And for more on President Carter's life and legacy, I'm joined by Judy Woodruff, who you just saw there and has covered the Carter's for more than 50 years, as well as James Fallows, Carter's speechwriter during the first two years of the administration, and Kai Bird, author of The Outlier, the Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter. Thanks very much to all of you. Welcome back to the NewsHour. Judy, let me start

with you. Jimmy Carter grew up on a peanut farm, no electricity, no running water, the first

member of his family to graduate high school. Just remind us, how far was his journey to the White

House? It was the longest imaginable journey, Nick. You're right, a peanut farm in the deepest of rural

southwest Georgia, plains, the town that we've all come to identify with him to reach the

pinnacle, the most powerful job in the world, and unimaginably to leave office in a state of, if you will, political failure,

not winning re-election, but then here we are 44 years later, and we are celebrating the

life, the legacy of this man who did come from that very simple beginning,

but against all odds, achieved everything that he achieved.

Kai Bird, against all odds, as I said, you called your book The Outlier.

How was Jimmy Carter an outlier?

Well, he was an outlier for all of the reasons that Judy just explained. He came from these

very Spartan circumstances, no running water, an outhouse. He was virtually raised in the 19th century

and now has lasted 100 years into the 21st century. And, you know, he was an extraordinary man, but I think Judy and Jim will all agree that he was just

relentless.

He was a workaholic.

He, you know, in the White House, he was devoted to figuring out the right thing to do and studying the memos. He would

read two or three hundred pages a day. And I don't know, you know, Jim saw him on a more

daily basis. I was just the biographer, but, you know, he could be acerbic and difficult.

People have this warm and fuzzy thinking, perception of him.

But he was a tough guy to interview precisely because he was so smart and quick and knowledgeable.

Jim Fallows, you wrote some of those memos.

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