(11 of 12)
As he searched for Cabinet appointees, Carter seemed at times hesitant and frustrated—disconcertingly out of character. His lack of ties to Washington and the party establishment—qualities that helped raise him to the White House—carry potential dangers. He does not know the Federal Government or the pressures it creates. He does not really know the politicians whom he will need to help him run the country, and it is far from clear how his temper and his ego will stand up under probable battles with Congress, the clamorous interest groups and the press.
But Carter also begins with many factors in his favor, beyond his intelligence and tenacity. Reports TIME's Washington bureau chief, Hugh Sidey: "He does not come to power shaded by a folk hero, as John Kennedy did, and there is no immediate international or national crisis to make or break him in his first few months. He is not the result of back-room manipulation at the convention. He wanted to be President, and he won it with desperately hard work and excellent planning."
Washington is eagerly—and anxiously—waiting for the arrival of Jimmy Carter. "This is going to be the most interesting presidency I have ever witnessed," says Clark Clifford, 70, the Washington lawyer who has been a confidant of Presidents since Harry Truman's day. Clifford claims to see the definite possibility of greatness in Carter because he is unquestionably brainy, determined and dedicated. Another Washington figure professes he is not dismayed by the Georgian's uncertain transition. "I will give President Carter the benefit of every doubt until we see the performance," says President Gerald Ford.
After following Carter for 16 months, TIME Correspondent Cloud is still fascinated by his complexities: "My own view is that he will either be one of the greatest Presidents of the modern era, or that he will be a complete failure. I see no middle ground for him, no mediocrity. He often described his vision of America as a 'beautiful mosaic' of almost infinite colors and facets. Presidents don't normally talk that way. They don't normally cry in front of reporters. They don't normally blast some political opponent one day and apologize publicly the next. Presidents don't normally do a lot of things Jimmy Carter does. Therein lies his mystery. Therein lies his potential for greatness—or the possibility of disaster."
In November the American people stilled the doubts that they had about Jimmy Carter and picked him over a decent and capable man because, essentially, he stood for change and a fresh beginning. "I'll try never to disappoint you," he used to say on the campaign trail, smiling confidently and looking ahead to the day he would be in the White House. That may be the hardest of all his promises to fulfill.
* Carter plans to place his holdings in the family farm, warehousing and land business in a trust, though its nature has not yet been decided. In 1975 the firm grossed $2.5 million, and Carter said his net worth