Notable quotes from former first lady Rosalynn Carter
By means ofThe Associated Press
November 19, 2023, 3:41 PM
FILE – President Jimmy Carter, right, and his wife, first lady Rosalynn Carter, lead their guests in dancing at the annual Congressional Christmas Ball, Dec. 13, 1978, at the White House in Washington. Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy Carter’s closest adviser during his sole term as US president and the four decades that followed as a global humanitarian, died on Sunday, November 19, 2023. She was 96. (AP Photo/Ira Schwarz, File)
The Associated Press
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Rosalynn Carter, from her 1984 book, “First Lady from Plains”
On the campaign: “Later, I was grateful for those first months when there were no big crowds, even though I wanted them to be at the time, and when there were no press with me to document every mistake or misstatement. Soon I was able to anticipate questions and answer them, sometimes with hesitations, but I learned from it. I also developed a standard stump speech and learned to get my message across in the often short time allotted, regardless of what questions were asked.”
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On her relationship with the president: “I often acted as a sounding board for him. While he was explaining a certain subject to me, he could think about it for himself; and I and the rest of the family often argued with him more fiercely than his advisors or staff. To us, he was the same participant in our nightly table conversations as he had always been. I quickly discovered that it was easier for me to get to know people’s needs while traveling than it was for him. … A president, no matter who he is, can become very isolated if he is not careful.”
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On criticism that she was too powerful: “Jimmy and I had always worked side by side; it is a tradition in southern families, and one that is in no way seen as demeaning to the man. When the press and our persistent opponents heard of my presence at the (cabinet) meetings, word soon spread that I was ‘telling’ Jimmy what to do! They clearly didn’t know Jimmy!”
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On making mental health her top priority: “I wanted to bring mental illness and emotional disorders out of the closet, to let people know that it’s okay to admit you have a problem without fear of looking crazy are made out. If only we could view mental illness as clearly as physical illness, those affected could seek help and be treated in an open and effective manner.”