"Teddy Roosevelt... once said, 'Speak softly and carry a big stick.' Jimmy Carter wants to speak loudly and carry a fly swatter"

The quote by Gerald R. Ford acts as a political review of Jimmy Carter's approach to leadership and foreign policy, making use of the well-known expression attributed to Teddy Roosevelt: "Speak softly and bring a huge stick". This maxim encapsulates a viewpoint of diplomacy backed by the implicit threat of strong military capability or definitive action. It recommends that one should negotiate peacefully however maintain a robust deterrent to make sure compliance and respect from others.

Ford's remark positions Roosevelt's technique as a perfect balance of diplomacy and strength, indicating that reliable leadership includes a peaceful however powerful presence on the world stage. By contrast, he depicts Jimmy Carter's approach--"to speak loudly and bring a fly swatter"-- as the reverse of this philosophy. The images of "speaking loudly" suggests a bold or excessively assertive stance without the fundamental power to back up one's words. The "fly swatter" represents futile tools or measures, trivializing Carter's means of imposing or executing his policies.

Ford's metaphor, therefore, suggests that Carter's method does not have the essential gravitas and strength to affect global relations successfully. In this light, Carter's management is portrayed as all rhetoric with little substantive power or impact, unable to command the respect or achieve the results anticipated of a superpower like the United States.

This review likely originates from particular disagreements Ford had with Carter over policy decisions or diplomatic techniques. The wider context reviews the understandings of American leadership throughout the Cold War age, where military may was deemed central to securing nationwide interests. Ford's remark recommends a step of hesitation regarding the effectiveness of Carter's presidency in satisfying these international difficulties, contrasting his approach with the laurels of previous leadership ideals represented by Roosevelt.