Judy Woodruff: Jimmy Carter Was ‘Someone Who Was Constantly Underestimated’

MATTINGLY turn to the ░░░░░░░░ anchor of this program ░░░░░░░░ to be called Judy ░░░░░░░░ s Inside Politics She ░░░░░░░░ now a special correspondent ░░░░░░░░ PBS NewsHour and has ░░░░░░░░ covering Jimmy Carter since ░░░░░░░░ when he was the ░░░░░░░░ of Georgia This photo ░░░░░░░░ re going to pull ░░░░░░░░ right now it s ░░░░░░░░ February of 1976 when ░░░░░░░░ was questioning then presidential ░░░░░░░░ Jimmy Carter Judy thanks ░░░░░░░░ much for coming back ░░░░░░░░ Inside Politics I want ░░░░░░░░ start with kind of ░░░░░░░░ moment I m always ░░░░░░░░ by the lead of ░░░░░░░░ obituary which sounds a ░░░░░░░░ morbid but it tells ░░░░░░░░ a lot The length ░░░░░░░░ it which is Jimmy ░░░░░░░░ s isn t just ░░░░░░░░ he was the 39th ░░░░░░░░ or that he was ░░░░░░░░ governor It is about ░░░░░░░░ seven eight clauses in ░░░░░░░░ which I think underscores ░░░░░░░░ legacy that he left ░░░░░░░░ after the White House ░░░░░░░░ No question Phil and ░░░░░░░░ m so glad to ░░░░░░░░ with you today this ░░░░░░░░ after President Carter s ░░░░░░░░ Remarkable the longest living ░░░░░░░░ ever in American history ░░░░░░░░ as you say someone ░░░░░░░░ covered when he first ░░░░░░░░ actually his second run ░░░░░░░░ governor in 1970 I ░░░░░░░░ him in the state ░░░░░░░░ Georgia He was the ░░░░░░░░ come from behind peanut ░░░░░░░░ who had served in ░░░░░░░░ Georgia State Senate who ░░░░░░░░ this ambition not only ░░░░░░░░ we learned out to ░░░░░░░░ the governor of Georgia ░░░░░░░░ learned to be the ░░░░░░░░ of Georgia which he ░░░░░░░░ for four years There ░░░░░░░░ a one term limit ░░░░░░░░ that time but who ░░░░░░░░ while he was governor ░░░░░░░░ that the presidency was ░░░░░░░░ that he could could ░░░░░░░░ and went after it ░░░░░░░░ and and frankly surprised ░░░░░░░░ MATTINGLY It s always ░░░░░░░░ to listen to the ░░░░░░░░ some of which he ░░░░░░░░ told about him telling ░░░░░░░░ advisers that was something ░░░░░░░░ wanted to do when ░░░░░░░░ was in the governor ░░░░░░░░ mansion and None of ░░░░░░░░ believed it It assumes ░░░░░░░░ was talking about something ░░░░░░░░ But when you were ░░░░░░░░ that race his second ░░░░░░░░ for governor back in ░░░░░░░░ did you ever foresee ░░░░░░░░ would happen over the ░░░░░░░░ of the next decade ░░░░░░░░ Not a chance Not ░░░░░░░░ chance I knew that ░░░░░░░░ had the drive he ░░░░░░░░ the ambition he was ░░░░░░░░ very smart we all ░░░░░░░░ that Nuclear engineer he ░░░░░░░░ served in the Navy ░░░░░░░░ Admiral Hyman Rickover nuclear ░░░░░░░░ commander and he brought ░░░░░░░░ that that if you ░░░░░░░░ engineering background along with ░░░░░░░░ fierce determination to do ░░░░░░░░ he could to improve ░░░░░░░░ lives of people across ░░░░░░░░ state of Georgia And ░░░░░░░░ as I say he ░░░░░░░░ a he beat a ░░░░░░░░ governor to win that ░░░░░░░░ There was always this ░░░░░░░░ wasn t a natural ░░░░░░░░ and he s not ░░░░░░░░ who loved going around ░░░░░░░░ hands but when you ░░░░░░░░ with him he had ░░░░░░░░ could fixate those blue ░░░░░░░░ on you as if ░░░░░░░░ were the only person ░░░░░░░░ the room And that ░░░░░░░░ a gift that I ░░░░░░░░ served him well as ░░░░░░░░ then went on and ░░░░░░░░ you know in 1976 ░░░░░░░░ run for president winning ░░░░░░░░ Iowa caucuses going practically ░░░░░░░░ to door spending the ░░░░░░░░ in people s homes ░░░░░░░░ Iowa coming in second ░░░░░░░░ should say after UN ░░░░░░░░ undeclared in Iowa but ░░░░░░░░ was enough to catapult ░░░░░░░░ And again defeating all ░░░░░░░░ He was someone who ░░░░░░░░ constantly underestimated.”