Typically, when Democrats like to think about the golden days of left-wing rule in the United States, the typical faces include Franklin Roosevelt, Ted Kennedy, or even the relatively centrist Bill Clinton.
A rarity on this list: Jimmy Carter, and for good reason.
Carter’s disastrous presidency served as a black mark on the Democratic brand for decades. Even Bill Clinton, often regarded as a Democratic favorite, popularly declared that the “era of big government is over”, indicating he wasn’t going to govern like his hard-left predecessors.
While in office, Carter took the meaning of “appeasement” to whole new level when he essentially abandoned hostages for fear of angering Islamic militants in 1979. His outrageous tax policies also did a number on America’s economic output, with the wealthiest individuals paying as much as 90 percent of their income to Uncle Sam each year – not exactly an incentive to great jobs.
And let’s not forget about waiting in line to get gas…
Of course, none of this has stopped this gem of a meme from making its rounds. Notice how the writer of this meme references only Carter’s post-presidency rather than his actual tenure in office.
Sure, it’s nice that Carter has become a philanthropist in his golden years – but he’s not exactly the only former president to do so. In fact, every former president becomes involved in this sort of way. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, for example, were highly visible advocates for charity in the wake of the Haiti earthquake of 2010. The two still perform charity work alongside one another to this day.
Everyone except Barack Obama, it seems, who appears to still be on vacation…
~ Facts Not Memes
