Former President Jimmy Carter Talks About Why He Decided to Go Into Politics in a 1976 Lost Interview

President Jimmy Carter opened up about politics versus faith, his relationship with his father and his desire for power in order to make positive change in the world during a 1976 interview with former White House Press Secretary and political commentator Bill Moyers. This interview was wonderfully animated for the lost interview series “Blank on Blank”

I think one of the major responsibilities I have as a leader and as a potential leader is to try to establish justice and that applies to a broad gamut of things — international affairs, peace, equality, elimination of injustice in tax programs, in our criminal justice system and so forth. It’s not a crusade. It’s just common sense. …In the absence of that leadership, there is no leadership, and the country drifts. So strong President, yes, but an autocratic President, an imperial Presidency, no.