The Nation: Jimmy Carter: Not Just Peanuts

He does not say "If I'm elected President." He says "When I'm elected." He promises to bring love to government when he takes office next January. All people have to do is trust him: he has their best interests at heart. "I'll never tell a lie," he assures voters. "I'll never knowingly make a misstatement of fact. I'll never betray your trust. If I do any of these things, I don't want you to support me."

Such vast self-assertion would be breathtaking were the phrases not delivered by a...

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