Should We Thank Jimmy Carter for Obama's Second Term?

ormer President Jimmy Carter signs copies of his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" at the Carter Center as part of an Atlanta Press Club luncheon in Atlanta, Ga., Friday, Dec. 8, 2006. (AP Photo/Ric Feld)

Until Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter held the title, “Worst President in U.S. History.” Now, Carter may have taken the title back. You would have thought he’d be satisfied with almost destroying the U.S. economy and breaking the spirit of our country once. But NO! Thirty-three years later Jimmy Carter is now instrumental in helping Obama finish the job he started.

As president from 1976 to 1980 Carter came close to destroying America. An ultra liberal, politically correct, do-gooder, just like Obama, Carter announced his presidency would be dedicated to “compassion” and human rights. And, just like Obama, this leftist "fairness and feel-good philosophy" led to disaster for America.

The Carter nightmare included four years of crippling high unemployment, stagflation of 13.5%, unimaginable 21.5% interest rates, record gas prices, shortages and gas lines, a doubling of the deficit from $27 billion to almost $60 billion, U.S. embassy personnel in Iran held hostage, an unsuccessful hostage rescue attempt, the embarrassing decline of our military, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. America almost did not survive Jimmy Carter.

Along came a true patriot and American hero, Ronald Reagan, who turned Carter’s malaise, misery, and the worst economy since the Great Depression, into the greatest economic turnaround and expansion in world history. Reagan showed the world that America was indeed the “shining beacon on the hill.” Reagan made us great again, and by doing so, exposed Jimmy Carter as an incompetent, ultra liberal laughing stock. To make matters worse for Carter’s legacy, the U.S. hostages in Iran were released on Reagan’s inauguration day. Carter never forgave Reagan or America for leaving his reputation in tatters.

Jimmy Carter wandered the wilderness for the past 33 years, growing more angry and bitter with each passing year. He took his anger out by embarrassing the United States and meddling in foreign affairs. He spent the last 33 years denouncing Israel, praising nations that supported Muslim terrorists, defying the U.S. travel ban to Cuba, praising tyrants like Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Yugoslav dictator Tito, and North Korean despot Kim Il-Sung. He oversaw election fraud and corruption in Venezuela and Haiti and declared everything fair and square.

Now, Carter has finally gotten his revenge. Angry at America’s success since Reagan, including those 40 million new jobs created since the early ‘80’s, Carter might be the single man most responsible for Obama’s re-election, allowing him to continue the destruction Carter began all those years ago in 1976.

How did Carter help re-elect Obama? Mitt Romney was poised to do to Obama exactly what Reagan did to Carter. A brilliant businessman and turnaround specialist, Romney was the perfect man to again save America. He would have turned around this Obamageddon economy in two years with low taxes, reduced spending, and smaller government- exactly how Reagan saved us from Carter. But along came that secret tape where Romney discussed "the 47%" of Americans who want government to give them checks...and will vote for the politician who keeps the checks coming. The release of that tape was the beginning of the end for Romney. His reputation, likeability ratings, and presidential campaign never recovered.

Well guess who released that damaging tape? It was Jimmy Carter’s grandson, Democratic operative Jimmy Carter IV, getting sweet revenge for grandpa.

Carter’s grandson said, "I've been hearing all my life people making fun of my grandfather, or saying that he was a bad president, or things like that, and I've just gotten used to it," Carter said. "And it's nice to be able to hit back."

Jimmy Carter IV (Photo: Twitter) 

Upon seeing the tape of Romney’s remarks, former President Jimmy Carter said to his grandson, "James: This is extraordinary. Congratulations! Papa.”

It may not have been the only reason Romney lost, but it certainly did more damage to his campaign than anything Obama said in months of campaigning. And so, with the help of Jimmy Carter's grandson, history was changed. Instead of a modern day Reagan, we got stuck with a second, disastrous term of a modern day Carter. If Carter had been re-elected back in 1980 there very likely would never have been 40 million new jobs over the next 25 years. America's military and economy would probably have never recovered and we’d have a lower standard of living and gasoline prices of $8 per gallon- just like in the European socialist countries both Carter and Obama want America to emulate.

But thanks to Jimmy Carter's grandson, it's Groundhog Day. Carter gets a do-over. We’re about to see what would have happened if we’d never elected Reagan and gave Carter a chance to finish the job of destroying America. We’re about to see if Barack Obama can finish the job of destroying the U.S. economy in a second term, all in the name of tax and spend, compassion, fairness, social justice, and human rights.

Once Obama is done using Jimmy Carter's ultra-left policies to gain retribution and redistribution, I can only imagine that America will be a shell of her former self. America’s military will decline, the U.S. economy continue in misery and malaise, inflation return to unimaginable heights, debt continue to rise, and gas lines and rationing will once again be part of our lives. America will be anything but exceptional.

Congratulations President Carter. It took 33 years and your grandson’s help, but you’ve finally got your revenge on the American people and American exceptionalism.

Sadly, just like a second term of Jimmy Carter, I can promise you, this will not end well.

Wayne Allyn Root is the author of the new book "The Ultimate Obama Survival Guide"