[Magdalen] On and On it Goes.

[M J _Mike_ Logsdon]

>>>I well remember the Wolfmama worrying about Jimmy Carter because he really was pure as the driven but had no idea how to work with normal Congresscritters. Result: failure.<<<

How odd, that the very first political opinion I heard, understood, and memorised, at a very young age, an age at which I had no substantive political opinions of my own other than that I was the child of unionists, therefore I'm a unionist -- was my Pop expressing your Wolfmama's exact sentiment about good Mr Carter.  The only negative he ever breathed about him stemmed from a local practical matter:  Carter's concession speech.  My Pop, who would come home from work (painter), take a bath, and dress in something decent before heading out to vote, heard Carter conceding as he was leaving the house for the polling station.  He was not pleased.  It made his vote seem meaningless.  Today, I'd of course try to talk him out of that very understandable sentiment, but more than anything I'd try to elucidate two very important things in such elections as that one was:  (a) time zones, and (b) trouncings.  By the time Pop was headed out, Carter was peanuts.

In a recent interview, Carter showed just how "pure as the driven" he still is.  When asked if as president he wishes he'd done anything differently, he didn't speak of the campaign, he didn't speak of Teddy Kennedy, he didn't speak of he who trounced him in November, or even of his experiences with Congress.  Not a bit of any of that.  His answer?  "I would've sent more helicopters."