Jimmy Carter: Wilson's Outburst Was Racist

Animosity is based on the fact that Obama is a "black man," Carter says

Updated 6:47 AM PST, Wed, Sep 16, 2009

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Former President Jimmy Carter said in an interview Tuesday that Congressman Joe Wilson's "you lie" outburst to President Obama was "based on racism" and that many of the critiques leveled against the president have been made because of his black heritage.

"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," Carter said in an sit-down with NBC's Brian Williams.

Carter specifically said that Wilson's comment was "dastardly" and part of an "inherent feeling" held by many Americans -- particularly Southerners -- that African-Americans "are not qualified to lead this great country."

"It's an abominable circumstances and grieves me and concerns me very deeply," Carter said.

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First Published: Sep 15, 2009 6:34 PM PST

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{"totSize":30,"payload_type":"json","status":"1","results":[{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_59410277","adminTags":null,"views":2253,"createdBy":12546946,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Jimmy Carter: Wilson's Outburst Was Racist","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":1391763,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"16 Sep 2009 02:23:32 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"ianmSC","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"782698","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"What an absolute moron. <br><br>I consider myself a stupidist. I'm racist against stupid people. Which is why I can't stand Jimmy Carter or Barack Obama. Baby it don't matter if you're black or white. "},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_59410277","adminTags":null,"views":2253,"createdBy":9259469,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Jimmy Carter: Wilson's Outburst Was Racist","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":1391763,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"16 Sep 2009 02:25:50 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"UglyinLA","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"782705","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"White liberals have had an agenda for over a half century to socialize America much like their bretheren in Europe and Russia. Their success has been methodical but slow. Socialized medicine was next on their hit list. They waited until they had all the right people in place. A strong president, and total control of both houses. But they didnt realize the strength of the american people to be able to critcize the president. Thus, their attempt in 1994 failed. They devised a new plan. Put a black face on it and call anyone who opposed socialized medicine a racist. They found their boy. Aided by a compliant media, they put their boy in power. Now is the their moment. The black face is working to their advantage. The media is compliant and denounces the mobs as racist. The liberals are ecstatic. Soon health care will be under government control and there will be no turning back. Next will be the energy market and the financial systems. And then finally the prize... the control of free speech. Their tactic is simple...keep putting black faces into high positions and call the mobs racist. "},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_59410277","adminTags":null,"views":2253,"createdBy":10079111,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Jimmy Carter: Wilson's Outburst Was Racist","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":1391763,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"16 Sep 2009 02:46:54 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"the_doctor","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"782802","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"While Bush tried really hard, Jimmy Carter always manages to come up with more proof why he was the worst president ever. Even in retirement he is an embarassment."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_59410277","adminTags":null,"views":2253,"createdBy":12548422,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Jimmy Carter: Wilson's Outburst Was Racist","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":1391763,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"16 Sep 2009 03:08:26 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"Will_N_To_think","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"782908","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Oh, I see where this is going. Oppose a black liberal man and you are racist. Oppose a liberal female and you are sexist. Oppose an openly gay liberal and you are hateful. However, it is completely acceptable to oppose a black conservative man or a Sarah Palin.<br>"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"390259_59410277","adminTags":null,"views":2253,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Jimmy Carter: Wilson's Outburst Was Racist","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":1391763,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"16 Sep 2009 03:35:08 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"783097","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"I think this takes a complete idiot to call this racism. Maybe Carter is trying to help his party but I don't think there is any help available and he certainly is not in any position to make this determination. Joe Wilson had read the bill, knew what it said and knew there was no protection in it to prevent illegals from taking advantage of the system. It is too bad the Democrats don't read their own crap. "}],"error":"","totPages":6}