The American President: An Independent Cast of Mind

Is an independent cast of mind the best approach to the presidency? The four men profiled in this hour (John Adams, Zachary Taylor, Rutherford B. Hayes and Jimmy Carter) pursued a course that took little account of political affiliation, becoming presidents, in essence, without being politicians. Taken together, they present a cautionary tale: all had difficult presidencies, and neither of the two who sought a second term was granted one.

“The American President” is a series that aired on PBS in 2000, profiling 41 U.S. chief executives, using exclusive interviews with Presidents Clinton, Bush, Ford, and Carter. Well-known figures lend their voice to presidents of the past who lived before sound recordings, including Colin Powell, Bob Dole, Walter Cronkite, Ben Bradlee, John Glenn, James Carville, Andrew Young, and the Rev. Billy Graham. Narrated by Hugh Sidey.

Chapter Markers:
John Adams - Going It Alone 1797-1801 (1:06)
Zachary Taylor - Old Rough and Ready 1849-1850 (13:07)
Rutherford B. Hayes - No Fondness For Political Life 1877-1881 (24:01)
Jimmy Carter - The Outsider 1977-1981 (35:45)

© Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

#TheAmericanPresident #kunhardtfilmfoundation

[michaelwilliams]

It’s ok president Carter. Wisdom is Grace. Stupidity from ignorance is forever. You are the only president I ever voted for. BECAUSE I KNEW IN MY HEART YOU WERE AN HONEST MAN. all I needed to know.

[lincolnlawyer]

President Carter is so highly respected throughout the world. He is on a the level of a South African Nelson Mandela. I wonder if most Americans know this about him. He is Truly a good and honourable man.

[egyptworldtopgun]

Happy 99th birthday Jimmy Carter!! It’s amazing he is still alive. Wishing him the best.

[sds]

A 6 year term limit would make for a more effective leader, as the last 18 months of the 1st term at best do not have to be based on choices for what is best fit for reelection and detract in any way from the job of the president. Just like there needs to be term limits of 2 terms in the Senate and 6 terms in the House, with a total of 12 years serving in Congress. The same applies to state and local government.
Carter was truly a decent man, very wise, honest and put America before party. Something very few understood then and now.
God Bless and Shine on you President Carter.

[aliyardimoglu]

.... full of integrity, focused, detail oriented, mindful and humble, risk taker, hard ball player, intelligent President..

[Cathleen]

President Carter and First Lady Rosalyn Carter have been so kind to me and so supportive of my life. I am so grateful for Vice President Walter Mondale coming to the college of St Elizabeth in Convent Station NJ where I was in highschool and I had George Pantos as my History teacher and he taught us on all of the American Historical History of the United States and Current World Events and how it pertains to history.We were privileged to attend the event held in the college all over the ghymnaisum of the Mondale rally

[DanielMulloy-bggw]

I love Jimmy Carter. He's the first president i remember, I was six years old when he was elected. God bless him always, !

[raydaniel]

Jimmy Carter is an honorable man. We need more politicians like him.

[mattbuckwalter]

Not in agreement with president carters policies but respect him as a man of integrity

[billyhack]

Jimmy Carter is a decent man and one of our best presidents. It was a real shame that he didn’t win a second term.

[lulassong]

Admirably recounted. Thank you!
That independence kept his mind uncluttered, but alas, coalitions, like diplomacy, is what politics is mainly about, I think.
For peace keeping, I mean.
I'm reminded of my immensely beloved and brilliant Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme.😢❤
Begin and Sadat was truly an almost miraculous feat of peace keeping.
The darker forces of successive US politics (IMC) assassinated all three and many more.
Never stopped...😢

[cindymaceda]

Thank you, Messrs Kunhardt, for creating this amazing series. Wish our youth would watch this to learn about presidential history in order to make a good decision when they choose the next one.

[kidmohair]

John Adams wish that only wise and intelligent men should occupy the presidency,
has, for the most part, been ignored.

[arielgonzalez]

Happy 100th Birthday President Carter!!!

[michaelbillups-nhcw]

Way to go Jimmy I didn't vote for you but I applod you for being the humanitarian that you are you done many good things after you left office I will never forget your peace keeping missions like most people did so sorry to hear about the loss of your beautiful lady Roslyn

[NormCohen-kq]

where can i find the music featured in this episode?

[NormCohen-kq]

does anyone know where i can find the music for this episode?

[michaelclark]

Proud to have been born under the Carter Administration.

[CrisisMoon]

11:52 woah so this wouldn’t happen again until the Bush’s
35:40 What I have been waiting for

[thattimestampguy]

0:01
0:21 An Independent Cast of Mind
0:45 4 Men who tried to restore an Independent Spirit.

*John Adams, Lonely Integrity*
0:55 John Adams,
1:05 Going It Alone, 1797-1801

1:16 "I must be Independent as long as I live."
1:46 Braintree Massachusetts.
2:02 Boston Lawyer.

*The American Revolution*
2:32 "Sink or swim. Live or die. Survive or Perish."
2:52 Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
3:07 Revolution.
3:20 Refusal To Compromise. Quarreling with Fools.
3:43 Intense, Contentious, Self-Important.
4:13 He was a Loner.

*The Declaration of Independence*
4:16
4:30 Thomas Jefferson
5:31 Serving The Office.
6:01 Adams followed George Washington.
6:39 The Office didn't have it in it to grant Adams the same power George Washington held.
7:08 "Three Secretaries who would control me."

*England and France, Federalists and Jeffersonian-Democrats*
7:31 John Adams did not

*French Harassment and The Building of The Young American Navy*
8:14
9:16 "The People elected me to administer the government." John Adams went back to Quincy Massachusetts.
9:26 Risking the capacity to govern is a dangerous stand by John Adams.
10:04 Adams became the 1st President to live in The Executive Mansion in Washington D.C.
10:37 Peace with France was reached by John Adams.

*Revolution of 1800*
11:06 Thomas Jefferson wins the Presidency.
11:44 "I must be farmer John"
12:11 The Old Sage.
12:33 "A man who discovers a disposition to be Independent seldom succeeds."


*Principled Independent, Zachary Taylor*
12:43 Zachary Taylor, 64-Years Old, "Old Rough and Ready."
13:15 "I do not care a thing about The Office."
13:30 He was in conflict with his own government.
13:54 Southerner, Slave Owner, Jefferson Davis' Father-in-Law.
14:06 It was His Office Now. His Authorities now. Regardless of Party.
14:22 A Principaled Person, standing up for his own rights.

*Zachary Taylor, War Soldier, "Ole Rough and Ready"*
14:41 Decisive and Fearless Soldier, Finess Indian Fighter of The American Army.
15:07 1846 Mexican-American War breaks out.
15:28 The Telegraph reports the war news.
15:53 "My thoughts are occupied in bringing this war to a speedy close."
16:17 Taylor's forces were stripped away from him.
16:49 Grit and Determination to pull off a great victory.

*Zachary Taylor's 1848 Campaign*
17:11 The Newspapers fire the imagination of The American People.
17:34 Zachary Taylor's Campaign.
17:56 Whigs, Democrats, Nativists.
18:14 40 Years of Military Service.
18:26 1848 Independent Spirit, Zachary Taylor
18:53 Tobacco Chewer.

*Zachary Taylor's Presidency*
19:15 Alienated The Whigs,
19:37 The Senate overshadowed The Executive Branch.
20:33 Unionist Taylor.
20:47 Alexander Stephens threatened Secession. Taylor countered back.
21:24 Zachary Taylor refused to compromise with anyone.
21:46 "I'm president, within my authority, I won't be pushed around."
22:11 16-Months, exhausted, 4th of July, Zachary Taylor became confined to his bed, and eventually, dead.
23:04 The Entire Nation, both Northerners and Southerners, United in Sorrow.
23:19 "The storm in passing has swept away the trunk. I expect the summon soon. I regret nothing."

*Rutherford B. Hayes*
24:26 Hardworking, Methodical, Honest.
24:39 A Non-Partisan Public Servant.
24:54 Idealist
25:03 Idealist. Sense of Independence.

*Integrity*

25:14 Lineage back to The Mayflower.
25:45 If I could Master Myself, All other obstacles could vanish.

*The Civil War: A Just And Necessary War*

26:06 April 12th, 1861, The Attack on Fort Sumter.
26:32 Brigadier General - Rutherford B. Hayes.

27:11 3-Time Governor Of Ohio.

*The 1876 Election*
27:23 1876 Election

27:36 "A Third-Rate Non-Entity." Picked by The Republican Convention.
28:03 Grit.

28:11 Hayes vs Tilden DISPUTED Electoral Commission examines.
28:40 Ending Reconstruction.

29:06 Vindicated by his Rectitude when rectitude was important.
29:41 The End of Reconstruction.

*The Rutherford Hayes Presidency*
30:00 "I believed it a wise thing to do. I had to adhere to my own views."
30:15 David M. Key, a former Confederate officer.
30:44 Hayes vs Railroad Companies.

*Firing The New York Customs House*

31:03 The New York Custom House. Hayes Fired Chester A. Arthur.

*Prayer*

31:53 Diligent Chief Executive, Diligent in Prayer.

*The Telephone*
32:03 The 1st President to Have a Telephone in The Executive Mansion

32:13 1st President to travel to The West Coast.

*"Lemonade" Lucy Hayes*
32:24 Lucy Hayes. The First to be widely known as "The First Lady."

32:55 Independent Spirit, liked by The People.

*Hayes accomplished what he wanted in 1-term*

33:23 1-Term President Hayes. He Adamently Refused to run for a second term.

*Hayes Legacy*
33:52 Independent President. More effective than Adams and Taylor.

34:14 Loner, Idealist.

*Hayes, Education, Prison Reform*
34:31 Retirement, activity in Education on behalf of poor black children.
34:58 Equanimity of Temper.
35:13 Not wealthy, but he was Happily Independent.

*Jimmy Carter*
35:28
35:52 1st President in a long time elected from The Deep South of America.
36:22 Outsider. Lonely Georgian Farmer.
36:55 The Country Wanted a Political Outsider in 1976.
37:20 "The Smartest boy in the class. The Smartest boy in plains Georgia."

*Jimmy Carter's Family*
37:45 James Earl Carter Jr.

38:56 Jimmy Carter has a degree in Nuclear Engineering.
39:23 Running The family Peanut Farm.
39:45
40:08 "Our income was less than $300."

*Jimmy Carter's Political Career*
40:26 1966 Governor of Georgia campaign failed.
40:58 Running for President in 1974.
41:23 Jimmy Carter from Georgia.
42:05 "When did you realize you'd won?"
42:25 "Tired. Ambitious. Immersed in a sense of history, humility."
42:56 "Personally disciplined, hard working, honest."

*The Jimmy Carter Presidency*
43:13 "Determined to tackle problems."

44:23 Pushing through bills.
44:43 "How do you define President Carter?"
45:10 "I never lost an hour of sleep worrying about what might happen."

*Dealing with The Middle East and Israel*
45:35
46:10 Egypt-Israeli peace talk.
46:35 Iran and The Iran Hostage Crisis was President Carter's downfall. His worst moment.
47:35 - Iran - Oil Crisis - Economic Malaise
48:00 Political Trouble with The Democratic Party.
48:35 "I didn't really put re-election as a high priority."

"There should be one 6-year term." - Multiple presidents agreed about this, according to 1-term president Jimmy Carter.

*Jimmy Carter after being President*
49:48 Going back home.
50:04 Humanitarian in Retirement.
50:25 "I went to the White House with my own set of ideas about what needed to be done"
50:30 "and I never did fit in with The Washington Environment much."

50:35 "But I think that I did have an Independent Set of Mind."

*An Independent Cast of Mind - Closing Statement*
50:40 Our Public Attitudes are a A Grab bag of Contradictory Notions.
50:48 The American Public, time to time, does want to see The Trustee
51:08 "It is not however, in my judgement, not a good formula in doing what good President have to do."
51:20 "So, I sympathize with these idealists." "I hope we don't have too many of them."
51:29 "And I think the country would be better off if we took that element out of our grab bag of beliefs, and gently laid it to rest."
51:42 Not one of these presidents was elected to a 2nd Term.