowboy actor showed up and affably smiled while poking fun with his dazzling one liner's--"There you go again" (Link is also prophetic).  Carter's willingness to seek solutions for the American people was no match for Reagan's "Morning in America" and it was all over when the oil prices started to fall and the nation stopped expecting leadership on important domestic issues.

We have had need for this speech or a variation on it more in the last decade more than once: as a response to 9.11, as a source for long term productive domestic investment and most recently in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2007-2011.  Unfortunately, no President will ever give a speech like it again.  That is unfortunate because occassionally we need to woken up from our malaise and into action by something other than war or the threat of force.   If we cannot declare war and expect national support to win on issues like oil price fluctuations that negatively impact our economic prospects or unemployment, never mind materialism or financial nihalism, we will never attain the peace and sustainability we hope to achieve.