On the road with Jimmy and Jack

Michael J. Mishak

Saturday, Oct. 21, 2006 | 8:03 a.m.

Few things can boost a political campaign like a former president.

For most candidates though, it's just that - a boost. For Jack Carter, the Democrat challenging Sen. John Ensign, it's his entire platform.

In many ways, Carter's candidacy begins and ends with his father's famous political name. In fact, it's exactly how he leads off his conversations with voters on the campaign trail. "I always tell people I'm Jimmy Carter's son," he said. "The light comes on every single time."

And Friday, on the eve of early voting, Jack Carter again turned to that connection, making the biggest push yet in a low-profile campaign that has struggled to gain momentum this election cycle.

Backed by nearly 20 members of his family - including his father, mother and three siblings - Carter led a massive get-out-the-vote drive that will stretch across the Silver State this weekend. "The way I'm going to offset (Ensign's) money is my family," Carter said. "And I knew that to start with."

The two-day blitz is Carter's last chance to capitalize on his father's fame and the free media that comes with it. The elder Carter leaves for India next week to help rebuild homes for the country's tsunami victims. After that, he's off to Nicaragua, where he's set to monitor a presidential election.

In an interview with the Sun, the former president said the grass-roots politicking that won him the White House in 1976 would translate into victory for his son this time around.

"Back in 1976, this is the way we defeated people with more money, better publicity and better recognition," Carter told a crowd at a union rally in Henderson on Friday.

Now a great-grandfather at 82, the former president is still a vigorous campaigner, visiting bars and bowling alleys, among other spots, throughout Southern Nevada.

Arriving early to their first stop, a meet-and-greet at Sierra Health Services in Las Vegas, Jimmy Carter doesn't waste time. He suggests they hand out campaign fliers in a nearby shopping center, but decides to surprise the company's employees instead, canvassing two separate floors of office workers.

"Good morning. Can I interrupt you for a minute?" he says, stopping at every office and cubicle along the way. "Please vote for my son for U.S. Senate. And tell your neighbors and friends to vote for him."

He stops to greet Cindy Naugler, a young, attractive account executive, flashing his famous smile as he leans in for a hug and kiss. "I couldn't resist," he says.

The excitement is palpable, as workers emerge from behind their desks, gather in the hallways and snap photos with the former president.

Downstairs, where Jack Carter is speaking with three women, is a decidedly different affair. They're talking about retirement accounts. One woman seems most interested in the candidate's parents, even asking Carter to sign a copy of his mother's book.

Later, the contrast repeats itself in the company's dining room. Hundreds of employees form a line to meet Jimmy Carter, many oblivious to Jack, standing at the back of the room.

"You know, the candidate is here, too," said Michael Zahara, a Democratic operative with the state party.

Asked whether his father was a hard act to follow, Jack Carter said he was content to play the role of a presidential son, and that he intends to play it to the hilt until Election Day.

"I don't care about that," Carter said as the line petered out. "The people who are going to him, most of them are going to vote for me."

For some, that was the case.

Rosemary Tumminia, a registered nurse who worked on the elder Carter's 1980 presidential campaign, pledged her vote to Jack Carter. "I think people are tired of what's going on in Washington," she said. "I want every Republican out and every Democrat in."

Still, she said, the presidential connection played a big part in her decision. "His father worked hard. Hopefully he will, too."

For others, the event was nothing more than a photo opportunity with the former president. Asked about Jack Carter the candidate, Denise Larsen, a case manager, said: "I know he's not a native Nevadan."

"I respect Jimmy Carter for the good work he's done," she said, adding that such admiration won't necessarily translate into a vote for Carter's son on Nov. 7.