Jimmy Carter: Wilson's Outburst Was Racist

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

Updated 9:47 AM EST, 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 8:34 PM EST

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{"totSize":10,"payload_type":"json","status":"1","results":[{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331759_59410277","adminTags":null,"views":1332,"createdBy":10124537,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Jimmy Carter: Wilson's Outburst Was Racist","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":1391680,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"16 Sep 2009 01:41:51 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"Fairfax","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"782522","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"anything you dont like about obama is racist. i cant wait to put a white man back to the white house so i dont have to hear racist again."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331759_59410277","adminTags":null,"views":1332,"createdBy":12548682,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Jimmy Carter: Wilson's Outburst Was Racist","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":1391680,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"16 Sep 2009 03:19:56 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"LEFTBRAIN","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"782979","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"With all due respect to the former President, he should keep his mouth shut of his extreme views. I can't remember the last time I heard something not absolutely incendiary come from the past President. My "inherent feelings" are that I don't believe Jimmy Carter was "qualified to lead this great country" nor be a current spokesman for our great country. I'm white and he's white. There's nothing racist about that. His radical views have me deeply concerned. Again, nothing racist about that. He can gladly speak for all the other Southerners (i.e. implied racists) if he wants to, but keep me out of it."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331759_59410277","adminTags":null,"views":1332,"createdBy":12478239,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Jimmy Carter: Wilson's Outburst Was Racist","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":1391680,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"16 Sep 2009 03:56:54 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"FedUpChris","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"783187","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"No offense to Mr. Carter but since when does his opinion count... he ruined his chance at being a decent president so now is he trying to make a name for himself as an instigator of nonsense.<br>The guy was out of line, he was empassioned about his belief.... that hardly makes him racist. Anything anyone disagrees with this administration on is considered racist. What is this country coming to? When a liberal extremist shouts their incessant blathering its considered freedom of speech but when an empassioned congressman wrongfully shouts something he shouldn't, he's labeled a racist. The left better wake up."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331759_59410277","adminTags":null,"views":1332,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Jimmy Carter: Wilson's Outburst Was Racist","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":1391680,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"16 Sep 2009 08:48:22 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"783639","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"LeftBrain, I bet you think George Bush was a great President.<br>Do you read anything or do you just listen to Fix News.<br>"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331759_59410277","adminTags":null,"views":1332,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"Jimmy Carter: Wilson's Outburst Was Racist","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":1391680,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"16 Sep 2009 09:18:33 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"783669","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Wolf, wolf... Wolf, Help, there's a wolf... This time I'm telling the truth, there really is a wolf. Help, wolf, wolf. "}],"error":"","totPages":2}