The Carter Memo

Recent press reports on the death of Hamilton Jordan have repeatedly mentioned a memo written by Jordan to Carter in 1972.

Former President Jimmy Carter said Wednesday that the campaign memorandum compiled for him in 1972 by Hamilton Jordan, which detailed in about 80 pages how a peanut farmer turned Southern governor could win the White House, remains a timeless user’s guide for anyone with political aspirations.

A memo written by a 27 year-old man raised in Albany, GA that changed the course of history is a document I had to see. So I did some digging and finally found it in the C-Span archives.

You can download the memo here, but since it’s scans of the actual memo, it’s a very large file.

Extended excerpts are below the fold, but the whole thing is fascinating. It was written just one year into Carter’s term as Governor, with an eye toward using the office as a stepping stone to a run for the Presidency in 1976. Those born after the Carter years will find names still in the news today, although for very different reasons, such as Sam Nunn and Senator Edward Kennedy.

In the section titled SENATOR EDWARD KENNEDY, he writes:

The desire and thirst for strong moral leadership in this nation was not satisfied with the election of Richard Nixon. It is my contention that this desire will grow in four more years of the Nixon Administration. For this reason, I believe it would be very difficult for Senator Kennedy to win a national election as the unanswered questions of Chappaquidick runs contrary to this national desire for trust and morality in government. Time solves a lot of problems, but the memory of the Chappaquidick incident is still fresh in the minds of the majority of the American people as indicated in recent polls. Senator Kennedy is so attractive and so available that there will be a tremendous temptation for the Democrats to nominate him despite that problem.

Not to be discounted is the possibility that Senator Kennedy will not seek the nomination. He has tremendous personal responsibilities and obligations to his own family as well as to the families of both of his deceased brothers. It has been widely rumored and speculated that he and his wife are having difficulties and of course, there are many (myself included) who believe he will be shot if he runs for the Presidency. These are all compelling reasons for him not to run. On the other hand, there will be great pressure for Kennedy to seek the Presidency–pressure that will be difficult for him to withstand.

In the section titled THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE PRIMARIES he wrote:

An over-reaction to McGovern’s defeat is very possible, and although the party rules need to be modified, you should not be part of any effort which would give the appearance of “closing the Party” to the people and specifically to the McGovern activists who dominated it this past year. Their expertise and enthusiasm will be needed in 1976. Unless extreme and drastic measures are taken, the people will still control the party and the selection of the party nominee through the primary processes. This is as it should be. The greatest mistake the party could make would be to restructure or build the party around a particular person, i.e., Senator Kennedy. This will be a tremendous temptation-as Kennedy is regarded by many as the savior of the party and the probably nominee in 1976.

In the section titled ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL IMAGE:

Attending the Democratic Convention was a learning experience for us all. I learned how naive we all have been about national politics, particularly as relates to you and your image. It was my feeling that because you had appeared on the cover of Time and had been the object of favorable national press that you were in fact a “national political figure” whose record of accomplishments were recognized and accepted by the leadership of the Democratic Party.

In the section A GOVERNOR SEEKS THE PRESIDENCY:

Since the nomination of John F. Kennedy, the Democratic Party has looked almost exclusively to the United States Senate for its national candidates and leadership. This is not meant to suggest that the Senate is not an obvious reservoir of talent and ability for both major parties. It does suggest, however, that the Democratic Party has been preoccupied with the United States Senate and with United States Senators at the expense of other leadership sources in the party such as governors and mayors of large cities.

There are obvious reasons why the American people have looked to the United States Senate for national leadership in recent years. Since World War II, the people of this nation and the world have been preoccupied with the prospect of nuclear war. As a result of this justifiable concern and fear, our nation has looked to the U.S. Senate for national leadership as that body has some responsibility for the formulation and conduct of foreign policy. In the minds of the American people, a United States Senator was a man who has vast knowledge and experience in foreign affairs while a governor was responsible for building roads and calling out the National Guard in emergencies.

It is my contention, however, that our country and our people have learned an expensive and valuable lesson in Viet Nam and realize that the United States cannot and does not dominate world affairs. As a result of Viet Nam, I believe that we have a more realistic sef-image of our nation and its proper role in the international community.

In the ironically titled section ESTABLISH CREDENTIALS IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND RELATE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF CARTER ADMINISTRATION TO DOMESTIC ISSUES:

I previously stated that your greatest political liablility at present is your lack of experience in foreign affairs. Conversely, your greatest asset is your record of tangible accomplishments as Governor of Georgia in confronting and solving many of the major domestic problems which exist in our country today. It is my feeling in the next two years you can develop and demonstrate expertise in foreign relations.

It is my contention as previously stated that the American people are fed up with foreign aid and expensive military adventures around the world. However, these same people would demand and expect that a man seeking their vote and this nation’s highest office demonstrate and understanding of international affairs and the the ability to formulate a sound and responsible foreign policy. Establishing your credibility and credentials in the area of foreign affairs should be your top priority in the next two years.