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The Defense Department, Carter charges, is the "most wasteful agency in the Federal Government." The old sailor would reduce its budget by $5 billion to $7 billion, cancel production of the B-l bomber, but go ahead with the Trident submarine. Worried about the dangers of the nuclear arms race, Carter is convinced that the President must make nuclear disarmament a firmly fixed national goal. He tells his audiences that in his inaugural address he would state clearly the commitment of the U.S. Government to a "zero goal"—the elimination of all nuclear weapons in the world through multilateral negotiations. He admits, however, that the goal will probably not be reached "in my lifetime."
Carter does not want to break up the CIA or curtail covert operations. But he pledges to deal harshly with any illegal activities. "I will know what is going on and if there is wrongdoing, I will find out about it. I will tell the American people about it and I will see to it that those responsible are punished."
His campaign style is to give fairly general speeches, then throw the meeting open to specific questions. Carter usually makes a genuine effort to respond adequately and will often ask his questioner if the answer was satisfactory. But he rarely delivers a formal, policy address from a text, and while he has issued a series of brief position papers, he has made little or no effort to lay out his proposed policies in full detail. One reason: he lacks the kind of large professional staff maintained by his opponents from Congress. Still, in his day-to-day campaigning, Carter is at least as specific on the issues as any candidate in the race.
In the end, the most important issue may be Carter's character and personality. For all his emphasis on establishing an "intimate" relationship with the voters, he shields a part of himself from the public. "Jimmy is not easy to get close to," confides his campaign manager, Hamilton Jordan. "He doesn't have enough time in his life to let people get close. He doesn't really understand the personal element in politics, though nobody is better at campaigning."
The candidate contends that he understands the needs of the people, perhaps even some that they do not yet recognize. Fully a year ago, he visited the mayor of Plains to discuss the need for a new zoning ordinance in town. Carter feared that once he became President, tacky souvenir shops and motels would spring up all over the place. To the lovers and the haters alike, Carter simply reiterates: "Trust me." Whether or not enough will do so will be seen only after many more contests, but the determined, supremely confident believer from Georgia certainly has shaken up the race.