As we remember our 39th president, comity -- the extending of respect and courtesy toward political opponents that is the oft-stated yet elusive goal of nearly every politician -- may not be a word that described Jimmy Carter.
While he struck up a friendship with Gerald Ford, he was quite vocal and uncompromising about criticizing his Republican successors in the White House. Carter's grudge against Ted Kennedy for challenging him the 1980 Democratic presidential primaries was bitter and long-lasting, one of the most legendary political feuds in American history.
However, as with many of Carter's most notable contributions to the life of the nation, perhaps his finest moment of comity came in a gesture of elegant grace toward the man who ousted him from the White House.
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, was dedicated on Carter's 62nd birthday -- October 1, 1986. The featured speaker was President Ronald Reagan, who defeated Carter for the office nearly six years earlier.
Reagan was Reagan. He stressed goodwill, mutual respect, and enjoyment of disagreement and debate. He was witty and eloquent. He paraphrased Jefferson. Of Carter he said:
"You gave of yourself to this country, gracing the White House with your passion, intellect, and commitment." Reagan wished Carter a happy birthday and, with his characteristic Irish impishness, advised that "Life begins at 70."
This he did unflappably above the din of rude and hostile protestors who unsuccessfully attempted to drown him out.
When Reagan finished, Carter immediately took the rostrum and said:
"I listened to your speech with great attention. I don't think I've ever heard one that was more generous and more gracious and more thoughtful. And if you'll permit me to inject a political note into an otherwise completely bipartisan occasion, as I listened to you speak a few minutes ago, I understood more clearly than I ever have before in my life why you won in November 1980 and I lost."
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum has preserved this master class in political comity between two articulate American presidents, with Jimmy Carter at his best:
Rest in peace, Mr. President.
