A peanut farmer from Plains, Ga., is unlikely to become world famous — unless he becomes president.
For that to actually happen, it took an amazing campaign year in 1976 for former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday at 100.
It was made possible with a full-court press by his large family and endless effort by campaign staff and volunteers. When WUFT News went searching for Gainesville residents who worked on the campaign, people said we needed to track down Phyliss Bleiweis.
She's now retired — in Georgia, of course — and explained the attraction of joining the campaign that became known as the peanut brigade.
"We went shopping for hors d'oeuvres for this meeting," Bleiweis remembers, "and our conversation went something like this: 'Well, he used to be the governor of Georgia, but he's not anything anymore and this guy thinks he's going to be president, and you know that'll never happen.'
"So, instead of buying donuts, we bought donut holes. That was the start," she said.
A small snack for the small start to a campaign that proved historic. Bleiweis helped spearhead the grassroots effort.
"I started out doing a little here and there," said Bleweiss, a retired manager of a non-profit organization. "And I ended up quitting my job and doing (the campaign) full time."
The campaign shook Florida politics.
"Nobody knew who he was really," she said. "And the campaign basically lived in Florida. And then there was the peanut brigade. Do you know about that?"
A tiny pin became the symbol of this group of volunteers. The peanut brigade went state to state and door to door for Carter.
And it was a surprise win in the 1976 Florida primary that paved the way.
"Florida has faced more than its fair share of crises over the past two years," said Bob Graham in the late 1970s. He served as Florida's governor from 1979 to 1987. "In each one, we've had a friend in President Carter."
Carter ended up beating incumbent Gerald Ford in the general election, saying "I owe the special interest nothing. I owe everything to you, the people of this country."
Bleiweis ended up on the commission for White House Fellowships for the nation's 39th president.
Her fondest memory?
"Getting a hug from him in the Oval Office after the election."
It was a hug from a man who had never before served in national office.
"He's a good person, and I think that's going to resonate with me more than anything," she said.
Carter later spent decades working to forward the causes of peace and human dignity, something Bleiweis continues to appreciate.
"You did good. You did a good job. You are a great influence," she said of Carter's legacy. "I really do believe that."
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