CARTER FAREWELL SPEECH
CARTER FAREWELL SPEECH
WETA "Jimmy Carter FAREWELL SPEECH"
CARTER FAREWELL SPEECH
Exterior of White House with fountain, at night.
CARTER FAREWELL SPEECH
President Jimmy Carter speaks from the Oval Office. Good evening. In a few days, I will lay down my official responsibilities in this office to take up once more the only title in our democracy superior to that of president. The title of citizen. Of Vice Walter President Mondale, my cabinet and the hundreds of others who have served with me during the last four years, I wish to say publicly what I have said in private. I thank them for the dedication and competence they have brought to the service of our country. But I owe my deepest thanks to you, the American people because you gave me this extraordinary opportunity to serve. We have faced great challenges together. We know that future problems will also be difficult but I am now more convinced than ever that the United States, better than any other country, can meet successfully whatever the future might bring. These last four years have made me more certain than ever of the inner strength of our country. The unchanging value of our principles and ideals, the stability of our political system and the ingenuity and the decency of our people.
CARTER FAREWELL SPEECH
Jimmy Carter Tonight I would like first to say a few words about this most special office: the presidency of the United States. This is at once the most powerful office in the world and among the most severely constrained by law and custom. The president is given a broad responsibility to lead; but cannot do so without the support and consent of the people expressed formally through the Congress and informally in many ways through a whole range of public and private institutions. This is as it should be. Within our system of government every American has a right and duty to help shape the future course of the United States. Thoughtful criticism and close scrutiny of all government officials by the press and the public are an important part of our Democratic society. Now as in our past, only the understanding and involvement of the people through full and open debate can help to avoid serious mistakes and assure the continued dignity and safety of the nation.
CARTER FAREWELL SPEECH
Jimmy Carter Today we are asking our political system to do things of which the founding fathers never dreamed. The government they designed for a few hundred thousand people now serves a nation of almost 230 million people. Their small coastal republic now spans beyond a continent, and we now have the responsibility to help lead much of the world through difficult times to a secure and prosperous future.
CARTER FAREWELL SPEECH
Jimmy Carter Today, as people have become ever more doubtful of the ability of the government to deal with our problems. We are increasingly drawn to single-issue groups and special interest organizations to ensure that whatever else happens our own personal views and our own private interests are protected. This is a disturbing factor in American political life. It tends to distort our purposes because the national interest is not always the sum of all our single or special interests. We are all Americans together and we must not forget that the common good is our common interest and our individual responsibility.