JC Can Save America

Blue and red text on a white button around a U.S. flag in the shape of the United States with a black and white photo of Jimmy Carter's head in the center.

This button was made for the 1976 election to support the campaign of Jimmy Carter, who ran as a Democrat. JC stands for Jimmy Carter, but is also a reference to Jesus Christ. Carter was a Southern Baptist, peanut farmer, and Governor of Georgia who cultivated an image of a Washington outsider and promised never to lie to the American people. He won the election against President Gerald Ford and was the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. As President he pardoned draft resistors, worked for the Camp David Accords which helped relations between Israel and Egypt, and created a Department of Education and Department of Energy. He was seen as a weak President who struggled to work with Congress, although he got a surprising amount done behind the scenes. He got very little credit for his achievements, including the Camp David Accords.