Prof. Goodwin Comments on Clear Channel Radio About President Jimmy Carter's Remarks
Professor Michele Bratcher Goodwin was a featured participant in a panel discussion on race and the United States presidency aired on Clear Channel radio stations throughout the country. She was joined by political commentator and Huffington Post contributor Max Wolff, former presidential candidate Reverend Jesse Jackson, and frequent Fox News guest Lamont Hill, a Columbia University professor.
Panelists debated whether former President Jimmy Carter was on the mark when he proclaimed earlier in the week that a fringe element of those opposed to health care reform were motivated by racial animus. Goodwin remarked that the president's advisors were likely unprepared for the deeply contentious pack of protesters and their public response to Obama's health care agenda, most specifically those who urge the president to return to Africa, carry witch doctor placards, and bring guns to town hall meetings. That element, Goodwin suggested, is not the mainstream. Goodwin noted that despite their ramped up media presence, the most violent and race-baiting of the anti-Obama protesters really are a fringe. Those groups must be considered apart from those with genuine concerns about health care reform, particularly as health care reform is an agenda urged by republicans as well as democrats. Ultimately, she noted health care is personal and the administration would have benefited the public by unpacking what the reform agendas and plans would mean to Americans in very practical terms. Americans want to know what will be covered in a national system, and equally what might be lost. Goodwin concluded by noting that the nation experienced a growth spurt with the election of Barack Obama and as such is now addressing the awkwardness that attends unanticipated growth. The 2-hour morning broadcast took calls from throughout the nation.
Panelists debated whether former President Jimmy Carter was on the mark when he proclaimed earlier in the week that a fringe element of those opposed to health care reform were motivated by racial animus. Goodwin remarked that the president's advisors were likely unprepared for the deeply contentious pack of protesters and their public response to Obama's health care agenda, most specifically those who urge the president to return to Africa, carry witch doctor placards, and bring guns to town hall meetings. That element, Goodwin suggested, is not the mainstream. Goodwin noted that despite their ramped up media presence, the most violent and race-baiting of the anti-Obama protesters really are a fringe. Those groups must be considered apart from those with genuine concerns about health care reform, particularly as health care reform is an agenda urged by republicans as well as democrats. Ultimately, she noted health care is personal and the administration would have benefited the public by unpacking what the reform agendas and plans would mean to Americans in very practical terms. Americans want to know what will be covered in a national system, and equally what might be lost. Goodwin concluded by noting that the nation experienced a growth spurt with the election of Barack Obama and as such is now addressing the awkwardness that attends unanticipated growth. The 2-hour morning broadcast took calls from throughout the nation.