by Chris Staron | Mar 24, 2026 | Episodes, Season 6 - Rise of the Religious Right
Jimmy Carter’s Bible Study
Boy, the Religious Right did not like Carter, at least by 1980. Some of them, like Pat Robertson, had high hopes for him at the start. But they quickly grew to distrust the man from Georgia.
Why Evangelicals Didn’t Vote for Jimmy Carter
Why? In this episode, Chris goes through some of the top issues that evangelicals had with Jimmy Carter. They include his article in Playboy Magazine that mentions his struggles with sex (but also featured a strong gospel message), his support of the ERA, and his lackluster responses to their questions about abortion.
But… It’s not as if Ronald Reagan was significantly better. Reagan was not a regular churchgoer like Carter. He consulted a medium for his decisions. He was a divorced former actor in a time when evangelicals didn’t like Hollywood. So… how bad was this Carter guy that they didn’t vote for him?
Our special guest for this episode is historian and author Rick Perlstein.
Sources:
- Today story on Carter’s church
- Tampa Bay Times story on Carter’s church
- Associated Press story on Carter’s church
- Christianity Today article on Carter’s 100th birthday
- Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
- Document the interview the Religious Right guys did
- Criswell ad
- Strom Thurmond ad
- Playboy Magazine, November 1976
- Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz
- White House Conference on Families: Listening to America’s Families. Pamphlet
- God’s Own Party by Daniel K Williams
- The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald
- The Surprising Work of God by Garth Rosell
- Jimmy Carter Library interview with Robert Maddox
- Carter’s speech to NAE (courtesy of Jimmy Carter Presidential Library)
Discussion Questions:
- Why did some evangelicals so strongly oppose the ERA?
- What did you see in the Playboy article that might be construed as unappealing to Christians?
- If Reagan engaged in fortunetelling, why did some evangelicals follow him and not Carter?
- Why have evangelicals become enamored of leaders? What has that done to our witness?
by Chris Staron | Mar 10, 2026 | Episodes, Season 6 - Rise of the Religious Right
The Problems with Jimmy Carter’s Time as President
President Jimmy Carter’s presidency (1977–1981) faced several major challenges, both domestically and internationally. One of the biggest domestic issues was the struggling U.S. economy. Carter inherited high inflation and unemployment, problems that worsened during his term. The country experienced “stagflation” — a combination of stagnant economic growth and high inflation. The energy crisis, marked by oil shortages and skyrocketing gas prices, further fueled economic instability. Though Carter promoted energy conservation and alternative energy development, many Americans viewed his efforts as inadequate or overly pessimistic.
Carter’s Foreign Policy
Internationally, Carter faced major challenges in foreign policy. One of the most significant was the Iran Hostage Crisis, which began in November 1979 when 52 American diplomats and citizens were taken hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. The crisis lasted 444 days and was a major blow to Carter’s administration, especially after a failed rescue attempt. It deeply affected U.S. relations with Iran and damaged public confidence in Carter’s leadership. Though Carter did achieve a major diplomatic success with the Camp David Accords — a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel — the Iran Hostage Crisis ultimately overshadowed much of his foreign policy work.
Americans Wanted a Strongman Figure
Another major issue during Carter’s presidency was a perceived lack of effective leadership. Carter, known for his integrity and moral outlook, struggled to build strong relationships with Congress and the media. He often took a technocratic, detail-oriented approach to governing, which alienated many political allies. Critics saw his administration as indecisive and overly focused on long-term goals rather than immediate results. These perceptions contributed to a loss of public confidence and were a key factor in his defeat by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election.
The special guest for this episode is historian and author Rick Perlstein.
Sources:
- Phyllis Schlafly’s debate with Buckley
- Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
- Slate story on Chisholm
- Video showing Carter’s opposition to integrated busing
- Reagan by Bob Spitz
- The Invisible Bridge by Rick Perlstein
- These Truths by Jill Lepore
- Crash Course by Paul Ingrassia
- C-SPAN clip of Carter’s malaise speech
- Who is Government? by Michael Lewis
Discussion Questions:
- What do you find appealing about Carter?
- How do voters sometimes use issues that are beyond a politician’s control to judge them?
- Why would Carter and his predecessors choose to give the Panama Canal to Panama?
- How would an event like the hostage crisis impact an election?
