In November 1976 I got my first chance to vote in a US presidential election. I was a newly minted 18-year-old and eager to help shape the course of the nation.
I voted for Jimmy Carter.
And I’ve never regretted how I cast my first vote.
Historians rate President Carter as being in the ‘middle-of-the-pack’ in terms of the effectiveness of his single term and perhaps a bit lower in leadership and his ability to control Congress. It was a challenging time with plenty of international and domestic crises to handle.
I was a one-issue voter in 1976. I had a long life ahead of me and wanted to ensure we leave Planet Earth in better shape than we received it. Jimmy Carter was way ahead of the game in terms of climate change and energy policies. I was happy I voted for him.
But it was after he left the White House when we got to know him better. Few can dispute that he will be remembered as one of the greatest former presidents.
To me President Carter epitomises everything that I would want a leader to my country to be. Someone who I could say to my children ‘there’s your role model…be like him.’ He demonstrated empathy, kindness, generosity and joy.
Jimmy Carter cared about human beings. He truly did. He didn’t pretend to care about you and me through sweet talk laced with lies or Tweets. He demonstrated his care with his hands … and a hammer. President Carter built houses for the poor, fought to improve global health and promoted human rights by monitoring elections and mediating conflicts around the world. He was a true humanitarian.
Integrity and morality are qualities which no longer seem to be important to voters in the United States. I’m not sure that when I was a teenager casting my first vote that I cared if either the candidate had morals. I only cared for the environment and President Carter delivered on the issue I voted for. But it turned out that I voted for a President who promoted compassion, volunteerism and care for the less fortunate of our world.
I’ve gained a lot of wisdom in the 48 years since I cast my first vote and perhaps have shifted my views a tiny bit on some issues. But I’m proud that I had the wisdom to cast my first vote for a true leader and inspiring human being.
Rest in Peace, Jimmy Carter.
(Photo: Lauren Gerson/WikiMedia Commons/Public Domain)
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