US NATIONAL NEWS

Jimmy Carter: White House rise depended on twists before ’76

Published

4 years ago

February 24, 2023

PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Jimmy Carter’s path to the presidency is an oft-told story, especially by aspiring presidents trying to be the next politician to defy Washington expectations.

As a little-known Georgia governor, Carter announced in late 1974 that he’d seek the presidency. Atlanta’s largest newspaper answered with a mocking headline: “Jimmy Who?” National media mostly yawned.

Undeterred, the peanut farmer took his family and friends to Iowa and New Hampshire, where “the Peanut Brigade” set the modern standard for a retail campaign and helped elect Carter as the 39th president.

But the long odds weren’t just about 1976 for Carter, who is 98 and now receiving end-of-life care at his home in Plains, Georgia. Carter’s early life and career were replete with dominoes that could have blocked his White House road before he knew he was on it.

Here are some “What Ifs?” that, had they played out differently, may have made it impossible for Americans ever to answer that mocking question from Atlanta newspaper editors.

THE ARCHERY FARM

Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, now 95, were born in Plains. But Carter’s parents, Lillian and Earl Carter, moved their family in 1927 to a farm in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains. Thus began Carter’s exposure to divisions of race and class in the segregated, Depression-era South.

Young Jimmy had Black playmates with whom he hunted, fished and fashioned homemade toys. Like their neighbors, the Carters had “no running water, electricity or insulation” and depended on open fireplaces for heat. “We relieved ourselves in slop jars during the night,” Carter wrote in a memoir.

Yet despite the lack of luxury, the future president was still secure in relative privilege, because he was the child of the white, land-owning family at the center of a community where many impoverished Black residents worked for his parents.

One of his earliest influencers was “Miss Rachel” Clark, a Black neighbor and caregiver who was married to the unofficial foreman of the Carter farm. Carter, who spent considerable time at the Clarks’ home, would later say he “knew Rachel Clark in many ways better than my mother.”

Those experiences — seeing the humanity of his Black friends but still living under the white supremacist order of the era — undergirded his public life as a Southern Democrat. He learned early how to navigate an evolving country and party that was stacked with segregationists in Carter’s formative political years before coming to embrace civil rights. Carter did not fight for civil rights legislation in the 1950s and 1960s. He campaigned carefully for Georgia governor in 1970, avoiding explicit mentions of race. He won with a small-town, rural coalition of Black voters and white conservatives – then used it to govern more progressively on race than he had campaigned. It was a political tightrope he may never have managed if he’d grown up in the heart of Plains rather than Archery.

‘MR. EARL’

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter married in 1946 and left Plains to launch his promising career with the U.S. Navy – with no notions of returning except as visitors. But Carter’s father, who had become a prominent merchant and state lawmaker, died in 1953. Carter made the decision, without consulting Rosalynn, to move the young family back home, where the pair built the family farm operations into an impressive peanut agribusiness. Carter joined the local school board and within a decade would run for the Georgia Assembly, further replicating his father’s path. If “Mr. Earl” had lived longer, his namesake might have become an admiral in some far-flung naval post, but never commander in chief.

ELECTION FRAUD

Carter sought elected office for the first time in 1962, “somewhat quixotically,” he recalled. His Democratic opponent in the state Senate primary was a peanut buyer named Homer Moore. But, the real barrier was Joe Hurst, a neighboring county’s political boss. On Election Day, Carter and his allies caught Hurst pressuring voters and discarding ballots cast for Carter. Quitman County results showed Moore with more votes than registration rolls recorded altogether. Carter challenged the results with the party. After court tussles, Carter ended up on the general election ballot and prevailed. It took a subsequent Senate floor dispute before he was finally sworn in.

THE 1966 CHOICE

Carter wasn’t much for the legislature’s back-slapping ways. By 1966, he decided to run for Congress against a heavyweight incumbent, Bo Callaway. Then Ernest Vandiver, a former Georgia governor, dropped out of the governor’s race, allowing Callaway to step into his place against arch-segregationist Lester Maddox. With Callaway’s switch, Carter was on his way to Washington. But the young state senator was bothered by Georgians having to choose between Callaway and Maddox. (In this era, the Democratic nominee was virtually assured a November victory.) Carter tried to recruit a moderate Democrat to run against them but was unsuccessful. So, he recalled, “I decided to relinquish my assured seat in the U.S. Congress and run for governor.”

He lost to Maddox. But the decision was the start of a four-year campaign that resulted in his 1970 gubernatorial win.

NO GRAND PLANS

History often reveals happenstance in the lives of every president. Carter even chose “Turning Point” as the title of his book about the 1962 state Senate election that changed his career trajectory. Lyndon Baines Johnson won a disputed early congressional race. Bill Clinton lost his first reelection bid as a young Arkansas governor and required a rehabilitation follow-up victory before he reached the national stage a decade later in 1992. George W. Bush narrowly won the Texas governor’s race in 1994, the same night his brother Jeb lost the Florida governor’s race as a favorite. The Texan would be president six years later. Floridian Jeb, once thought of as the political darling in that generation of the Bush dynasty, likely will never be.

Yet the Bushes were a blue-blooded political family already anchored in the national establishment. Johnson and Clinton had no political birthrights but set out from young ages to reach the nation’s highest office. As a young congressman, Johnson even dubbed himself “LBJ,” patterned after Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s moniker, “FDR.”

For Carter, ambition was a driving force generally. But it was not singularly focused.

Carter would serve just one term. His struggles to corral inflation, ease energy shortages and quickly free American hostages in Iran overshadowed achievements at home and abroad. He signed notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health care, and started deregulation of key industries, including airlines. Abroad, he struck a peace deal between Egypt and Israel, normalized relations with China and negotiated treaties turning over control of the Panama Canal.

Carter would say later that he never focused on winning a second term — to his political peril — just as he had no grand design to win his first.

Those four years in the White House “were the pinnacle of my political life,” he recalled around his 90th birthday, but “there was never an orderly or planned path to get there during my early life.”

Central Florida News

FBI Director Kash Patel Addresses Global Threats, Crime-Fighting Partnerships at International Police Conference in Orlando

Published

6 hours ago

October 28, 2026

FNN NEWS

Kash Patel seated onstage in a gray suit and dark tie, speaking with one hand raised against a black and turquoise background.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — FBI Director Kash Patel discussed bureau priorities, violent crime and cooperation across jurisdictions during the 2026 International Association of Chiefs of Police conference at the Orange County Convention Center.

The annual conference and exposition, held Oct. 24-27, brought together law enforcement professionals from the United States and abroad for training, presentations and discussions about public safety.

Patel addressed the evolving global threat environment and the importance of partnerships among federal, state, local, territorial and international law enforcement agencies confronting violent crime and transnational threats.

FBI priorities and violent crime

Violent crime enforcement was among the priorities Patel discussed during his Orlando visit.

Published coverage of his weekly update from Orlando described a broader agenda encompassing cybercrime, fraud and other investigative responsibilities. The update also highlighted cooperation among the FBI, the Justice Department and state and local authorities.

The conference provided an opportunity for bureau leadership to discuss those priorities with police executives whose agencies work alongside federal investigators.

Photo by Florida National News

Cooperation across jurisdictions

Partnerships were a central theme of Patel’s appearance, including coordination among agencies at different levels of government and cooperation with international counterparts.

Transnational investigations can involve suspects, evidence and criminal activity spanning multiple jurisdictions, requiring agencies to work across geographic and institutional boundaries.

Published coverage of Patel’s visit also reported plans for meetings with the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the IACP Board of Directors.

Patel highlights partnerships in X post

“Great to be in Orlando visiting with our brilliant law enforcement partners,” Patel wrote in a post on X about the conference.

Patel described the gathering as drawing more than 20,000 law enforcement professionals, leaders and partners. He credited cooperation with the FBI for reductions in crime.

In the post, Patel cited a 20% reduction in the national murder rate and more than 54,000 FBI violent crime arrests, which he described as a 90% increase.

The post did not specify the reporting periods or underlying datasets for those figures. The statistics were not independently verified for this article..

Global threats and local policing

The changing threat environment was another focus of Patel’s remarks, connecting the FBI’s national responsibilities with challenges facing police departments and their international partners.

The gathering offered law enforcement leaders an opportunity to discuss shared concerns, exchange professional knowledge and strengthen relationships that support investigations.

IACP President David B. Rausch, left, gestures over an open notebook while FBI Director Kash Patel listens from a gray armchair onstage.

FBI Director Kash Patel, right, participates in a fireside chat with IACP President David B. Rausch during the Closing General Assembly of the 2026 International Association of Chiefs of Police conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Florida National News.

Training and professional development

Beyond executive presentations, the four-day conference featured educational sessions, networking opportunities and an exposition showcasing products and services for law enforcement.

Organizers identified training, networking and exhibit hall education as the conference’s three central components.

The Orlando event brought those activities together to help police leaders develop their agencies and exchange approaches to public safety.

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Florida National News Staff | News@FloridaNationalNews.com

Florida

Trump Plans Fort Myers Rally as Byron Donalds Seeks to Become Florida’s First Black Governor

Published

2 weeks ago

October 17, 2026

FNN NEWS

President Donald Trump, wearing a dark suit and yellow tie, descends aircraft stairs at Palm Beach International Airport with three men behind him.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (FNN) — President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a midterm rally in Fort Myers on Friday, Oct. 23, bringing his campaign efforts to the congressional district represented by his endorsed candidate for Florida governor, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.

Donalds, the Republican nominee, faces Democrat David Jolly in the Nov. 3 election. If elected, Donalds would become Florida’s first Black governor, succeeding term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Byron Donalds, wearing a navy suit and yellow tie, gestures while speaking behind a Turning Point Action podium.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds speaks at a Turning Point Action event in Florida. Photo by Roman Garay / Florida National News.

Rally Set for Oct. 23

Trump’s remarks are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., with doors opening at 10:30 a.m., according to the Republican Party’s event registration page. All times are Eastern.

Gulf Coast News reports that the rally will take place at Alico Arena at Florida Gulf Coast University. However, the official GOP registration page still lists the venue as “To Be Announced.” Attendees should check that page for confirmation and updates.

Prominent conservative figures, including Tucker Carlson, then-former President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and Megyn Kelly, rallied Republican voters during the Turning Point Action Conference at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, July 15-16, 2023.
Photo by Roman D. Garay / Florida National News.

Trump’s Endorsement Connects President to Historic Bid

Trump has endorsed Donalds, whose campaign lists the president among its prominent Republican supporters. The Fort Myers visit places Trump in Donalds’ Southwest Florida political base during the closing weeks of the election.

Following his primary victory, Donalds acknowledged Trump’s influence among Republican voters.

“Obviously, he has the strongest following of anybody in our party,” Donalds said, according to Associated Press reporting.

A Donalds victory would give Florida its first Black governor and extend Republican leadership in the governor’s office. Trump’s endorsement connects the president to that potentially historic outcome, although the rally announcement does not identify the event as exclusively supporting Donalds.

Republican Unity and Voter Turnout

Donalds called for Republicans to unite after the primary, telling supporters, “Tonight we are one united Republican Party,” according to the AP.

The Fort Myers rally will provide Trump another platform to address supporters ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The published event announcement confirms his appearance but does not list additional speakers.

Politics

RNC Chairman Joe Gruters Calls Trump an ‘Absolute Machine’ Ahead of Midterm Elections

Published

2 weeks ago

October 17, 2026

FNN NEWS

WASHINGTON (FNN) — Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters is urging Republicans to focus on voter turnout ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, praising President Donald Trump’s campaign appearances and arguing that the party’s success depends on getting supporters to the polls.

In a Fox News appearance highlighted in an RNC news release, Gruters described Trump as an “absolute machine” and pointed to the president’s rallies as a central part of Republicans’ election strategy.

Gruters: ‘It’s All About Turnout Now’

Gruters expressed confidence in Republican candidates while sharply criticizing their Democratic opponents.

“We have strong candidates; [Democrats] have incredibly weak candidates. It’s all about turnout now. That’s why the president’s going to all these rallies. He’s an absolute machine, getting the job done,” Gruters said, according to the release.

His remarks emphasized voter mobilization as Republicans seek to protect and expand their congressional majorities.

RNC Chairman Highlights Trump’s Policies

Gruters also praised the administration’s policies, particularly its approach to the southern border, presenting those efforts as reasons voters should support Republican candidates.

“This president deserves a lot of credit. He deserves a lot of praise for all these great things that he has done,” he said.

The release included broader claims about border enforcement and drug trafficking but did not provide supporting data. Those statements represent Gruters’ assessment of the administration’s record.

Florida Connection to National GOP Leadership

Gruters, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, now leads the national party’s effort to rally Republican voters. The Florida GOP described him as a longtime Trump ally when announcing his election as RNC chairman.

His national role places a political leader with Florida party experience at the forefront of Republicans’ midterm turnout campaign.

Closing Message: Get Supporters to the Polls

“This race all comes down to turnout,” Gruters said.

He framed the election as a choice about the country’s direction and urged voters to continue supporting Trump and conservative leadership.

“If you believe in the American dream, and you still have hope that you or your children could achieve it, then you’ve got to continue the leadership of the conservative party and this president, Donald J. Trump.”