Jonathan Alter

And by beating Wallace and driving George Wallace out of politics in that 1976 Florida Democratic primary, Jimmy Carter eliminated what had been the segregationist, racist wing of the Democratic Party, which went back to the founding of the American Republic. Remember that the South was solidly Democratic.

And by beating Wallace and driving George Wallace out of politics in that 1976 Florida Democratic primary, Jimmy Carter eliminated what had been the segregationist, racist wing of the Democratic Party, which went back to the founding of the American Republic. Remember that the South was solidly Democratic.

And by beating Wallace and driving George Wallace out of politics in that 1976 Florida Democratic primary, Jimmy Carter eliminated what had been the segregationist, racist wing of the Democratic Party, which went back to the founding of the American Republic. Remember that the South was solidly Democratic.

Until the 1970s, the Democrats were the party of segregation and secession and the Civil War, and Abraham Lincoln was a Republican. By the way, Jimmy Carter's mother was the only person in the county who ever had anything nice to say about Abraham Lincoln when he was growing up.

Until the 1970s, the Democrats were the party of segregation and secession and the Civil War, and Abraham Lincoln was a Republican. By the way, Jimmy Carter's mother was the only person in the county who ever had anything nice to say about Abraham Lincoln when he was growing up.

Until the 1970s, the Democrats were the party of segregation and secession and the Civil War, and Abraham Lincoln was a Republican. By the way, Jimmy Carter's mother was the only person in the county who ever had anything nice to say about Abraham Lincoln when he was growing up.

So by ending the racist wing of the Democratic Party, Carter, before he became president, had done something very historic. And today, if you have those views, you're not a Democrat. There's no room in the party for that. And that's been true since Jimmy Carter.

So by ending the racist wing of the Democratic Party, Carter, before he became president, had done something very historic. And today, if you have those views, you're not a Democrat. There's no room in the party for that. And that's been true since Jimmy Carter.

So by ending the racist wing of the Democratic Party, Carter, before he became president, had done something very historic. And today, if you have those views, you're not a Democrat. There's no room in the party for that. And that's been true since Jimmy Carter.

He was only governor for one term. He was not allowed to run for reelection by state law. But he changed so much and offended so many of the segregationists. As he told me in one of our many interviews, if he had been allowed to run for governor again, he would have lost.

He was only governor for one term. He was not allowed to run for reelection by state law. But he changed so much and offended so many of the segregationists. As he told me in one of our many interviews, if he had been allowed to run for governor again, he would have lost.

He was only governor for one term. He was not allowed to run for reelection by state law. But he changed so much and offended so many of the segregationists. As he told me in one of our many interviews, if he had been allowed to run for governor again, he would have lost.

I think some people considered him arrogant. He could be a little bit intellectually arrogant, showing that he was the smartest guy in the room, which he usually was, but that can be politically unhelpful. He didn't have an arrogant demeanor when you met him. And certainly in public, he was far from arrogant. There was none of that from the podium.

I think some people considered him arrogant. He could be a little bit intellectually arrogant, showing that he was the smartest guy in the room, which he usually was, but that can be politically unhelpful. He didn't have an arrogant demeanor when you met him. And certainly in public, he was far from arrogant. There was none of that from the podium.

I think some people considered him arrogant. He could be a little bit intellectually arrogant, showing that he was the smartest guy in the room, which he usually was, but that can be politically unhelpful. He didn't have an arrogant demeanor when you met him. And certainly in public, he was far from arrogant. There was none of that from the podium.

In fact, you could argue that he wasn't commanding enough and that his de-pomping of the presidency was very harmful to him politically. But in private, he could be snappish and prickly. And so he often had trouble getting along with other politicians. He got along with the average people that he met extraordinarily well. And he was a brilliant retail politician.

In fact, you could argue that he wasn't commanding enough and that his de-pomping of the presidency was very harmful to him politically. But in private, he could be snappish and prickly. And so he often had trouble getting along with other politicians. He got along with the average people that he met extraordinarily well. And he was a brilliant retail politician.

In fact, you could argue that he wasn't commanding enough and that his de-pomping of the presidency was very harmful to him politically. But in private, he could be snappish and prickly. And so he often had trouble getting along with other politicians. He got along with the average people that he met extraordinarily well. And he was a brilliant retail politician.

And that was why he succeeded so well in Iowa and New Hampshire in those caucuses and primaries where meeting voters is what really counts. It wasn't great on TV, but I think where a number of analysts and historians and journalists have gone wrong is they thought that his prickly qualities, which were unappealing on Capitol Hill, that that meant that he didn't get much done.

And that was why he succeeded so well in Iowa and New Hampshire in those caucuses and primaries where meeting voters is what really counts. It wasn't great on TV, but I think where a number of analysts and historians and journalists have gone wrong is they thought that his prickly qualities, which were unappealing on Capitol Hill, that that meant that he didn't get much done.