Quick thought on Jimmy Carter and advice for W.
Today’s USA Today has an interview with Jimmy Carter, a reasonably puffy piece, where he suggests that Bush’s public stock will rise in the years to come. The up-shot, such as it is, comes with Carter unwilling to say he’ll come up to Carter’s high estimation of Truman.
But the best advice for Bush on raising his stock, I’ll suppose, comes with the Carter post-presidency resume:
Won the Nobel Peace Prize, built houses with Habitat for Humanity, observed elections abroad, written almost 2 dozen books, and through the work of the Altanta-based Carter Center, worked to virtually eliminate the debilitating Guinea Worm disease in Africa.
Political sour-pusses on the right have written books calling Jimmy Carter “Our Worst Ex-President”, opinions that I’ve seen expressed in part by some figures on the Left (outside the political mainstream, as the case beggars). But the title sticks for Carter “Best Ex-President” — notwithstanding some good competition from William Howard Taft and from John Quincy Adams.
Let’s allow for a marking off of his Nobel Peace Prize. “Won by a Hater. What a Surprise! Hey… Arafat won that Award, you know?” Let’s mark off “observed elections abroad” — Hey, now — he lifted up a flimsy rationale against the continuation of Aristaide’s reign in Haiti — danged American Imperialism!
That leaves us with — He Built Homes and he eliminated Guinea Worm disease.
So what Bush needs to do in order to increase his political stock and have a fruitful post-presidency is to build some homes and to eliminate a disease. The question is… what disease should George W Bush eliminate?
I recommend something relatively simple and well known: George W Bush should devote his post-presidency to advocating Early Detection and better treatment options toward the Elimination of Lyme Disease. In between building houses.  Get to it, Bushie!