A dispatch from our AJC colleague Jeremy Redmon, embedded this week on the Carter campaign trail:
Athens – Former President Jimmy Carter gets plenty of publicity every time he campaigns for grandson Jason Carter. But it's former First Lady Rosalynn Carter who is the campaign's secret weapon.
At 87, she is a tour de force on the campaign trail, shaking hands, posing for pictures and urging voters to show up next week for her grandson's bid to oust Gov. Nathan Deal.
She campaigned with him through Atlanta, Columbus, LaGrange, Fort Valley and Macon Monday before joining him in Augusta and Athens Tuesday. When Jason Carter and his aides finally sat down for dinner after a long day of work Monday night, she was still up and about, filling diners’ ears with stories about her grandson.
“I don’t like politics, but I love campaigning,” she said after attending a lively campaign rally on the University of Georgia campus Tuesday. She recalled how politics has changed since her husband ran for governor and then president decades ago.
“We went door to door,” she said. “In the presidential race, we didn’t have any money. And everybody all over the country who campaigned for us had to find a house with somebody to stay in or pay for hotels… What we learned was when you stay in somebody’s house they get excited about the campaign. It worked.”
On the campaign trail, she frequently praises her grandson’s ability to work across the aisle.
“Jason is good and honest and I have watched him grow up, taking after his grandfather, who stands for honesty and compassion and fairness,” she said. “That’s Jason.”
“He can tell I’m proud of him,” she added. “I love him. He’s a great guy.”
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