Before the interview, critics and supporters alike struggled to pin a label on Carter . Was he a progressive Southern liberal, or a conservative wolf in sheep's clothing?
"Strange, Sincere Man": Revisiting Jimmy Carter’s 1976 Playboy Interview noted in a 1976 interview
The 1976 interview revealed a man who was deeply religious—an "old-time, brooding Evangelist"—yet socially progressive. He spoke of his desire for a balanced budget while simultaneously pushing for a national health program and equal rights for Black Americans and women. Before the interview, critics and supporters alike struggled
"I've looked on a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times." Before the interview