Longtime sports talk radio host Mike Francesa characterized President Jimmy Carter as “not a great president” after news broke of Carter’s passing on Sunday afternoon.
“I just saw the breaking news that former President Jimmy Carter has passed away at the age of, amazingly, 100,” the longtime WFAN host said on The Mike Francesa Podcast. “I don’t know if he’s the first president to ever make 100. I would think he probably is, but I don’t know that. Don’t swear me to that because I don’t know if that’s true, but I think it is.
Francesa then criticized Carter’s president while giving a bit of historical context.
“Carter — history hasn’t been great to Jimmy Carter. He was not a great president. I’m not trying to disparage him in any way. Remember, you were coming off Watergate. The United States, the country felt that Washington was dirty and corrupt. They had had enough of career politicians, and [Richard Nixon] was the ultimate career politician. I mean, he had been in Congress, he had been a two-time vice president, he ran for president in ’60, he ran for governor in ’62, he lost in ’60, lost in ’62. He came back and won the presidency; he came back and won it again; and then came Watergate.”
For those who may be unaware, Francesa has a history of uncharitable on-air eulogies. Here are his tributes to Pete Rose and Marvel Comics co-creator Stan Lee.
And who can forget his tribute to Horace Clarke?
Francesa isn’t wrong; if Jimmy Carter’s presidency had been successful, he probably would have been reelected. However, when someone dies, in most circles (clearly not Francesa’s), there is a ceasefire on criticism in the immediate aftermath of their passing.
Again, that is not the case with Francesa.
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