Ladies and Gentlemen…The President of the United States

The Office of the President is the only one that reflects our entire nation, because it is the only elected office that every single American citizen votes on. The President is not only head of the Executive Branch; the President is the face of the nation both to the international community and to us. So, who has that been? What does America look like?

Only 46 men in the history of the world have held the power of the office. Of these, the ones judged to have been the best are the ones who have worked to unite us, inspire us, and lead us through the nation’s challenges. The ones with the worst legacies are the ones who could not meet our challenges, who were happy to divide us, and who have given power to the worst of our national impulses.

This year, we must add the legacy of President Jimmy Carter to the list of the best of us. His tenure in office was marred by the Iran hostage crisis, an energy crisis, and the economy was terrible. But we remember that this Navy vet and peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia won our votes and our hearts by being a good, decent man, who promised to restore our faith in the office after Watergate. He continued to lead and inspire service long after he left the White House. Jimmy Carter represents the best of the office to the international community, and he is one President who reminds us to be our best selves.