This is the first diary I've written. Did anyone else see Jimmy Carter on The Tonight Show last night?
Carter told the truth, and he didn't appear afraid to do it. The previous Friday night, Jay Leno had announced Carter would be on last night, calling him "the most honest man in politics."
Carter said he opposed the Iraq war from the beginning, although he didn't blame Democrats who voted for it because they were "misled." He talked about abortion, said as president he "could live" with Roe v. Wade, and said he instituted and supported programs (e.g. WIC) to support women who wanted to carry their pregnancies to term. In other words, he supports prevention of abortion rather than punishment afterward (see George Lakoff).
He covered a number of topics: the environment; that the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000 "said that Bush was elected." He talked about how, in the last few years, the values upon which our country was founded have been undermined.
Without discussing political parties, he said religion and politics have been infiltrated by "fundamentalism," which allows no dissention and won't even tolerate others' opinions. He said he felt, as a man of faith, that he was qualified to talk about religion and politics together.
He also defended his presidency, saying it was a time of peace. How true.
Carter made me feel proud to be a Democrat, and the audience bursted into applause several times while he was talking. Did anyone else see the show last night?