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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Race 'not behind health protests' | Race 'not behind health protests' |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| President Barack Obama has said that some Americans may oppose him because of race, but that this has not been the main factor behind healthcare protests. | President Barack Obama has said that some Americans may oppose him because of race, but that this has not been the main factor behind healthcare protests. |
| He suggests, in TV interviews to be broadcast on Sunday, anti-government sentiment was the key reason for angry protests against healthcare reform. | He suggests, in TV interviews to be broadcast on Sunday, anti-government sentiment was the key reason for angry protests against healthcare reform. |
| Former President Jimmy Carter said this week that much of the vitriol against reform plans was "based on racism". | Former President Jimmy Carter said this week that much of the vitriol against reform plans was "based on racism". |
| Many felt "that an African-American should not be president", he said. | Many felt "that an African-American should not be president", he said. |
| Mr Carter made the point after Republican lawmaker Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!" while Mr Obama was delivering an address on healthcare to Congress last week. | Mr Carter made the point after Republican lawmaker Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!" while Mr Obama was delivering an address on healthcare to Congress last week. |
| 'Volatile issue' | 'Volatile issue' |
| Recent protests against Mr Obama's healthcare reform plans have included angry town hall meetings and a taxpayers' demonstration in Washington last weekend. | Recent protests against Mr Obama's healthcare reform plans have included angry town hall meetings and a taxpayers' demonstration in Washington last weekend. |
| Are there some people who don't like me because of my race? - I'm sure there are Barack Obama Race debate grips America How Carolinians see the race row href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/2009/09/obama_man_with_a_message.html">Mardell: Man with a message | |
| Some have accused Mr Obama of tyranny and promised to "reclaim America". | Some have accused Mr Obama of tyranny and promised to "reclaim America". |
| In comments to ABC, Mr Obama said race was a "volatile issue" and "it becomes hard for people to separate out race being a sort of part of the backdrop of American society versus race being a predominant factor in any given debate". | In comments to ABC, Mr Obama said race was a "volatile issue" and "it becomes hard for people to separate out race being a sort of part of the backdrop of American society versus race being a predominant factor in any given debate". |
| "Are there some people who don't like me because of my race?" he said. "I'm sure there are. | "Are there some people who don't like me because of my race?" he said. "I'm sure there are. |
| "Are there some people who voted for me only because of my race? There are probably some of those too. | "Are there some people who voted for me only because of my race? There are probably some of those too. |
| HEALTHCARE IN THE US 46 million uninsured, 25 million under-insuredHealthcare costs represent 16% of GDP, almost twice OECD averageReform plans would require all Americans to get insuranceSome propose public option to compete with private insurers Q&A: US healthcare reform Reform: Who wants what? Obama's healthcare fight-back | HEALTHCARE IN THE US 46 million uninsured, 25 million under-insuredHealthcare costs represent 16% of GDP, almost twice OECD averageReform plans would require all Americans to get insuranceSome propose public option to compete with private insurers Q&A: US healthcare reform Reform: Who wants what? Obama's healthcare fight-back |
| But he added that he thought some were "more passionate about the idea of whether government can do anything right. | But he added that he thought some were "more passionate about the idea of whether government can do anything right. |
| "And I think that that's probably the biggest driver of some of the vitriol." | "And I think that that's probably the biggest driver of some of the vitriol." |
| In a separate interview with CNN, Mr Obama said he did not think race was the "the overriding issue here". | In a separate interview with CNN, Mr Obama said he did not think race was the "the overriding issue here". |
| He also said he was not the first president to come up against angry protests. | He also said he was not the first president to come up against angry protests. |
| "The things that were said about FDR [Franklin Roosevelt] were pretty similar to the things that were said about me - that he was a communist, he was a socialist," Mr Obama said. | "The things that were said about FDR [Franklin Roosevelt] were pretty similar to the things that were said about me - that he was a communist, he was a socialist," Mr Obama said. |
| "Things that were said about Ronald Reagan when he was trying to reverse some of the New Deal programmes were pretty vicious as well." | "Things that were said about Ronald Reagan when he was trying to reverse some of the New Deal programmes were pretty vicious as well." |