Under Georgia 's constitution , Carter was ineligible to run for re-election . Looking toward a potential presidential run , Carter engaged himself in national politics and public appearances . He was named to several southern planning commissions and was a delegate to the 1972 Democratic National Convention , where the liberal U.S. Senator George McGovern was the likely presidential nominee . Carter tried to ingratiate himself with the conservative , anti-McGovern voters , so that the convention would consider him for McGovern 's running mate on a compromise ticket . He endorsed Senator Henry " Scoop " Jackson , in part to distance himself from George Wallace . Carter was still fairly obscure at the time , and his attempt at triangulation failed ; the 1972 Democratic ticket went to McGovern and Senator Thomas Eagleton . On August 3 , Carter met with Wallace in Birmingham , Alabama to discuss preventing the Democratic Party from losing in a landslide during the November elections
1972 Democratic National Convention
1972 Democratic National Convention
Jimmy Carter