Bill Shaheen reflects on Jimmy Carter’s ’76 NH campaign

Bill Shaheen reflects on Jimmy Carter’s ’76 NH campaign | CloseUp

DIFFERENTLY FROM GOVERNOR CHRIS SUNUNU. GOOD MORNING. I’M ADAM SEXTON. THIS WEEK, MEMORIAL SERVICES WILL BE HELD IN WASHINGTON FOR PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, WHO PASSED AWAY JUST BEFORE THE NEW YEAR. THE MAN FROM PLAINS HAD A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH NEW HAMPSHIRE. AND A BIG PART OF THAT GREAT RELATIONSHIP WAS THE MAN FROM DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, BILL SHAHEEN, DNC COMMITTEEMAN. MR. SHAHEEN, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE. THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME, ADAM. AND I SHOULD ADD, YOU KNOW, 1976 CAMPAIGN COCHAIRMAN OF THAT PRIMARY CAMPAIGN FOR CARTER. REALLY MAGICAL CAMPAIGN READING DANTE SCULLY’S BOOK ON THE PRIMARY, STORMY WEATHER. YOU TALK IN THAT BOOK ABOUT HOW ALMOST EVERYBODY IN THE CARTER CAMPAIGN WAS EITHER NEW TO POLITICS OR RELATIVELY NEW TO POLITICS, AND THAT THAT SORT OF FRESH BLOOD HELPED REALLY FUEL THE CAMPAIGN. EXPLAIN THAT. WELL, BECAUSE NO ONE WORKED WHEN YOU WHEN YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN, YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD AND THERE’S NOTHING IN FRONT OF YOU AND THERE’S NO NO GUIDELINES, NO BOUNDARIES. YOU JUST GO AS HARD AS YOU CAN. YOU WORK AS HARD AS YOU CAN, AND A CAMPAIGN STARTS OFF REALLY SLOW, AND THEN IT KIND OF BUILDS UP LIKE A CRESCENDO, AND IT KEEPS BUILDING AND BUILDING AND BUILDING. AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU’RE WORKING 14 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND YOU HAVE NOTHING IS IN FRONT OF YOU BUT WINNING. AND IN THAT CASE, EVERYONE WAS INSPIRED BY THIS CANDIDATE. OH, ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, HE HE HE FIRST INSPIRED ME WHEN I WAS A LAW STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI AT OLE MISS. AND THEN BY HANGING A PICTURE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING IN THE STATE CAPITOL AND SAYING, SEGREGATION IS OVER FOREVER IN GEORGIA. I SAID, OKAY, I GOT TO WATCH THIS GUY. AND TIME PASSED AND I CAME BACK HOME TO NEW HAMPSHIRE AND HE CAME UP HERE AND MY FIRST TIME I, I SAW HIM SPEAK, I WAS DONE. I SAID, I’M GOING TO HELP YOU. YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY ME. I’M ON THE TEAM. EXPLAIN. YOU KNOW, THIS WASN’T AN INSTANTANEOUS THING. IT HAD TO BUILD OVER WEEKS AND MONTHS AND A LOT OF TIME OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT PRESIDENT CARTER THAT KEPT HIM COMING A LO JUST DIDN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. EVERYONE THINKS IT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT. IT DID NFEW PEOPLE. THEN IT WAS ROOMS WERE PACKED AND IT WAS JUST REALLY, TRULY GRASSROOTS. YOU MENTIONED THE FAMILY, AND I THINK IN OUR COVERAGE, WE HAVEN’T TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE PEANUT BRIGADE. YOU KNOW, THE YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE GENE MCCARTHY STUFF. A LOT OF COLLEGE STUDENTS GOING DOOR TO DOOR, YOU KNOW, GOOD LUCK IN SOME EXTENT. BUT HE HAD, YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONALS, HIS FAMILY MEMBERS, REAL PEOPLE COMING UP FROM GEORGIA, COMING DOOR TO DOOR. AUNT CISSY, I THINK DOING A WEEK, A MONTH UP HERE. WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF HAVING THOSE CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS COME AND DELIVER FOR PEOPLE AND CONNECTING WITH VOTERS OUTSIDE OF THE CARTER CAMPAIGN ITSELF, IT WAS THE GENUINENESS OF IT. I MEAN, THERE WERE PEOPLE COMING WITH FUR COATS AND HIGH HEELS, WALKING IN SNOW BECAUSE THEY’D NEVER SEEN SNOW BEFORE. AND SO THEY’RE WALKING IN SNOW, KNOCKING ON DOORS, AND THEY HAVE THAT SOUTHERN DRAWL, ACCENT. AND I’M HERE FOR JIMMY CARTER, AND I WANT HIM TO GET YOUR VOTE. AND THEY JUST HE JUST THEY LOVED IT. THEY LOVED DOING IT. THEY LOVED WORKING FOR HIM BECAUSE HE WAS SO REAL, THAT SINCERITY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES NEW ENGLANDERS ARE A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS OF THAT. BUT THIS WORKED IN THE POST-WATERGATE ERA. OH, YEAH, IT DID. I MEAN, EVERYONE WANTED A CHANGE. EVERYBODY WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY NEW, AND I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY NEW. I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY WHO WASN’T A TRADITIONAL POLITICIAN WHO WAS GOING TO CHANGE THIS WORLD. THE SINCERITY, THE EARNESTNESS CAME FROM A VERY MORAL PLACE IN PRESIDENT CARTER. IT HELPED HIM SO MUCH ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. DO YOU THINK THAT’S ALSO PART OF WHY HE MIGHT HAVE STRUGGLED AS PRESIDENT? YOU KNOW, HE HAD A TOUGH HAND DEALT TO HIM AT HOME AND ABROAD, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, HAD A HARD TIME WITH RELATIONSHIPS WITH CONGRESS, EVEN WITH HIS OWN PARTY. YEAH, I THINK HIS IDEA OF HE WANTED EVERYONE TO BE HIS. ACTUALLY, HE USED TO SAY THIS IF OUR GOVERNMENT WAS AS GOOD AS OUR AMERICA, OUR PEOPLE, WE HAVE NO PROBLEMS. AND HE CAME THERE WITH THAT GENUINENESS. HE WAS HE WAS A STRAIGHT SHOOTER. AND AFTERWARDS, AFTER HIS POST-PRESIDENCY, HE WAS JUST A GREAT MAN. HE’S ONE OF THE GREATEST MEN I’VE EVER MET. WE’LL TALK ABOUT THE POST-PRESIDENCY IN A MOMENT. YOU KNOW, SORT OF LOST IN THE MIX OF ALL OF THIS. THE 1980 PRIMARY. THAT’S REALLY KIND OF A DARK CHAPTER FOR THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN PARTICULAR. PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THAT I’VE TALKED TO ABOUT THIS SAY IT’S ONE OF THE MOST BITTER, ONE OF THE MOST DIVISIVE. PEOPLE ARE STILL KIND OF UPSET ABOUT IT SOMETIMES IN SOME WAYS. RIGHT. WAS IT DAUNTING AT ALL TO LOOK AT THAT, EVEN THOUGH YOU’VE GOT THE SITTING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES THAT YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEFEAT A KENNEDY IN HIS OWN BACKYARD? RIGHT. AND I CAN REMEMBER BECAUSE I WAS THE U.S. ATTORNEY AT THE TIME SO I COULD NOT GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS. BUT JEANNIE WAS HIS CHAIRMAN AND HIS CHIEF OPERATOR. AND EVERYONE WOULD COME UP TO US AND SAY, OH, IT’S TOO BAD. YOU KNOW, YOU HAD A FIRST GOOD RUN, BUT IT’S GOING TO END NOW BECAUSE KENNEDY’S GOING TO SWEEP. AND JEANNIE JUST KEPT PLOWING ALONG, PLUGGING ALONG, PLUGGING ALONG. AND I CAN REMEMBER ROSALYNN COMING UP ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THE BEFORE THE PRIMARY. AND SHE ASKED ME, SHE SAID, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I SAID, I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO WIN BY DOUBLE DIGITS. AND SHE ALMOST STARTED CRYING. AND SURE, JEANNIE BEAT TEDDY KENNEDY BY 11 POINTS AND SHE, JUST BECAUSE OF HIS SINCERITY, I MEAN, HE WAS HE WAS THE REAL DEAL. THAT WAS A BIG WIN. WHAT HAPPENED THOUGH IN 80. OBVIOUSLY THE COUNTRY WAS READY FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT. I THINK WHAT HAPPENED WITH 80 AND I HAVE TO PUT A LOT OF BLAME ON ON TEDDY KENNEDY FOR BREAKING US UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE KNEW HE COULD HAVE WON THAT ELECTION HAD HE DONE SOMETHING WITH WITH IRAN. AND HE BUT IT WOULD HAVE MAY HAVE COST THE LIVES OF THOSE 53 HOSTAGES AND I ESSENTIALLY YOU’RE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF HE HAD ATTACKED, YOU KNOW, DROP BOMBS, YOU KNOW, TAKE A REALLY AGGRESSIVE STANCE, YOU LOSE THE HOSTAGES, BUT POTENTIALLY LOOK STRONGER IN THE EYES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WELL, THAT’S RIGHT, I WAS ASKED SOMEONE, AN EMISSARY CAME UP AND ASKED ME, WHAT DO I THINK? AND I SAID, IF YOU GET 53 FLAGS READY FOR THOSE 53 AMERICANS AND GIVE THE AYATOLLAH 72 HOURS TO RELEASE THOSE PRISONERS, YOU’LL WIN THE ELECTION. AND THE RESPONSE WAS, I KNOW IT. I KNOW IF I DO IT, I’LL WIN THE ELECTION BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE GETTING TIRED OF GETTING STEPPED ON BY OTHER COUNTRIES. I KNOW I’LL WIN THE ELECTION, BUT I CAN’T TAKE 53 LIVES JUST TO WIN THIS ELECTION. THAT’S HIS MORALITY. THAT SAME HUMANITARIANISM WAS ON DISPLAY IN THAT POST-PRESIDENCY. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT BEFORE THE PROGRAM. THE RESUME IS EXTENSIVE. HE LIVED SO LONG. BUT WHAT IMPRESSED YOU MOST ABOUT HOW HE HANDLED HIS POST-PRESIDENCY? WELL, HE IT PROVED HIS GENUINENESS, THE FACT THAT HE REALLY CARED ABOUT PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD. HE HE WAS THE PERSON BECAUSE I’M A CATHOLIC AND I’M A CHRISTIAN. HE’S THE PERSON WHO I THINK REALLY WALKED WITH JESUS. AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED. AND HE HE DID THE THE THINGS THAT JESUS ASKED US TO DO, I MEAN, TO CARE FOR THE SICK AND CARE FOR THE POOR. I MEAN, OVER A MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN AFRICA, HE SAVED THEIR LIVES WITH THE GUINEA WORM TREATMENT AND CARE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, ALMOST 4400 HOUSES FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN’T AFFORD HOUSING. I MEAN, HE HE LIVED HIS HIS BELIEFS, WHICH IS I’VE NEVER SEEN THAT IN ANY OTHER PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN. THE GLOBAL IMPACT IS UNDENIABLE. WHAT ABOUT HIS INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE? HOW DO YOU THINK HE SHAPED THE OUTCOME FOR, YOU KNOW, THE SHAHEENS WELL, HE CHANGED MY LIFE. LIKE YOU CAN’T BELIEVE. I MEAN, HE MADE ME THE U.S. ATTORNEY AND THEN I BECAME A JUDGE AFTER THAT IN DURHAM. AND BUT HE ALSO TAUGHT ME HOW TO HOW TO BE A GOOD PERSON. YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO EMULATE HIM. I WANTED TO BE LIKE HIM. AND SO LIKEWISE WITH JEANNIE. I MEAN, WE WERE JUST SCHOOLTEACHERS WHEN WE STARTED, AND WE HAD NO CREDENTIALS IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, BUT WE KNEW WE WANTED TO MAKE A CHANGE. AND HE CHANGED MY LIFE, CHANGED JEANNIE’S LIFE, AND HOPEFULLY CHANGED SOME PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE’S LIVES. ALL RIGHT. DNC COMMITTEEMAN BILL SHAHEEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR REFLECTION. THANK YOU, JIMMY CARTER. APPRECIATE THE TIME. I APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH HOU

Bill Shaheen reflects on Jimmy Carter’s ’76 NH campaign | CloseUp

Following the death of former President Jimmy Carter, DNC Committeeman Bill Shaheen said, “He was a straight shooter, and in his post-presidency, he was a great man. He was one of the greatest men I’ve ever met.”

MANCHESTER, N.H. —