In two weeks, my Book Club meets again by the San Diego harbor. This time, we will be discussing His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life, by Jonathan Alter. You may recognize the name. Alter “is a contributing correspondent and political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. ” To our credit, our Book Club doesn’t play favorites. We read about U.S. presidents from all sides of the political aisle. We are always on the lookout for a man’s character, the influence of family, and the sweep of historical events.
The best of President Carter was human decency and a refusal to lie to the American people. As I spoke with the sales clerk at Barnes and Noble, she bemoaned the disappearance of presidents like Carter. People remember human decency, not falsehoods in the moment.
My fondest memories and best wishes out to President Carter.