Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

As former president Jimmy Carter is laid to rest in his home in Plains, Georgia, it is good to reflect on the life he led.

Both when he served as president of this country from 1977-81, as well as the humanitarian good he did in his long post-president life until he died at age 100.

I, of course, did not know Carter well, if at all, though I did meet him at the White House back in 1977-78 when I worked in Washington, D.C. for an Oregon congressman.  We spent a bit of time at the White House in those days and I was able to shake Carter’s hand.

Not long after that, he lost his bid for re-election because of the start of what has come to be called “the Reagan Revolution.”

Still, Carter has come to be known as a “decent” president.

With that appellation, I couldn’t let more time pass before commenting on Carter’s life and times.

Consider these words from a letter-to-the-editor in the Washington Post:

“Reading the many articles on the life of former president Jimmy Carter, including the December 30 on-line article ‘Jimmy Carter’s death prompts condolences, praise around the world,’ I’ve found it interesting how many people refer to him as a ‘decent’ man.

“As if that adjective is so surprising, which I guess it is in today’s world. Decent, according to the American Heritage College Dictionary, means characterized by conformity to standards of propriety or morality.

“Americans used to believe that most presidents would strive to be decent.  This adjective will likely not be found in the next president’s obituary.”

Or, consider how President Joe Biden, a friend of Carter during his life, eulogized him in death:

“President Joe Biden eulogized former president Jimmy Carter on Thursday as a man who ‘taught me the strength of character’ and refused to let personal ambition or politics erode his inherent goodness, thus using one of his final speeches as president to issue an indirect rebuke to the politics of today.

“Character, I believe, is destiny.  Destiny in our lives and, quite frankly, destiny in the life of our nation, Biden used the word ‘character’ nearly a dozen times in 10 minutes.  ‘We have an obligation to give hate no safe harbor and to stand up to what my dad said is the greatest sin of all:  The abuse of power.’

“Biden said that Carter did justice, loved mercy, walked humbly,’ quoting the Bible’s Book of Micah.”

As we reflect on Carter’s life, two words are used – decency and character.  And those are words used less and less in today’s form politics, which renders disagreement enmity.

I long for the day when those words will not just be used, but will be an apt description of status and commitment.

So goodbye to a Godly man, Jimmy Carter.  Rest in peace.