The best of the ex-presidents

Jimmy Carter turned 94 on Monday. And though he had his critics, Carter would be king in a postpresidency poll, David Whitley writes.

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Jimmy Carter turned 94 Monday. Chances are he didn’t make a big deal out of it.

Unlike many former and current presidents, Carter has never been that impressed with himself.

A lot of people weren’t that impressed with Carter when he was in office, of course. There was runaway inflation, the Iran hostage crisis, long lines for gas. Some people even blamed him for disco and leisure suits.

Presidential historians rate Carter in the lower third of most of their polls. Think what you will about his four years in the Oval Office.

If there were a postpresidency poll, Carter would be king.

He’s been an ex-president nearly 38 years now, ever since Ronald Reagan landslided him back to Plains, Ga. That was when ex-presidents started turning themselves into human ATMs.

Gerald Ford joined corporate boards and started giving lucrative speeches. Since then, being the ex-Most-Powerful-Man-InThe-World has been a license to print money.

Bill Clinton and his co-president, Hillary, made about $250 million in their first 15 years out of office. George W. Bush gets about $175,000 per speech.

Barack and Michelle Obama signed book deals worth a combined $60 million when he left office.

There’s nothing wrong with that (pending Clinton Foundation investigations). Most of us would cash in. Carter isn’t most of us. “I don’t blame other people for doing it,” he told The Washington Post. “It’s just never been my ambition to be rich.”

The better word would be “wealthy,” which is the accumulation of money and property. Loosely defined, “rich” is more like having an abundance of things, be it money, friends, accolades, admirers or memories.

Carter left the White House for his little hometown (population 734). He and his wife, Rosalynn, moved back into their old twobedroom house. Its assessed value is $167,000, or approximately the price of one gold-plated sink in Trump Tower.

Carter told the Post the never wanted to “capitalize financially on being in the White House.”

He never wanted to capitalize on the pomp and ceremony when he was in the White House.

Carter carried his own bags on road trips. He told the band not to play “Hail to the Chief ” when he showed up at events.

The night before their inaugu- David Whitley