President Carter's Lessons for Barack Obama

Gideon Rachman, The Financial Times | July 1, 2008

Many parallels can be drawn between Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter at the time of 1976 presidential election. ++ Then, as now, war and economic stagnation created fertile ground for leaders who promise a fresh start and a change in how the US is perceived in the world. ++ Obama is in danger of being branded with the mark of Pres. Carter who has gone down in history as a weak president. ++ He should watch out for Carter's mistakes: panic, pessimism, and naivety, especially when it comes to foreign policy.