Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter are together again at home in Plains, Ga.
As President Carter’s last trip from Washington back to Georgia on Special Air Mission (SAM) 39 (for the 39th president of the United States), I remembered the first time I met him.
It was 1974 in Lake Tahoe, Nevada at the National Governor’s Conference. The Tennessee Governor at the time was Winfield Dunn. Gov. Dunn had flown to Nevada and taken a plane load of journalists with him.
I was fortunate enough to be allowed on board the flight as I was working at WRCB-TV, Channel 3 at the time.
During one of the Conference sessions, I was able to secure an interview with Carter who was at the time Governor of Georgia. Since our station covered many Georgia counties, I thought the interview was worthwhile even though I confess a peanut farmer Governor seemed interesting on its own.
During my time conversation with Gov. Carter, I was surprised to find him warm, friendly, knowledgeable, and fearless in his comments without a trace of what I was accustomed too with politicians—political doublespeak. More clearly, politicians who gave answers that seemed planned to commit them to nothing concrete. Carter was not the least bit given to protecting his comments.
After completing the interview, I was amazed at my own reaction to what and how he answered my questions. He was a very genuine person and somehow that touched me unlike other politicians I had questioned. His specific answers weren’t important, but his commitment to them became clear to me after he was elected President. He meant what he said and said what he meant.
After the Governor’s Conference ended, all the Tennessee journalists climbed back aboard the state aircraft to return home. On board the plane now was an enormous number of cases of Coors Beer. In 1974, Coors Beer was sold east of the Mississippi and therefore it was a very valuable commodity. It was a long cold flight back to Tennessee.
After I returned home, I talked with my wife, Norma Carol about the Carter interview. I told her that there was something—I didn’t know what, about Carter that made me think he could actually become President. In fact, I was convinced of his potential.
I’ve never been fond of talking with politicians with few exceptions. I remember as a young television reporter interviewing former Tennessee Governor Frank Clement. We sat at a long table with the Gov. at one end while I sat on the side of the table with the camera at the opposite end of the table from the Gov. When I asked a question, he waited just a moment, then turned to look directly into the camera lens, giving me no eye contact at all. Good politicians know how to act. I never got that feeling with Gov. Carter.
In retrospect, Gov. Carter and then President Carter was a different kind of politician. His humanity, his faith, his compassion were always discernible. He said what he meant and meant what he said.
In my 80 years, he was one of a kind President.