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WORLD: TV presenter labels Obama ‘a racist who hates whites’
Paul Thomson in Miami29 Jul 2009
Barack Obama has been accused of being a racist by a TV chat host.
Glenn Beck, a conservative presenter on Fox News, said he believed the president had a “deep-seated hatred” for white people and their culture.
His astonishing claim came during a discussion of Mr Obama's reaction to the arrest of a black Harvard University scholar by white policeman.
Mr Obama had said the police had acted “stupidly” over the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr, one of America's most respected professors. He later backtracked on his remarks and invited Professor Gates and the arresting officer to the White House tomorrow to settle the matter over a drink.
Beck has long been a critic of Mr Obama and leapt on his remarks. He told viewers of the Fox And Friends show that Obama had exposed himself as a “person with a deep-seated hatred for white people or white culture”.
He was challenged by host Brian Kilmeade, who said most people who worked for the nation's first black president were white.
“I'm not saying he doesn't like white people,” Beck said. “He has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist.”
Beck wondered what other president would immediately jump on the police for their actions in the case. Fox TV chiefs moved swiftly to say remarks were a personal opinion and not that of the channel, which is owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
Bill Shine, Fox News senior vice president of programming, said Beck had “expressed a personal opinion which represented his own views, not those of the Fox News Channel”.
White House officials remained silent about the remarks.
Beck, 45, has been on Fox for less than a year after moving from CNN. Conservative talk show hosts have been unrelenting in their criticism of Obama. In particular over his £1 trillion plans to overhaul the US health system.
Professor Gates was arrested after struggling to open the door to his home in the white, middle-class area around Harvard University. A neighbour called police and when they arrived Professor Gates, 58, refused to step out on the porch and was arrested. Charges of disorderly conduct were later dropped.
Reader views (14)
Black and white mixed race people are not well excepted by the white people of the USA. You hear some say that oh they feel so sorry for the child because they don't fit in with the white race really and are mostly accepted by the black race. I don't see Obama as black and white I see him as black period. But then there are people like me who don't see things as gray.... It is seen by me as black or white! But his color has nothing to do with his job! He is working to make changes in many things here that no other white president had the never to do. So cut him a break. Stop looking at his race! Give him a chance to do his job! Bush had the smae chance but he failed to do a damn thing except harm. He made me sick.... I couldn't stand to look at that racoon! Doesn't matter if Obama makes in the next election... let him do his job now please.
- Englandlover, Good Ole US of A, 01/09/2009 22:28
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Sensing a race riot of epic proportions Mr Obama has invited both parties to the whitehouse for a drink and a chat to sort it out.
Quite the most intelligent solution to what could become a major issue I have heard from a polititian in an awful long time.
- Jimbob, Kensington, 30/07/2009 08:23
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Beck's comments are 'foaming at the mouth and unsupported by intelligent people' only if you are a Obama supporter and disagree with the general Republican point of view - trust me, there's plenty more of the same being aimed AT the Republicans, much of it infinitely more radical than Beck's.
As far as the 'racist' label goes? I think Obama unwisely showed bias in this case for a friend who IS of the mindset that 'the white guys are out to get him' (the man is a professor in African American studies - not exactly a peace and racial harmony academic). And yes, I do join in the mudslinging at Obama (that's what saying you dislike the socialist politics of a man who has committed more debt to the average American in a few short months, with the intention of increasing this with his socialized medicine plans, than the last 8 years under GWB is called 'mud-slinging'). It's called opposing a point of view. It's allowed.
- Rogan, Irving, 30/07/2009 05:49
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Bad president all round with no idea how to govern
- Tony, UK, 29/07/2009 17:08
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It's looking ever more likely that Obama will be a one term President.
- Ted, London, 29/07/2009 14:56
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Obama is a proud black man, the type that Glenn Beck fear more than anything else therefore he vents his anger at the President. At least President Obama has the backbone and confidence to speak out on a very important issue in American society.
- Jean Doctrove, London, UK, 29/07/2009 14:23
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Don't worry, Jon Stewart will take this guy apart on the The Daily Show (More4).
- Bloke, London, 29/07/2009 12:43
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Having watched this guy Beck on early evening TV when I was in Miami in February this year, and then on occasion back in UK (think it's on the Fox channel on satellite), I am quite amazed that it has taken so long for someone to comment on the bilge and one-eyed nonsense that Glenn Beck spouts. He makes Bill O'Reilly (another controversial and unpleasant TV 'personality') look reasonable.
I'm not convinced that giving these people air time enhances democracy in the USA - merely denies the intelligent folk of that country a balanced and informed debate, and reinforces the biggotry of the ignorant viewers.
...Or are his views just 'entertainment' and I'm missing the point?
- Dc, London, 29/07/2009 11:04
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Have you guys ever seen Glenn Beck go off on one of his foaming-at-the-mouth rants? He has an average of three an hour on his Fox programmes. He's clearly unbalanced.
And like all the other Fox New republican-sympathiser presenters/journalists, his interview ' technique ' is to shout down or mock any interviewee whose views he disagrees with , or more ' subtly ' tell them ' we're runnng out of time '.
Walter Cronkite he ain't.
- Jargonaut, South London, 29/07/2009 10:37
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What a fool. He's either delusional or just too desperate to make some headlines. What a ridiculous thing to say.
- Nolan, Londonist, 29/07/2009 09:57
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He sounds more deeply ungrateful than racist, given his long-standing failure to properly acknowledge that were it not for his white relatives, he would not have had the education and opportunities that he did and instead focussing on the "heritage" of an absent father.
- Hb, England, 29/07/2009 09:51
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I think that snipe owuld apply more to Gordon Brown and his gang.
- Steve, London, 29/07/2009 08:37
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The problem is the US is that the race card is played in virtually all circumstances. Here a so called "News" presenter in the US (not that any real news is reported in the US) uses race to vent his personal anger about who was elected President. There are a very vocal minority in the US who throw mud at Obama in the vain hope that it will stick. People like Beck have no place in a modern society. He should report facts and not put his personal opinions on his programme.
As for Gates, maybe if he had spoken to his neighbours then they would recognise him. Maybe it's more of a reflection on the US society that people do not speak to eachother and the sense of community has been lost.
- Dannyp, Egham, 29/07/2009 08:17
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Having read "Dreams of My Father", Obama does come across as a mixed race guy with a large chip on his shoulder in relation to white people. He ignores the fact that both his father (black) and step father (black) were hardly role model fathers, spending very little time with him. Whereas his mother (white) and grandparents (white) brought him up, nurtured and encouraged his development. He seem to idolise his father and black heritage while ignoring his white ancestry altogether.
In "Audacity of Hope", he has mellowed and you can see an apparent transition to a statesman. I doubt very much that he is a racist, more a product of a racist and divided society. It is widely known that he has close friends of all colours, races and religions. Let us not forget that the US police are hardly the bastion of diplomacy, tolerance or promoters of racial harmony.
- Adam, Harrow, UK, 29/07/2009 08:14
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