Carter: Gingrich knows how to appeal to racists

Former President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday accused former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of trying to appeal to racists in South Carolina.

“I think he has that subtlety of racism that I know quite well, that Gingrich knows quite well, that appeals to some people in Georgia, particularly the right-wing,” he said.

Speaking to a crowd in New Hampshire in early January, Gingrich said African Americans should demand jobs instead of food stamps. At the recent Republican debate in South Carolina, he defended the remark and said it was not insulting to African Americans.

“I wouldn’t say he is racist, but he knows the subtle words to use to appeal to a racist group,” Carter added.

“When you emphasize, over and over, welfare, food stamps, and ‘why don’t the black people get jobs,’ and if I’m president, I’ll make sure they turn toward a work ethic, rather than an ethic of welfare and food stamps, that’s appealing to the wrong element in South Carolina.”
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