Jonathan Alter

But in the same way that he was made by Watergate, he was also unmade by Watergate, because when he became president, Watergate had been turned into, or the gate part of Watergate had been turned into a suffix on any little flap that happened. Any little, you know, story of the week would be called something gate. So he had an aide

But in the same way that he was made by Watergate, he was also unmade by Watergate, because when he became president, Watergate had been turned into, or the gate part of Watergate had been turned into a suffix on any little flap that happened. Any little, you know, story of the week would be called something gate. So he had an aide

His budget director and friend from Georgia had some banking problems well before the presidency. His name was Burt Lance, and a New York Times columnist won a Pulitzer Prize for what was called Lancegate. And Carter's brother, Billy, ran into some problems that are a little bit like Hunter Biden's, except not as bad. And that was called Billy Gate.

His budget director and friend from Georgia had some banking problems well before the presidency. His name was Burt Lance, and a New York Times columnist won a Pulitzer Prize for what was called Lancegate. And Carter's brother, Billy, ran into some problems that are a little bit like Hunter Biden's, except not as bad. And that was called Billy Gate.

His budget director and friend from Georgia had some banking problems well before the presidency. His name was Burt Lance, and a New York Times columnist won a Pulitzer Prize for what was called Lancegate. And Carter's brother, Billy, ran into some problems that are a little bit like Hunter Biden's, except not as bad. And that was called Billy Gate.

You multiply that by 20 and you get a sense of how besieged he was by the media, which assumed before any honeymoon, like in the first few days of his presidency. They just assumed he would be another corrupt president like Nixon. And that was the way people in my business, and I'm a journalist, that's the way we rolled. I was a little young for it.

You multiply that by 20 and you get a sense of how besieged he was by the media, which assumed before any honeymoon, like in the first few days of his presidency. They just assumed he would be another corrupt president like Nixon. And that was the way people in my business, and I'm a journalist, that's the way we rolled. I was a little young for it.

You multiply that by 20 and you get a sense of how besieged he was by the media, which assumed before any honeymoon, like in the first few days of his presidency. They just assumed he would be another corrupt president like Nixon. And that was the way people in my business, and I'm a journalist, that's the way we rolled. I was a little young for it.

I wasn't out of college yet, but I could sense then that the whole game in Washington was let's rip down the president. And he was subjected to that after Watergate.

I wasn't out of college yet, but I could sense then that the whole game in Washington was let's rip down the president. And he was subjected to that after Watergate.

I wasn't out of college yet, but I could sense then that the whole game in Washington was let's rip down the president. And he was subjected to that after Watergate.

Exactly. So I described Jimmy Carter as a visionary who wasn't really a leader. So, you know, a guy who would go charging up the right hills, But turn around and there was nobody behind him. And part of this was that he wasn't a very good politician. He was a very good candidate. And even in 1980, he wasn't a bad candidate. He knew how to run for office.

Exactly. So I described Jimmy Carter as a visionary who wasn't really a leader. So, you know, a guy who would go charging up the right hills, But turn around and there was nobody behind him. And part of this was that he wasn't a very good politician. He was a very good candidate. And even in 1980, he wasn't a bad candidate. He knew how to run for office.

Exactly. So I described Jimmy Carter as a visionary who wasn't really a leader. So, you know, a guy who would go charging up the right hills, But turn around and there was nobody behind him. And part of this was that he wasn't a very good politician. He was a very good candidate. And even in 1980, he wasn't a bad candidate. He knew how to run for office.

But he wasn't an especially skillful politician. His wife, Rosalyn, was much shrewder when it came to the politics of the presidency. And a successful president has to be a good politician. Carter thought that if he could get to the right solution, which he usually did, that the American people would recognize that and they would go along with him.

But he wasn't an especially skillful politician. His wife, Rosalyn, was much shrewder when it came to the politics of the presidency. And a successful president has to be a good politician. Carter thought that if he could get to the right solution, which he usually did, that the American people would recognize that and they would go along with him.

But he wasn't an especially skillful politician. His wife, Rosalyn, was much shrewder when it came to the politics of the presidency. And a successful president has to be a good politician. Carter thought that if he could get to the right solution, which he usually did, that the American people would recognize that and they would go along with him.

He sometimes failed to understand that the president, when you boil it all down, only has one power. This was described by one of my mentors when I was at Harvard, a great political scientist and historian named Richard Neustadt. And he wrote a book that was very influential with JFK, who made Neustadt his transition director.

He sometimes failed to understand that the president, when you boil it all down, only has one power. This was described by one of my mentors when I was at Harvard, a great political scientist and historian named Richard Neustadt. And he wrote a book that was very influential with JFK, who made Neustadt his transition director.

He sometimes failed to understand that the president, when you boil it all down, only has one power. This was described by one of my mentors when I was at Harvard, a great political scientist and historian named Richard Neustadt. And he wrote a book that was very influential with JFK, who made Neustadt his transition director.