What better person to speak about how George W. Bush has taken advantage of the goodwill that the international community (by and large) expressed towards the U.S. after the September 11 attacks than Jimmy Carter.  Carter himself has enlisted in many ambitious endeavors that bring goodwill to the world, especially through his organization, the Carter Center, which helps to oversee elections around the world to make sure they run smoothly.  Recently, for instance, the center completed a round of oversight in Indonesia.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter gives a thoughtful speech about America's troubled international situation.

Well, with people as accomplished and distinguished as Carter, I sometimes like to imagine them in incredibly profane, normal situations; so this evening, after the convention, I thought to myself, do you think Jimmy Carter has ever eaten Doritos?  I think the answer to this question must be yes.  Given all of the social functions tht Carter has been to where there has been food available and he has been hungry, Doritos must have been an option at a few.  Still, he probably doesn't eat them regularly; I would be almost certain he doesn't buy them.  Even so, Jimmy Carter has to have eaten Doritos at a few points here and there.  He took on the oil crisis of the 1970s, he helped negotiate peace between Egypt and Israel, he oversees elections in nascent democracies throughout the world, and yes, I am willing to bet he has eaten a few small bags of Doritos.

Doritos, which I would bet former President Carter has eaten, perhaps for lack of a better option or perhaps to indulge on a rare occasion when the snack is available at a social function.

Also, may I just point out how cohesive the Democratic party is right now?  As someone observed earlier this week, the only thing George W. Bush repaired in his promise to be a "uniter not a divider" was the fracticiousness of the Democratic Party.  Tonight, Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, and Bill Clinton spoke as the headliners (Carter was noticeably absent from the convention of 1996 where Clinton was nominated for his second term); when the only progressive/moderate/conservative Democrat who is dissenting from the ranks is Zell Miller of Georgia, this party is doing pretty well.  Still, unlike the Republican National Party's current belief that to be united, a party must think and vote in lockstep (see for instance, the vote master himself, House Majority Leader and incredibly right-leaning Tom Delay), the Democratic party has a history of productive (and yes, sometimes unproductive) debate that has helped to continuously improve the party and its responsiveness to voters.  Still, being united against beating Bush is truly the most practical option right now if any wing of the party wants to achieve its goals.