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-Election 2012
Democrats Show Their Colours: Jimmy Carter To Be DNC Convention Primetime Speaker
2012-08-16
Brilliant move, O Democrats, to remind Jewish voters exactly why they deserted your party for Ronald Reagan last time.
Former president Jimmy Carter
... the worst president ever. Maybe the second worst. The votes aren't all in yet...
, who has garnered much criticism in recent years for his harsh words about Israel, will address the Democratic National Convention in prime time.

The Democratic National Convention Committee and Obama for America announced that Carter will speak Sept. 4 via video on the second day of the convention in Charlotte, N.C.

"President Carter is one of the greatest humanitarian leaders of our time and a champion of democracy around the globe," said convention chair Antonio Villaraigosa, who also called the former president "a lifelong champion of human rights
...which often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless...
 and investments in education and energy."

He said that Carter "will provide unique insight" for economic recovery.

Abraham Foxman, national director of Anti-Defamation League, sharply criticized the invitation.

"I wish he wouldn't [speak]," Foxman said. "I don't think the convention should provide a platform for someone with such a biased obsession with Israel that borders on anti-Semitism."

"I know it's very difficult for any political party to deny a platform" to living former presidents, Foxman said, adding he hoped Carter's speech would not be aired during any discussion about the Middle East or foreign policy.

David Harris, the president of the National Jewish Democratic Council, which in the past has been critical of Carter's Middle East pronouncements, told JTA he was "confident" Carter would not speak about the region at the convention.

"Whether it's Israel in particular or the Middle East in general, President Carter's analysis has been consistently wrong, and harmful to the grinding of the peace processor to boot," Harris said. "I'm confident that he won't be speaking about Middle East policy at the Democratic Convention; today's Democratic Party leaders -- including one of the most pro-Israel presidents in U.S. history, President B.O. -- are best suited to that task."

Republican Jewish Coalition director Matt Brooks said the decision showed how "out of touch" the Democrats had become. "Giving a platform to someone who has been openly hostile to Israel and equated the country to the South African apartheid regime is offensive," Brooks said in an email.

Prime-time speakers at the convention include first lady Michelle Obama and keynote speaker San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, who will also speak on Sept. 4 at Time Warner
...contributed $624,618 to the 2008 Obama campaign...
Cable Arena. Former president Bill Clinton and U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren will deliver their remarks on Sept. 5 at the arena. Both President B.O. and Vice President Joe Foreign Policy Whiz Kid Biden
The former Senator-for-Life from Delaware, an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body...
 will deliver their acceptance speeches on the final night of the convention, Sept. 6, at Bank of America Stadium.
Posted by:trailing wife

#28  Let's just hope the Secret Service can keep the killer rabbits away.
Posted by: Iblis   2012-08-16 23:15  

#27  Some of us here are of a similar age- 1976 was my first vote and for the life of me I can't recall who I wasted my vote on- It wasn't Ford who was being savaged on SNL. It wasn't Carter because as "board up their rear end" republican chicks at PSU were, the Carter chicks were just down right weird.
I never covered the winner until GWB and both of those years I was in Illinois so I don't think I have covered an electoral vote for a winner yet!
Posted by: Capsu78   2012-08-16 19:27  

#26  I think it is now too late for Clinton. I could be wrong, but I don't believe she'd go for it at this point. R&R are beginning to gain more and more momentum.
Posted by: Besoeker   2012-08-16 19:20  

#25  I used to think Carter was the worst prez. Then I remembered that it was FDR who ushered in the era of big government. FDR was the worst, by far. Wilson started the tradition of fighting other people's wars, so he might be considered a close second. LBJ's Great Society doubled down on FDR's mistakes. Nixon created a Hispanic category that is now a rallying point for a community that wants its legally-mandated ethnic preferences and freebies enshrined for posterity, and added to Great Society. Carter was a bum, but he was a distant fifth at the time he took office. He stood on the shoulders of midgets.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2012-08-16 18:42  

#24  I hope we can drop all this Hildebeast for VP speculation. As much as I dislike Obama, an Obama/Clinton ticket would remind me way too much of the 1960 Kennedy/Johnson ticket with the young charismatic president and his treacherous old vice-president. I remember those days and I don't want to relive them. FWIW, I still think LBJ was the worst president ever. jimmuh might have been the biggest fool to ever occupy the White House but LBJ was far, far and away more destructive. When he took office this country went into a downward spiral that was interrupted by Ronald Reagan but was never completely stopped and has in the past few years accelerated. Biden as the court jester is highly entertaining so let them run with him. Carter will bore even the most radical Dims to tears so that is a good thing too. It's all shaping up nicely.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2012-08-16 18:36  

#23  Is Carter going to introduce Obuma and Biden or Obuma and Clinton at the convention? Does Obuma prefer Hillary's fake southern accent or Biden's?
Posted by: JohnQC   2012-08-16 17:54  

#22  As I've lived in Maryland, Massachusetts and Caliphornia, I've never worried about influencing an election.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2012-08-16 17:40  

#21  Let your opponent score when shooting at their own goal. Thats my motto.
Posted by: Rjschwarz   2012-08-16 17:35  

#20  They did not pick Carter because he was such a great choice. They picked him because no one else would stand up there with a straight face and endorse zero. Besides, its a win win for carter, he will be voted second worse prez and fade into history....
Posted by: 49 Pan   2012-08-16 17:18  

#19  But I guess Clinton would remind them how far left they've actually gone under Obama.

Umm, you're sure you want to remind them?
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2012-08-16 16:54  

#18  In 76 I was tempted to vote Libertarian. But I was registered in a state where it may have been close, so I didn't want to throw away my vote. Libertarians should consider that they can provide a margin of victory or defeat for a non-leftist majore party candidate in states where the race is close. In essence a vote for a Libertarian or or third party in a "close" state is effectively a vote against Romney/Ryan (and thus a vot for 4 more years of Obama). Same goes for not voting if you were otherwise inclined to vote against Obama.
Posted by: OldSpook   2012-08-16 16:45  

#17  The Delusionalcratic Party...
Posted by: Broadhead6   2012-08-16 16:17  

#16  But I guess Clinton would remind them how far left they've actually gone under Obama.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2012-08-16 14:32  

#15  Its as if the Democrats are completely tone deaf or they don't want Obama to win.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2012-08-16 14:31  

#14  R & R = rebuild and restore
R & R = reality and reason
R & R = rescue and repair
R & R = reload and rack
R & R = rock and roll
Posted by: JohnQC   2012-08-16 14:11  

#13  WHAT...were they sinking about ?
Posted by: Besoeker   2012-08-16 11:38  

#12  Think R&R can revamp some old RR commercials from '80 to play around the DNC?


NS, I've always been sorta Libertarian so voted that way in '92 as a protest against Lips, Slick Willie and the Texas Troll. That was a helluva a herd to have to pick from.
Posted by: AlanC   2012-08-16 11:31  

#11  The former president of economic malaise rooting for the current president of economic malaise.

Brilliant!
Posted by: DarthVader   2012-08-16 11:16  

#10  ...consistently wrong...
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2012-08-16 11:04  

#9  The 1976 election. Couldn't stand Ford or Carter. Then heard Roger MacBride in an infomercial for the Libertarian party and thought to my self, "I can't believe how much sense this guy is making." There was no going back.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2012-08-16 09:53  

#8  Ditto tu3031.

Do you remember Zero Based Budgeting? Wonder if it would have worked if he actually tried it. Didn't love Carter but thought he'd be better than Ford.

Never voted for Dems cause they were always, at best, the lesser of two poor options. Voted 4 RR and GWB. Little disappointed in the latter but never for the former.
Posted by: AlanC   2012-08-16 09:01  

#7  ... the worst president ever. Maybe the second worst. The votes aren't all in yet...

who has garnered much criticism in recent years for his harsh words about Israel,

Who many would say displays considerable anti-semitism.

"President Carter is one of the greatest humanitarian leaders of our time and a champion of democracy around the globe,"

I didn't vote for; most people I know didn't vote. Democracy wasn't so important to this author or it took a holiday?

I can't remember Carter lying like the current guy so maybe he is a bit ahead in this contest.
Posted by: JohnQC   2012-08-16 08:57  

#6  "Former President Carter harkened back to his successful turnaround of the economy three years into his successor's first term. The air of high expectations stink of fail permeated the convention air"
Posted by: Frank G   2012-08-16 08:16  

#5  The Dems are having the same problem as the Islamists.

Every so often they show their true colors.
Posted by: lord garth   2012-08-16 08:10  

#4  He said that Carter "will provide unique insight" for economic recovery.

"Just listen to me, then do the exact opposite! Can't miss!"
Posted by: Raj   2012-08-16 07:45  

#3  A valid and useful expansion, dear RandomJD. Please always do so as needed. :-)
Posted by: trailing wife   2012-08-16 07:27  

#2  Carter "will provide unique insight" for economic recovery.

LOL! If I may: Brilliant move, O Democrats, to remind [anyone who works for a living] why they deserted your party for [anyone who isn't you] last time.
Posted by: RandomJD   2012-08-16 01:51  

#1  Good. I'm glad. The first and last Democrat I ever voted for.
The best lessons are the ones learned hard and early. And I learned 'em. Jimmy will remind a lotta people of that.
Posted by: tu3031   2012-08-16 00:36  

00:00