Former President Jimmy Carter: "Racism plays major role in opposition to Obama"

[pootypooty]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/15/carter.obama/

(CNN) -- Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that racial politics played a role in South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during President Obama's speech to Congress last week and in some of the opposition the president has faced since taking office.

"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 told NBC News. "I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that shares the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans."

"That racism inclination still exists, and I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of belief among many white people -- not just in the South but around the country -- that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply," Carter said.

Carter made similar remarks at an event at his presidential center in Atlanta, Georgia, The Associated Press reported Tuesday, pointing to some protesters who have compared Obama to a Nazi. "Those kind of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national program on health care," the former president said at the Carter Center, according to AP. "It's deeper than that."

He grouped Wilson's shout of "You lie!" during Obama's speech in that category, according to AP. "I think it's based on racism. There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president," he said.

"The president is not only the head of government, he is the head of state. And no matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect."

The House voted Tuesday to formally disapprove of Wilson's behavior during the joint session of Congress. The resolution was approved largely along party lines, with Republicans calling the measure unnecessary partisan politics.

Wilson apologized to the White House last week, but congressional Democrats said he owed the chamber a similar statement of regret.

[Suffice]

C'mon, what role can racism possibly play in this? the guy's a conservative, with strong conviction that the Heatlh-Care overhaul will not work. Obama gets more respect in Washington than any president since Reagan.

[Sikotic™]

The problem with America today is that whenever a vanilla face opposes a chocolate face, its automatically racism. Not to go off topic, but even with the whole VMA retardation. A black guy ruins a white girl's moment and all of a sudden its the black man out to get payback on whitey. I've literally heard people say this stupid shit lol.

Its politics. Democrat vs. Republican. If Joe Biden was giving the speech, the same guy woulda screamed the same shit.

[Blasphemy]

While no doubt more racist are starting to come out of the wood work (regardless of there color, white seem to be showing a increase, I guess the comfort zone is destroyed). This wasn't race based, it was political party based. Republican vs Democratic president. Not a surprise. The entire political system is infected with both parties retarded tendencies, but I think Jimmy Presents us with some even more retarded tendencies making something into a issue that its not...

[pootypooty]

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/obama/2009/09/16/obama-doesnt-see-race-as-a-factor-in-criticism.html

President Obama doesn't believe that racism is much of a factor in the wave of opposition to his policies evident at rallies and other protests around the country this summer. Obama acknowledges that many Americans oppose his ideas on healthcare and other issues, but he disagrees with those who see racism at play, a senior Obama adviser told U.S.  News.

Obama, the first African-American president, still feels a strong sense of approval and affection from the crowds that he speaks to, a replication of the positive attitudes he felt from voters, both white and black, during the campaign. Obama believes that any racist sentiment against him is held by a very tiny minority that doesn't reflect the attitudes of the vast majority of Americans, the senior Obama aide says. Obama tells friends that the American people have been very "welcoming" to him, and he gets the feeling that they are still rooting for him to succeed.

The media, including CNN, Fox News, columnist Maureen Dowd of The New York Times, and writers in the blogosphere, are raising questions about whether the anti-Obama movement is tinged with racial prejudice. Some critics have also questioned whether Republican Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina would have disrupted President Obama's address to Congress last week—calling Obama a liar—if the president had been white.

[Cali Climate]

Of course he's not allowed to acknowledge any racial implications, if he does all his detractors will have more ammo and call him a whiny sensitive coon, or something like that.

[The Overfiend]

Of course he's not allowed to acknowledge any racial implications, if he does all his detractors will have more ammo and call him a whiny sensitive coon, or something like that.

HAHAAA

[LAXCENTRAL]

C'mon, what role can racism possibly play in this? the guy's a conservative, with strong conviction that the Heatlh-Care overhaul will not work. Obama gets more respect in Washington than any president since Reagan.

reagan was a G though

[Suffice]

C'mon, what role can racism possibly play in this? the guy's a conservative, with strong conviction that the Heatlh-Care overhaul will not work. Obama gets more respect in Washington than any president since Reagan.

reagan was a G though

Reagan was a G, but he was terrible for American culture

[Primo]

You guys are all wrong. The Obama opposition Tea Party that had over a million people show up on 9/12 in Washington was majority independent. There were in fact 3 black speakers who were involved. So much for the liberal media making this look like a race issue. LOL

[Cali Climate]

C'mon, what role can racism possibly play in this? the guy's a conservative, with strong conviction that the Heatlh-Care overhaul will not work. Obama gets more respect in Washington than any president since Reagan.

reagan was a G though

Reagan was a G, but he was terrible for American culture

Through his financial or social policies? What do you mean by that?

[jeromechickenbone]

I agree, a lot of hate towards Obama because of his color...unfortunately there is still a dying segment of America that is racist and really ignorant.  They are def a dying breed, but they're a loud ass dying bread.  Everybody needs to just chill.

[Suffice]

C'mon, what role can racism possibly play in this? the guy's a conservative, with strong conviction that the Heatlh-Care overhaul will not work. Obama gets more respect in Washington than any president since Reagan.

reagan was a G though

Reagan was a G, but he was terrible for American culture

Through his financial or social policies? What do you mean by that?

A few factors - With Reagan came nonconservative politics, which bred the likes of Bush 1 & 2, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Rove, Perle, and Wolfowitz.
- Reagan's laissez-faire policies towards the economy, coupled with de-regulation of many industries led to what we have today, and it's affecting the whole world.
- Reagan formed a coalition with the Christian Right, something that made both parties stronger. Religion mixed with Politics = bad idea, in my book.
- Reagan was an advocate to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which in retrospect was a horrible blow to the entire eastern Europe and Central Asia. Countries which relied on each other all of a sudden had to fend for themselves, and the standard of living dropped significantly in most, if not all Eastern Bloc countries. Then we have Yugoslavia and the Armenian-Azeri conflict, which cost many lives, also a result of the breakdown of the Soviet Union, but I'm diverging into new territory.
- Reagan amplified the "war on drugs" like crazy, and so this polarized the country even more.

probably many more, i can't quite think of it right now

[Primo]

Of course there are racist and ignorant people, but to marginalize everybody that is against Obamas policies as a racist than that is too far. A perfect example of divide and conquer by the news media.

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

You cant say that ANYtime ANYone opposes Obamas policies that they are a racist. But it is also completely naive to believe that in America, race wont play a role in why a lot of people do oppose Obama.  Bottom line, you might not see it everyday...or even care to see it everyday...but this country does still have a lot of racist people. No, it isnt the 50's and 60's where racism was in your face and pretty much acceptable. But those same racist people who lived or grew up in the 60's are still alive, or are passing down their racist attitudes to their children.  The law doesnt allow people to just go out and lynch people at will...so that racism has to manifest itself in another form.  I dont think it helps with the advancement of our country to act as if anytime a white person disagrees with an Obama policy its racism...but it also doesnt help to pretend as if it isnt a possibility either, given this countries history...and present.