Yeah, he's been pretty respectful to Obama...

CHENEY'S been a jerk and totally out of line and disrrespectful, shooting off his mouth like that after he's had his turn, but Dubya's been alright... he's an alright guy, really, someone you'd want to have a drink and watch the game with, just was a terrible leader.

President Cheney sure has remained engaged in the public debate. Thank god.
/snark

i thought he shot himself in the face and died???

and yes jimmy been a good ex-president

I think all ex-presidents are better than they were when they were president.

Mostly because they can't do any real damage any more.

@Obiwan- :D I would love to hang out with W, he seems like a pretty cool guy. Most other politicians seem too uptight all the time, but W was always smirking about something. Oh, and he will always have my respect for dodging that thrown shoe; it was matrix-esque :-P

His book "peace not apartheid" was bullshit though, admit that.

jimmy carter is unique among presidents in pointing out americans' fundamental addiction to consumerism, which is destroying the country. for this, he was voted out. alas.


read "the limits of power" by andrew j bacevich.

most important book last decade

I did!!! great book , read it last summer. amazing. i liked the bit on the CIA overstretching it's power and the irresponsibility of US involvement in latin america

On what are we basing Carter being amazing? As a writer of fiction?

Carters efforts with Habitat for Humanity alone make him a great ex-president in my book, and I'm a Reaganite! Carter and Ford have done more for this country since leaving office than any two presidents that had their full 2 terms.

When any given President of the United States is in office, he could be considered the most powerful person on earth... when they leave who cares?

Carter screwed up when he mattered, now that he is no longer President he can not redeem himself. History has spoken for Carter and no amount of humanitarianism will fix that.

I respectfully disagree, KK.

We shall agree to disagree ;-)

Lol maybe that's what happens to one-term presidents; they become active ex-presidents to redeem themselves to the people.

Such is life.

Also: otto:

What did you think about Bacevich's assessment of Carter's "malaise" speech?

I'm sorry, I totally don't agree about Carter. I can respect Habitat for humanity, but he has also plunked himself down as ex-president in many political contexts, most notably in the Middle East, in North Korea, in Africa, and in Latin America and, in a surprising number of cases, made things worse by sympathetically sucking up to thugs. He has 'certified' elections as fair that most certainly weren't, and given support to regimes that brutally suppress dissent.

I think Carter is amazing as well, but I'd say Grover Cleavland is by far the best ex-president out there. He became president again!

Does this thread deserve a second chance?

no?

i want my response from otto