Jimmy Carter Weighs In On Possible Hillary Clinton Presidential Run

Jimmy Carter Weighs In On Hillary's Possible Presidential Run

Former President Jimmy Carter weighed in Tuesday on the importance of women in public office.

In an interview on HuffPost Live to discuss his book "A Call To Action," Carter addressed the idea of a female president in the United States, saying: "I think we should be [ready]. That's another thing where the United States is at a much lower level. We have a much smaller number of women who occupy political office in this country."

Carter continued that only 18 percent of elected officeholders in the United States are female and "this is something we should correct as well."

When asked if it matters who is elected, if for example someone like Hillary Clinton were to run in 2016, Carter suggested that it does to an extent.

"Some women when they are elected become champions of human rights," Carter said. "I've seen other women who are elected who didn't pay any attention....[But] in general I think it's helpful to have women in public office."

Watch Carter's full comments above.

Before You Go

1
"You have to be true to yourself. You have to be enough in touch with who you are and what you want, how you want to live and what's important to you, to make your decisions based on that. Sometimes that's very difficult."
Giphy.com
Marie Claire, October 18, 2012
2
"I have always believed that women are not victims, we are agents of change, we are drivers of progress, we are makers of peace -- all we need is a fighting chance."
Associated Press
Speech, Women in the World Summit, April 5, 2013
3
"You show people what you're willing to fight for when you fight for your friends."
Giphy.com
Cabinet and Staff Retreat at Camp David, January 1993
4
"Equal pay is not yet equal. A woman makes 77 cents on a dollar and women of color make 67 cents... We feel so passionately about this because we are not only running for office, but we each, in our own way, have lived it. We have seen it. We have underst
Associated Press
Democratic Primary Debate, Congressional Black Caucus Institute, January 21, 2008
5
"I am a woman and, like millions of women, I know there are still barriers and biases out there, often unconscious, and I want to build an America that respects and embraces the potential of every last one of us."
Giphy.com
Concession Speech, Jun 7, 2008
6
"Educating young women is not only morally right, but it is also the most important investment any society can make in order to further and advance the values and the interests of the people."
Getty Images
"The Secretary," 2013
7
"Gay rights are human rights."
Speech, International Human Rights Day, Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2011
8
"Part of the great challenge of living is defining yourself in your moment, of seizing the opportunities that you are given, and of making the very best choices you can."
Speech, University of Texas at Austin, April 7, 1993
9
"There's that kind of double bind that women find themselves in. On the one hand, yes, be smart, stand up for yourself. On the other hand, don't offend anybody, don't step on toes, or you'll become somebody that nobody likes because you're too assertive."
Giphy.com
Midwest Today, June 1994
10
"There are very few people who go through life without needing anyone, without having to make any sacrifice for anyone else. In fact, it's kind of an impoverished life, if that's the attitude."
Associated Press
The New Yorker, October 13, 2003
11
"My doctrine is the Goldilocks Doctrine -- not too hot, not too cold, just right."
The Atlantic, May 10, 2011
12
"I can't stand whining. I can't stand the kind of paralysis that some people fall into because they're not happy with the choices they've made. You live in a time when there are endless choices... Money certainly helps, and having that kind of financial p
Getty Images
Marie Claire, October 18, 2012
13
"The world is changing beneath our feet and it is past time to embrace a twenty-first -century approach to advancing the rights and opportunities of women and girls at home and across the globe."
Associated Press
Speech, Women in the World Summit, April 5, 2013
14
"American women don't need lectures from Washington about values. We don't need to hear about an idealized world that was never as righteous or carefree as some would like to think."
Commencement Speech, Wellesley College, May 29, 1992
15
"I always believed you could learn something from nearly everybody you meet, if you're open to it."
Associated Press
"Hillary Rodham Clinton: A First Lady Of Our Time," 1993
16
"I choose my cards. I play them to the best of my ability. Move on to the the next hand."
The New York Times, November 10, 2012
17
"If women are healthy and educated, their families will flourish. If women are free from violence, their families will flourish. If women have a chance to work and earn as full and equal partners in society, their families will flourish. And when families
Associated Press
Speech, United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, September 5, 1995
18
"The harder they hit, the more encouraged I get."
Giphy.com
The Unique Voice Of Hillary Rodham Clinton, 1996
19
"There is no doubt in my mind that without the involvement of women in the economy, in politics, in peace-making, in every aspect of society, you can't realize [a country's] full potential."
Associated Press
Marie Claire, October 18, 2012

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot