Does it blow your mind every Democratic candidate of the past 44 years is still alive?

[jimrtex]

A little fact which highlights Carter’s amazing longevity is that he voted for both Harry Truman and Joe Biden for President.

Also, those born in the 1940s have surely got to be the most influential decade cohort in American history - they have basically run the country for the past 30 years, and are still at it. By contrast, it’s now all but certain that there’s never going to be a President born in the 1930s, and it’s looking increasingly unlikely (except if Pence wins in 2024) that there’ll ever be one born in the 1950s.

Is it known for sure that he voted for Truman?

This was when he was in the Navy, and his first shipboard assignment began on December 18, 1948.

Jack Carter was born in Portsmouth, VA in 1947; Chip Carter was born in Honolulu, HI in 1950; and Jeff Carter was born in New London, CT in 1952.

[jimrtex]

A little fact which highlights Carter’s amazing longevity is that he voted for both Harry Truman and Joe Biden for President.

Also, those born in the 1940s have surely got to be the most influential decade cohort in American history - they have basically run the country for the past 30 years, and are still at it. By contrast, it’s now all but certain that there’s never going to be a President born in the 1930s, and it’s looking increasingly unlikely (except if Pence wins in 2024) that there’ll ever be one born in the 1950s.

Is it known for sure that he voted for Truman?

This was when he was in the Navy, and his first shipboard assignment began on December 18, 1948.

Jack Carter was born in Portsmouth, VA in 1947; Chip Carter was born in Honolulu, HI in 1950; and Jeff Carter was born in New London, CT in 1952.

He almost certainly did vote for Truman. In those days you were a Democrat if you lived in or were from the Deep South. Period.

Carter graduated from Annapolis in 1946, and was married later that year. His oldest son was born in Portsmouth, VA in July 1947. He began his first sub assignment in December 1948. He had a lot of things going on in his life at the time of the 1948 election. It might not have been so easy to vote absentee in Plains, and maybe he didn't register wherever he was in 1948. During seven years in the Navy, he lived in VA, HI, CT, NY, and CA, having children born in the first three (Portsmouth, Honolulu, and New London).

Unless you are his age, you are likely projecting your own experiences in the ease of voting.

[jimrtex]

A little fact which highlights Carter’s amazing longevity is that he voted for both Harry Truman and Joe Biden for President.

Also, those born in the 1940s have surely got to be the most influential decade cohort in American history - they have basically run the country for the past 30 years, and are still at it. By contrast, it’s now all but certain that there’s never going to be a President born in the 1930s, and it’s looking increasingly unlikely (except if Pence wins in 2024) that there’ll ever be one born in the 1950s.

Is it known for sure that he voted for Truman?

This was when he was in the Navy, and his first shipboard assignment began on December 18, 1948.

Jack Carter was born in Portsmouth, VA in 1947; Chip Carter was born in Honolulu, HI in 1950; and Jeff Carter was born in New London, CT in 1952.

No, I was just presuming so. His father was a state legislator though, so it’s likely he’s always been interested in politics.

His father was elected just before he died, and didn't finish the term.

Jimmy Carter recalls his father being virulently opposed to FDR after his price support programs involved slaughtering hogs and plowing cotton under. I can see where that would be considered immoral. Carter recalls the family crowding around the radio to listen to the Republican convention when Alf Landon was nominated in 1936. Carter would have been 12 at the time. Carter's father remained faithful to the state Democratic Party. Carter recalled his father driving his flatbed truck filled with straw and neighbors to rallies and barbecues for Eugene Talmadge in 1932 (Eugene Talmadge was Herman Talmadge's father).

In an era when not everyone owned a car, and radio was fairly recent, it would not be unusual for people to travel to attend a campaign rally.

Sumter County was 40% for Strom Thurmond in 1948, so Jimmy Carter's father might have voted for him.

Incidentally, I found that the USS Pomfret to which Jimmy Carter was assigned to in December 1948 was home-ported in Honolulu. It is possible that Carter would have been traveling to Honolulu in November 1948.

Curiously, Carter's three siblings lived at an average of 56 years, and all died of pancreatic cancer, as did his father who died at 58. His mother did live to 85, but based on family history, being alive at 96 is quite unusual.

[jimrtex]

Curiously, Carter's three siblings lived at an average of 56 years, and all died of pancreatic cancer, as did his father who died at 58. His mother did live to 85, but based on family history, being alive at 96 is quite unusual.

Well, there are outliers to every family. Carter is clearly the outlier in his.

Yep. It is super amazing that he is alive given his family history.