Quote Originally Posted by VictorCharlie View Post
I wouldn't describe him as strong or principled but regardless still an abject failure.
He could have invaded Iran -- the GOP, most of the media and a lot of Democrats were screaming at him to do it -- after the revolution. It would have guaranteed him a second term but he chose not to as it would have been a long term disaster even worse than Iraq was.

He could have kept interest rates low and that would have given him a second term too. All previous prezzes who struggled with inflation, LBJ, Nixon and For dofr instance, had the Fed chair cut rates before elections to make sure they got re-elected even though this fucked the economy long term,. Carter actually appointed a Fed chair he knew would crank up interest rates to whatever needed to end inflation once and for all, and he went into the election campaign with rates heading for 20%.

No subsequent president ( or any of the guys preceeding him in the modern era) would have done either of those things. Either one would have cost Carter a second term, but the guy had the courage to do what was right for the country even though he knew he was committing political suicide.