Jimmy Carter Refers To Barack Obama As 'Black Boy'

CARELESS CARTER

Talk Hosts Question Former President's Obama Reference







Once again underscoring an irritating media double-standard, former President Jimmy Carter has managed to escape scrutiny after an unfortunate reference to Barack Obama as a "black boy".

Though Carter may not have had racist intentions in making the remark, which occurred during a PBS interview, it's unlikely a conservative would be forgiven for this kind of gaffe.

That shared sentiment has conservative hosts jumping on the issue today, including Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin.

The comment was first noted by Kerry Picket at Eyeblast.tv, who uploaded the video clip shown below.

First, from Limbaugh's program:

RUSH: Jimmy Carter, ladies and gentlemen, last night on PBS special coverage. The anchor Jim Lehrer said, "And do you think that if it happens that Obama is elected, or even just being nominated, will send positive ripple effects throughout the country on the race issue?"


CARTER: It already has sent a wave of approbation and admiration in many countries around the world just knowing that this black boy who grew up with just a loving mother and -- and grandparents and that was about all he had to start with, has now had a chance to become the nominee of the Democratic Party for president. We've seen a disillusionment about our country in the last eight years with a lot of things happening like torturing of prisoners and that sort of thing. If Obama is elected, which I think he is gonna be, then I think that will be the transforming grace for the end of racism and prejudice and hatred between races in this country.

LEHRER: That's quite a statement.

CARTER: I believe it's true.


RUSH: He's another fool. Jimmy Carter is another one of the fools in the top of the feed chain here at the Democrat Party. The black civil rights leadership has said, "Jimmy, it's not going to end the race business." Nothing is going to end the race business. They're not going to go out of business. They're saying he doesn't have any slave blood, Jimmy. He doesn't come from the struggle. His election doesn't do anything, it doesn't change anything, Jimmy. I wonder how long it would take me referring to Obama as that little black boy, I mean how many times before there was an outrage from the Drive-By Media. I ought to give this a test run. Every time I intend to say Obama, I say black boy and just see how long it takes 'em. No, even cluing the audience in, folks, we're going to play a little game here, I'm going to do a Jimmy Carter impersonation, I'm going to see how long it takes people to excoriate me for doing this. The staff is advising me not to make this move, ladies and gentlemen, not to take this step. I just want you to know, I, of course, listen to the staff, but I take my own counsel.

Meanwhile, over at Hot Air, Ed Morrissey believes Carter has done nothing wrong:

I’m getting a lot of e-mail from people today about Jimmy Carter’s appearance with Jim Lehrer. People have gotten exercised about Carter supposedly calling Barack Obama “boy”, which as almost everyone knows, is a racial putdown of the first order when referring to adult black men. However, that’s not what Carter did, and the reason the media hasn’t made a big deal of this is because it isn’t a big deal.

As we know they would go nuts if Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin or anyone else in conservative talk radio were to repeat those very words, your Radio Equalizer respectfully disagrees. Remember Phony Soldiers? In that instance, his words were twisted to suit their agenda. Here, they wouldn't even have to go to that much trouble.

The mainstream media is about protecting its partisan friends and undermining enemies. Let's not confuse the issue, it's not about what Carter said, but their highly selective sense of outrage.


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