# Senile Jimmy Carter Explains Animosity Toward President Obama **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 17, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464 "2009-09-17T17:43:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/1 "2009-09-17T17:43:31Z")
Where does Carter get off lecturing us again? He just KNOWS that anybody who disgrees with Obama is a racist! I wish Carter would stick to Habitat for Humanity. I am getting tired of his senile ravings.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/2 "2009-09-17T17:44:49Z")
Maybe a fucking link might be in order, so the rest of us can understand where YOUR senile ravings are coming from? ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/3 "2009-09-17T17:45:30Z")
Where did Carter say that ANYONE who disagrees with the President is a racist? ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/4 "2009-09-17T17:46:59Z")
Why is it so unconscionable to suggest that at least _some_ of the bilious crap that Obama has had to deal with is racially motivated? ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/5 "2009-09-17T17:49:08Z")
> [@Michael\_Ellis](#): > > Why is it so unconscionable to suggest that at least _some_ of the bilious crap that Obama has had to deal with is racially motivated? Because then we’d have to admit that Daddy isn’t perfect and our brains would explode. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/6 "2009-09-17T17:49:25Z")
[Here’s a link](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/6198519/Jimmy-Carter-attacks-on-Barack-Obama-fuelled-by-racism.html), though it’s from a British newspaper. > [@](#): > > I think that an overwhelming proportion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, he’s African American. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/7 "2009-09-17T17:52:23Z")
Considering the way Teabaggers, Becksuckers, and Freepers seem to regard him, I think there’s a lot of truth in Carter’s statement. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/8 "2009-09-17T17:53:18Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Where does Carter get off lecturing us again? He just KNOWS that anybody who disgrees with Obama is a racist! > I wish Carter would stick to Habitat for Humanity. I am getting tired of his senile ravings.:eek: Who are you to tell a great man to shut up? You little useless right-wing-talking-points-spouting pipsqueak. Jimmy Carter is not senile and you’re being ageist AND a liar. Jimmy Carter has more intelligence, insight and perception than any of the Republican/right-wing/mainstream pundits. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/9 "2009-09-17T17:55:08Z")
As a counterpoint, I agree with Carter about this, but I think that on the whole he’s a senescent old fool. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/10 "2009-09-17T18:00:47Z")
[Link](http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090916/D9AO5MA00.html): > [@](#): > > Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson’s outburst to President Barack Obama during a speech to Congress last week was an act “based on racism” and rooted in fears of a black president. > > “I think it’s based on racism,” Carter said in response to an audience question at a town hall held at his presidential center in Atlanta. “There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president.” > > The Georgia Democrat said the outburst was a part of a disturbing trend directed at the president that has included demonstrators equating Obama to Nazi leaders. > > “Those kind of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national program on health care,” he said. “It’s deeper than that.” Pretty much nothing that isn’t obviously true. ---
**Author:** ![VanLandry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/eb9ed0/32.png) [@VanLandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VanLandry)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/11 "2009-09-17T18:03:13Z")
Just for clarification, Carter stated that Joe Wilson’s comment during Obama’s speech last week was [based on racism](http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/20090916jimmy_carter_joe_wilson_comments_based_on_racism/). Personally, I dont see how one could possibly translate “You Lie!” into a racist statement but I’m sure some on this board will try to convince me otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/12 "2009-09-17T18:04:57Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > [Link](http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090916/D9AO5MA00.html): > > Pretty much nothing that isn’t obviously true. Thanks for the link, but I’m not entirely convinced. If the current President was Hillary Clinton or Al Gore, and was pushing the same policies, I think that people would still have their panties in a bunch. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/13 "2009-09-17T18:05:46Z")
> [@VanLandry](#): > > Personally, I dont see how one could possibly translate “You Lie!” into a racist statement One “theory” is that he meant to say “You lie, boy!” but bit his tongue just in time. Or you could laugh Maureen Dowd off, which is what I’d advise. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/14 "2009-09-17T18:07:47Z")
Racism exists in the Senate too. On Charley Rose last night ,Sen. Bingaman said many repubs understand health care is broken and needs to be fixed. Rose asked why they won’t come aboard to fix it, Bingaman said not on this presidents watch. You can figure out the message. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/15 "2009-09-17T18:08:50Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Pretty much nothing that isn’t obviously true. [/QUOTE] I am not looking for a Great Debate, but I honestly do not get why this is “obviously true.” I would give President Carter a break for saying some or even most of the flack the President gets is racially motivated. I’m not sure I’d agree with that, but it’s a statement not subject to proof and therefore not subject to challenge, and he’s not impugning anyone specific. But when he states that Joe Wilson’s outburst was “an act based on racism,” I really would like a little more information as to where that’s coming from. Is Joe Wilson a known racist? Has he engaged in racist acts or statements before? Is being disrespectful inherently racist? Is there any factual basis to think Mr. Wilson would not have reacted the same way to the same statement uttered in the same context by a white president? Mr. Carter is in effect calling Mr. Wilson a racist, and that to me is a gravely serious accusation, and one that should not be made without pretty persuasive proof. So to then see you go even beyond that to say that Mr. Carter’s assertion is _obviously_ true – well, it isn’t obvious to me. I’m genuinely interested what makes it obvious to you. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/16 "2009-09-17T18:09:22Z")
I’d actually think you’d be a fool NOT to realize that a lot of it’s race related. People may not come right out and say it, but it’s there all right. I don’t think I’ve seen this much animosity towards a president – hell, even Bush didn’t get this much bullshit. Most of the “Bush was behind 9-11” was all on the lunatic fringe. I didn’t see any protests like these – at least not this fucking scary. People were hyped up – but not like this. Not like this at all. During the Bush admin, most of the protests were all about the War – not about Bush _personally_. You’d think he’d kicked their puppy. No one was seriously saying he was the Antichrist, that they seriously believed he was a secret Commie/Nazi/Fascist, and determined to turn us over to Islamic terrorists, blah blah blah. And all these crazy conspiracy theories about Obama being born in Kenya, that he’s a Muslim (and what’s really disgusting is, as Colin Powell said, that is NOT a reason to hound someone), that he’s appointing too many “czars” etc. It’s insane. Making threats about “watering the tree of liberty”, bringing their guns, etc. It’s fucking _scary_. And all over what? A freaking _healthcare proposal_? You cannot tell me that’s **all** that this is about. We have the first black president, and all of a sudden there’s all this craziness? If you honestly don’t think racism is playing a part, then there’s a beautiful trio of bridges here in Pittsburgh I have up for sale! When it comes to showing stupidity, **ralph** , you never fail to disappoint! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/17 "2009-09-17T18:09:49Z")
I think it is quite possibly a matter of age, but not necessarily of senility. In Jimmy’s time, the race issue was a monster, a monster that looked impossible to beat. I can (sort of) relate, segregation is a matter of living memory to me. Much progress has been made, for which all good men are grateful. But what remains to be done? That part is much harder to pinpoint, the sand is shifting even as we watch. I don’t agree with Jimmy on this, but my opinion is based mostly on instinct and perception. I think the primary fear of Obama is not so much that he is half-black, but that he is all-change. The fact that he is of mixed race embodies change, he is that change as a person. And it is _change_ that they fear. Remember, the conservatives didn’t used to be insulted when called a racist. At least the level of hypocrisy has gone up, at least they must recognise that racism is unacceptable. There may very well be racism in conservative reaction to Obama, I cannot peer into their souls and inventory the contents, that’s way above my pay grade. Some of it is bound to be, of course, that’s just sheer demographics. To oversimplify: the first black President is change, and that’s scary. The next one will not be so scary, but the first gay President will be. And so it goes. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/18 "2009-09-17T18:09:49Z")
> [@VanLandry](#): > > Just for clarification, Carter stated that Joe Wilson’s comment during Obama’s speech last week was [based on racism](http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/20090916jimmy_carter_joe_wilson_comments_based_on_racism/). > > Personally, I dont see how one could possibly translate “You Lie!” into a racist statement but I’m sure some on this board will try to convince me otherwise. Jimmy Carter was not saying that everyone saying “You lie” is racist: he was saying that in this specific case Joe Wilson was racist. He was not looking at the words themselves, but the whole social and political environment. Of course, Carter might be wrong, but Wilson is a person who worked for Strom Thurmond early in his (Wilson’s) political career, and more recently was publicly upset at Essie Mae Washington-Williams revealing that she was Thurmond’s illegitimate daughter – one wonders if it was her mother’s race that was the problem, rather than the fact that she was illegitimate. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/19 "2009-09-17T18:10:44Z")
It wasn’t what he said (which was bullshit, but that’s irrelevant). It’s when he said it. No one in a joint session of Congress has ever interrupted a President while he was speaking before. It’s a new leap in disrespect that wouldn’t happen to a white POTUS. Plus Wilson has a history of borderline remarks and behavior when it comes to race. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464/20 "2009-09-17T18:13:28Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > …Or you could laugh Maureen Dowd off, which is what I’d advise. Excerpt from a phone call from the White House… “Maureen, I’m calling upon you to perform a great service for the liberal cause.” “Anything, Mr. President, name it!” “We want you to switch sides…” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senile-jimmy-carter-explains-animosity-toward-president-obama/510464.md?page=2)