Long after setting the bar for years of post-presidency and longevity, Jimmy Carter, the man who came from peanuts to the White House, passed away on Dec. 29 at the age of 100.
Carter’s remarkable run to the White House is without a doubt integrally linked to Iowa. Being unknown to pretty much everyone outside of Georgia, Carter faced a really daunting challenge in securing the 1976 Democratic nomination. To help combat this, Carter declared very early (for the time) on Dec. 12, 1974 — nearly 2 years before the election.
With the relatively new Iowa caucuses first on the calendar, Carter made the bold move to camp out in Iowa — not necessarily to win, but to get his name recognized. I remember being told about Carter visiting my grandparents’ home in southwest Cedar Rapids and was impressed by what was recalled as his down to earth attitude.
On Jan. 19, 1976, Carter shocked the political world — not by winning the caucus but finishing second to “uncommitted,” meaning he still beat all his rivals (and by a good margin.) Carter would take this momentum from Iowa all the way to the nomination. The caucuses not only made Carter a household name but turned the Iowa caucuses into a premiere event for many decades to come.
The presidential election looked to be a cake walk as well against a battered President Gerald Ford. Carter opened with nearly a 30-point lead, but Ford led a tremendous campaign fueled by the American bicentennial, which restored a lot of pride and patriotism. Ford erased the lead and even led in one of the final polls, which meant Iowa as a battleground state would be vital to each candidate’s chances.
Ford would win Iowa’s 8 electoral votes by 1%, or less than 13,000 votes. Carter did carry Linn and Johnson counties along with a strong showing in southern Iowa. Carter also won the White House by 2%, or a 297-240 margin in the Electoral College.
Carter’s presidency was dragged down by sky-high inflation, stagnant wages, an energy crisis and the Iran hostage scandal, which overshadowed his successes with the Camp David Accords. In the 1980 election it appeared at first as if it would be another nail biter, but as Election Day neared it became very obvious that Ronald Reagan would win.
Carter initially contested Iowa, but when other battleground states started slipping away, he pulled out. What was a 1% shortfall in 1976 became a 13-point loss in 1980, with Carter winning only four counties, including Johnson and Dubuque. The national vote was a microcosm of Iowa. Reagan swept the country, winning 489 electoral votes to Carter’s 49. He won the popular vote by nearly 10%.
Carter’s journey wasn’t over, however — it was just beginning. For his nearly 44-year post presidency, he would work tirelessly for peace and security, including by building homes for Habitat for Humanity.
While Carter’s presidency was shaky, his work afterward left behind an indelible impact. This journey might not have happened however if not for Iowa and the Iowa caucuses.
Tom Babbage of Casa Grande, Arizona is an avid collector of presidential history. He grew up in Marion and was a student in the Linn-Mar Community School District.
