Tallahassee Democrat Blog Post

Here gang here is my first blog post with the Tallahassee Democrat Community blog
hope you like it

http://blogs.tallahassee.com/community/2017/02/01/within-the-margin-of-error/

Whenever I close my eyes, my mind takes me to that boiling hot room in the summer of 1776, when those brilliant and flawed men signed a document. Creating in a moment of anger a new nation. I know you think I’m trying to be poetic or wistful. But, my wife will tell, I really am that big of a dork.

Some of my conservative friends take the textualist approach when reading our founding documents, seeking to uphold the original meaning of the United States Constitution and statutes. These are usually those who are strong supporters of the Second and Tenth Amendments, and  view federalism with distrust. They are also more likely to approve tax cuts for big businesses, go to church daily, and are almost sociologically unable to picture themselves voting Democratic.

Many of the Republicans I know think that government should get out of their pockets and that the free market can solve most of our basic economic needs.  In their eyes labor unions are lazy thugs who limit growth, and government regulations should be reduced to allow the nation’s business sector to flourish.

They of course forget however that such regulations were created to safeguard against new levels of corporate greed that periodically brought our entire nation to the brick of financial collapse. That it was labor unions that gave us paid family leave, the five day work week, and ended child labor. Things that they themselves benefit from.

These voters who champion individualism over community, are promoting a very attractive product. It really is, its the belief that you aren’t responsible. Global Warming, crime, poverty, low test scores; who cares, its not your problem. The only thing you have to worry about is your family, your street, and whats for dinner. Is my fridge full? Is my job safe? What do I care about the faceless untouchables of the world. Its tempting to think that your lifestyle, that your actions, and that your involvement doesn’t matter.

But, here’s the thing, its not enough to claim your faith and project your values, you must also strive to place yourself in others shoes. To allow their struggles to become your own. The founding fathers for their part lived lives of constant advocacy, setting an example for posterity, as well as trying to improve their own flawed characters.

I’m afraid these next four years are going to be trying times in this country. Our relationships, values, human comforts, and even our faith in ourselves will be fiercely tested. But, thats okay folks disagreement will never be as difficult to face as silence. We can not afford to cut off one another over a dumb facebook post, or the filling out of a ballot. Even something so important as a president’s rocky first few weeks is not reason enough to end friendships. It is always going to be important for me to remember that while I am a registered Democrat, most of the people I love are not. It’s not enough for me to look at America with rose colored glasses. I have to share that vision, and I have to also be open to other precious forms of patriotism.

This blog post is my opinion only and does not express the views of any other institution or individual not noted above.

The book, my event in plains, and to a smaller extent myself was featured in the Albany herald




heres the link
http://www.albanyherald.com/features/arts_entertainment/president-carter-revisits-campaign-for-presidents-day-in-plains/article_388b755c-010c-5871-a099-0faa39c4b7f6.html

the article name is President Carter revisits 1976 campaign for Presidents Day in Plains
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter will share experiences and sign books Monday

it covers the weekend celebration for the 40th anniversary of the 1976 election.

The Plains Train Depot

There is a historical pull to this place and it’s become manifested in the tiny green and white painted train depot at the center of town. For myself, this humble structure has always held such romantic attachment. This was where Jimmy Carter pulled it off.  Where he, along with his neighbors and family staged the most improvable and captivating Presidential campaign in history, forever changing the political landscape of the nation and how we pick our presidential nominees.

Once you enter the depot, long devoid of frequent activity, a single video can be heard echoing throughout the building. It is a video that Charles Plant put together on the 1976 election. The images are old and the voices heard are those that use to fill the television screens in countless homes decades earlier. The nightly news anchors of the past; Cronkite, Harry Reasoner, and John Chancellor, can be heard.  The desired effect is easily achieved, transporting visitors back to a time when this depot was packed with locals and campaign workers and primary nights would turn into local vigils and tailgate festivals, as several TVs were installed to witness the results of so many past contests, when their favorite son was trying to achieve the impossible. 

. Two rocking chairs, used frequently by America’s First Mother, Lillian Carter, can still be seen.  Today, a sign proudly and humorously recounts the fact that “Behind this closed door” is the reason why the depot was selected as the campaign headquarters. It was the location of the only available public bathroom in town. Today the bathroom is closed and visitors are prevented from entering this historic lavatory. 

As the election of Jimmy Carter became a real possibility, both the candidate and his hometown started becoming big business. Carter’s wide smile began showing up everywhere in town and souvenir makers had a field day turning the town into a household name nationwide. Some, like the N.G. Slater campaign buttons were of high quality, while others were simply made by an endless series of small entrepreneurs looking for an easy buck. Eventually, the massive level of outside guests began to die down. After the Carter Presidency entered the history books, the town and its famous son both shared in parallel struggles to acclimate themselves to life outside the national spotlight. Plains and Carter both took it upon themselves to help preserve the best elements of the 1976 election and its aftermath for posterity. It was not an easy task for them both. But, President Carter threw himself into the task of turning key structures of his hometown into a national park. With the aid of the residents and outside support, the former president succeeded beyond his wildest hopes. 

The town’s train depot was constructed in 1888 and was, for a time, the only building with a public bathroom. This was the primary reason for its selection as the hometown headquarters for the Carter Presidential campaign. It was the site of numerous hometown primary parties and was where candidate Carter would hold interviews whenever in town.  As the 1970s dawned, Plains remained largely unchanged. But, following his announcement for president, the entire landscape of the community began to change. The primary night parties would begin at the depot and quickly took on a church potluck atmosphere. There were said to have been rows of flatbed trucks everywhere and tiny campers. 

This commemorative T-shirt, owned by Plains resident and Peanut Brigadier Ida English. This shirt and other souvenirs were proudly displayed by Jimmy Carter’s supporters to celebrate his victory in the 1976 presidential election. This style of shirt was worn by Peanut Brigadiers on the night of Jimmy Carter's Presidential election. It was the idea of Maxime Reese to have these t shirts made and it wasn't until Jimmy Carter won late in the early morning that those on the platform reveled the t shirts. Miss Lillian raised her tired self from her rocking chair on the Platform to reveal her shirt and suddenly fell down. Laughing she soon recovered and the crowd went wild.

The Town in a short period of time had gone from a sleepy community of 600 people into the capital of American political life. While the nation's major cities were spending millions each year to attract new residences to their communities. The town of Plains was getting up to 10 thousand tourists a day and hadn't spend a dime. But, of-course all of that was soon to change.

The inside of the train depot museum during the 1980s. Following 1979 the crowds in Plains began to die down and once Carter lost re-election the community began to turn sleepy once again. There was till tourists, but never like the glory days. Before the National Park Service became actively involved in preserving the town, the depot served as the town’s visitor center. Today it has interactive exhibits and detailed accounts of the 1976 election. But, when this picture was taken, the citizens of Plains relied almost solely on their own personal memorabilia to fill the museum. 

The Jimmy Carter National Historic site and preservation district was established by an Act of Congress in 1987. The historic site consists of the railroad depot, shown here in the early 1980s, that had fallen into disrepair, the boyhood home, that needed to be purchased, and the Carter compound. The preservation district consists of the historic district and 650 acres of agricultural lands.  

The Depot Museum was designed to retain all the humble charms of its 1970's structure and to also host a grouping of anecdotes from the 1976 election.  In the beginning the town could only depend on the relics they themselves still had in their homes and in shops on Main Street. But, then Carter Presidential Collectors began to make very generous donations to the site and the place became one of the most appealing parts of the historic district. 

Book Blurb by Chris DeRose

I am deeply honored to receive this Book Blurb by the New York Times Bestselling author of "The President's war" and "Congressman Lincoln" Chris DeRose

Let me just go on record and say that he is one of the rising giants of mine generation, in terms of Non Fiction Authors, and it is a great joy to present this to you all


"I loved this book.  Many presidents are associated with a place.  Without understanding the place, you can't understand the president.  Few presidents are tied to a place like Jimmy Carter is to Plains.  Thanks to this excellent book, with its rare and fascinating photographs, we can now understand the small town that raised a president, and thus gain a greater understanding of the man."

Chris DeRose, New York Times bestselling author of "The Presidents' War."  

Jimmy Carter A Great President

This is an excerpt of the speech I shall deliver next month at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library

It is no longer enough to simply describe him as a Great or Excellent EX or Former President. This is an example of Professorial ignorance and a long used republican talking point. The simple fact is Jimmy Carter is the greatest former President in our nation's history, period. But, he is also an underrated and excellent President. He was not a failed president as many have claimed. And its time the Democratic Party defends him. His only major failing while in office was an honorable attempt to avoid bloodshed.
He has the best average of legislative achievement of any modern president except Johnson and the Camp David Peace accords still stands as the only lasting example of a Peace treaty in the Middle East. He cut our consumption of Foreign Oil in half and actually took the nation on the path towards a balanced budget by the mid 1980s. None of his Cabinet members were arrested or investigated (Reagan's cabinet couldn't claim the same.) He was the only modern Presidency to limit nuclear weapon production and trim our sale of Arms to foreign nations.

His promotion of Human Rights not only undermined the Soviet's support in many satellite nations, it also invigorated our own support in South America. At the start of his term, nearly every nation in South America was being governed by a military dictatorship. By the time he left office nearly the entire continent was electing democratic leaders.

Now not to look like a total Carter Fanboy, I will add that he had and has some severe failings. But to his credit he is the only modern US President that not only admits to them, he actually enjoys evaluating them. The final section of his book White House Diaries (itself a brilliant literary achievement) Carter talks very openly about his failing while in the office. He admits  to being a micro manager and that he hated being the leader of the Democratic Party. He admits to having poor relations to congress and concludes that his efforts to pass legislation resulted in any modification or compromise to appear as a presidential defeat.

In 2002 of course the former President won the Nobel Peace Prize, two of the three small bronze medals he received reside here by his Grammy Award , just down the corner. While he is considered the nation's greatest former president, a title and reputation he doesn't mind, those four turbulent years still seem to resonate with Americans. Reagan doesn't connect with Millennials the way Carter does partly because of his post presidency, but mainly because his record remains evergreen. His humility and innovative agenda while in office speak for themselves and his humanitarian efforts out of office continue to make him relevant.

Jimmy Carter in Plains book review by Jose Blanco

Jimmy Carter in Plains
Review by José Blanco F.
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois.

Blanco is the author of "Becoming Billy Carter" and was a leader in the creation of the Billy Carter museum in Plains, Ga.

Jimmy Carter in Plains by Robert Buccellato brings us ever closer to the background that Plains—a small Georgia town—provides in the life of the 39th president of the United States of America. Buccelato’s carefully researched and organized tome is clearly the result of a passionate project, digging as deep as possible into archives in order to create this fantastic visual panorama for Plains. As the author acknowledges in his introduction, Plains exudes contemporary American history in every corner from the Billy Carter Service Station to the Jimmy Carter’s boyhood home.
The book is organized in sections, allowing the reader to digest the large amount of photographs —accompanied by informative and intriguing information. Section One introduces the town and its most famous resident. We learn about Jimmy Carter’s childhood, family, earlier years in politics, and the beginning of his presidential campaign. Plains, as the “home of the next president,” takes center stage on the second chapter. Anyone who has been to Plains will enjoy the many images of the town, including the train depot that served as campaign headquarters. Those who have never visited should become intrigued enough to start planning a trip to Carter’s hometown. We are also introduced to key family and community members including Billy and Lillian Carter. A wealth of curious information is presented including the fact that many Plains residents were quick to sell their property for a profit during the campaign years. Part three is an exhilarating account of the election with a wealth of images that follow Carter’s every step to the White House. The section includes memorabilia and photographs depicting Carter’s campaign and even some material on President Ford’s reelection efforts. A variety of documents and images illustrate Carter’s move into Washington, DC including inauguration day and the first official photograph portrait of first lady Rosalynn Carter. The last section of the book recounts life in Plains, Georgia in the years following the Carter presidency including the town’s current status as a national Park. The story comes full circle with a series of images that inspire not only nostalgia but also awe at the remarkable story of the peanut farmer who became president and the town that still today frames his story.
Buccellato is a fine historian, weaving through images a story that will forever spark curiosity on the American public. The book is a fantastic archival testament to the timeliness of Jimmy Carter and Plains, Georgia.

Matthew Algeo book blurb for Jimmy Carter In Plains

It is a great honor to have this book blurb by matthew Algeo author of the Books Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip and The President Is a Sick Man

"Has it really been 40 years since Jimmy Carter was elected president? Robert Buccellato’s wonderful new book is a nostalgic reflection on the 1976 presidential campaign, when Carter’s hometown of Plains, Georgia was transformed from a sleepy Southern hamlet to the center of the political universe. Jimmy Carter in Plains takes readers back to a time when the lapels were wide, the cars were big, and a presidential candidate’s campaign headquarters doubled as a train depot. Filled with rare photographs, this book provides an intimate glimpse into the extraordinary life and times of our 39th president. I enjoyed every page of it."

Jimmy Carter in Plains Book Review by Frye Gaillard

It is my great honor to present this book blurb by Frye Gaillard the author of Prophet from Plains



Jimmy Carter in Plains is an inspiring, evocative look at the life of our 39th President, set against the backdrop of a small Southern town that has always been his anchor. In words and photographs, Robert Bucccellato has given us an accessible and engaging portrait of the legacy of this remarkable man.
 -- Frye Gaillard, author, Prophet from Plains