The '60s, '70s, '80s were all difficult times for one reason or another. Also the '90s, the '00s, the '10s, and now the '20s.
Carter's foreign policy was weak and domestic policy was strong. I've read a few poor assessments that seem to amount to reflexive "Democratic, therefore awful" judgements. The Iranian hostage situation and failed rescue are over-emphasized. The malign influence of a pessimistic outlook ("malaise", versus the succeeding "morning in America") should be the main point of criticism. High marks for putting Volcker at the Fed and staying out of Volcker's way (ending high inflation was a very big deal).
Perspective, though: Democrats and Republicans were not as widely divided as now. Given that most conservatives have shifted "left" in some respects since then, I suppose Republican sentiment now is not far away from where moderate Democratic sentiment was then. I imagine Republicans today would mostly approve of 1976 Carter if he were dropped into the White House. If Democrats were doing something like airline deregulation today, I'd expect the progressive left to hate the party.