Former President Jimmy Carter said out loud what Democrats had been whispering for a while, that the protests against the country’s first black president are tinged with racism.
Carter’s forceful words threw the issue into the forefront of public debate.
“I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he’s African American,” Carter said in an interview on NBC.
While others had raised the issue, it wasn’t until Carter’s blunt words that it reached a crescendo as loud as the protests.
Carter mentioned his southern roots in saying ”that racism inclination still exists” in the country and many white people believe African Americans are not qualified to be president.
Critics of Obama have protested at town hall meetings around the country, rallied in Washington, and even yelled out on the floor of the House of Representatives (Congressman Joe Wilson’s “you lie”).
Michael Steele, the first black chairman of the Republican National Committee, issued a statement that said: “President Carter is flat out wrong. This isn’t about race. It is about policy.” 
Steele accused Democrats of trying to shift attention away from the president’s unpopular healthcare plan.
“Characterizing Americans’ disapproval of President Obama’s policies as being based on race is an outrage and a troubling sign about the lengths Democrats will go to disparage all who disagree with them,” he said.
Obama did not respond to a shouted question by a reporter about Carter’s racism comments.
UPDATE: White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says that Obama doesn’t believe the criticism is racist. “The president does not believe that it’s based on the color of his skin.”
Is there an objective barometer for whether a protest is based on racism or policy?
What do you think? Are the protests about race or policy or both?
Click here for more Reuters political coverage
Photo Credit: Reuters/Eric Thayer (Carter at 2008 Democratic National Convention), Reuters/Molly Riley (Steele after being elected RNC chairman in January)
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Opposition to Obamacare is about FINES, PENALTIES, ‘CONTRIBUTIONS’, new TAXES. The majority will likely end up losing their TAX-FREE employer-provided med/dent benefits as one of many unintended consequences.
Opposition to Obamaspend is about trillions in new federal DEBT.
Opposition to Obama’s Russian appeasement viz a viz Eastern European missile defense retooling is about the fact that the Russians would twist Iranian arms only if the Iranians posed a threat to THEM.
And opposition to Obama’s ‘war of necessity’ is about the fact that the toppling of the Taliban gov’t back in late 2001 was as good as it gets for us and the Afghans.
- Posted by dom youngrossJimmy Carter has become a Disgrace.
I voted for him, and I did not blame him for a helicopter crashing into a plane during a dust storm. I also was not sure he was responsible for Stag-Flation and long Gas lines in the late 70’s [economies go in cycles and presidents don’t always have much immediate control over them – they have often been compared to Quarterbacks: to much credit for a Win, and too much blame for a Loss].
However: ……………
He Revealed the ‘Stealth Program’ (Highly Classified, & Never mentioned by the Media) years before it should have been revealed, because he was sliding in the polls against Reagan (I could never really find a way to justify his actions on that one), –he Lost the election !!
His constant Talking about His ‘Carter Center’ came across as Shameless Advertising (like someone with a new Business or Product finding themselves on TV for the first time,) and an attempt to Resurrect his “Legacy”.
He Blames the Israelis 100% for the problems with the palestinians (one sided & Absolute to a fault).
He has an On-Going FUDE with the Clintons (Why I thought Liberals were ForGiving, and not Grudgey).
Now he lays down a Broad Brush Stereotype about ‘most’ Southerners & anyone dis-agreeing with O’bum. (why I thought Liberals were too Open-Minded & Compassionate to Stereotype people). It is not possible in his mind that people think a HUGE Governmental Medical Program could introduce major new “Glitches & Inefficiencies” that could ‘Mire’ the whole system for 10-20 years (if they could ever be worked out) and ‘Balloon the Budget’ (far beyond anything Bush did) to an Un-Retrievable point…………Why NO, these concerns could “not possibly” explain Most of the opposition.
As I said:…. Jimmy Carter has become a Disgrace.
- Posted by Da TruthGetplaning, today friday Gallup poll, people who think Obama will achieve his goals in the health debate 30%,people who think he will not 60%get your head out of the sand you ostrich!anyway, grudgingly enjoy your weekend.
- Posted by brian leeKudos to President Obama for getting in front of the argument over whether or not the heated debates and disagreements are related to race.
See:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/19/health /policy/19obama.html?_r=1&hp
and
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articl es/2009/09/19/obama_says_government_role _in_health_care_is_the_issue_not_race/
Thank you, Mr. President.
- Posted by Mark Boabacabrian, you keep saying that Obama’s poll numbers are tanking. While they had fallen in previous weeks, they are rising slightly now.
But there is something you have avoided- Poll numbers for the conservative opposition have remained where they are.
Way, way down, and not rising at all. Keep waving those signs.
- Posted by getplaningBe clear. Carter didn’t say that the protests were motivated by racism. He was careful with his words, attributing racist motives only to “an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward Barack Obama.” This is an apt description of protesters exhibiting the most extreme vehemence and vitriol at the person, not his policies.
- Posted by matty b