Rosalynn Carter: Leadership Through Love

This photo is on the wall of my office. It’s a press photo from 1980, one of the most difficult years any President has ever experienced. You wouldn’t know how difficult the year was from the photo though, because no matter what, Jimmy and Rosalynn always had each other. And that is why the photo is on my wall, along with other photos of personal heroes, because no couple in the spotlight has ever better exemplified what it means to know that, whatever the world throws at you, you’ve got each other.

Jimmy was the best President of my lifetime. Perhaps not the most effective, I will grant. But the best, because more so than anyone else, his approach to governance was that the point of government was to leverage power to serve the people. The power was never the point: the people were. And more so than anyone else, the cornerstone of his approach to governance was decency, a decency borne from a faith that remains at its core everything I have ever understood that Christianity is supposed to be about.

Rosalynn’s role was never limited to the ceremonial. Everything I just wrote applied equally to her. They were fully partners. Serving the people through a bedrock of decency and faith was Rosalynn as fully as it was Jimmy.

The way he governed - the way they together led the country - was truly heroic. Heroes are not without faults; that’s not what the word means. Heroism means bravery, and I can think of nothing braver than to lead this country not primarily by trying to be tough, but to lead this country through love.

That love was the foundation of everything else.

Rosalynn was born on August 18, 1927; married on July 7, 1946; and died today, November 19, 2023. All in Plains, Georgia. That will never cease to amaze me: All in Plains, Georgia.

Rosalynn and Jimmy were married for 77 years. 77 years!

It is a deeply sad day for America. But one where, hopefully, more people will learn about the humble example Rosalynn has always been, and take it to heart.

Rosalynn Carter should be remembered as one of our greatest inspirations and heroes.

A couple years ago, I wrote about Jimmy and Rosalynn on the occasion of their 75th anniversary. I share it again now: