Bridget Johnson "Former President Jimmy Carter has tipped his hat toward Sen. Bernie
Sanders (I-Vt.) as the liberal standard-bearer seeking the Democratic
nomination — but concedes that “stupid” campaign finance laws will hand
victory to Hillary Clinton.
"Carter told PBS that “more inherently” Sanders and Elizabeth Warren speak better on the issue of income inequality.
“ 'The senator was in the forefront of saying equality and doing away
with discrimination economically, constraining Wall Street, and doing
away with the domination that the rich people now have over the
political system,” Carter said of the Massachusetts Democrat.
“ 'And so since Elizabeth Warren decided not to run, I think Bernie
Sanders has kind of inherited her mantle for promoting less distinction
on an economic basis of American citizens.”
"But at the same time, Carter said, he knows “that the stupid decision by the Supreme Court on
Citizens United
to let money dominate America’s political system is giving, I would
say, Hillary Clinton a big advantage that will be, I think, overwhelming
toward the end of the campaign.”
"Sanders “speaks more for a liberal and the active wing of the Democratic Party,” the former president said.
“ 'I think he’s been a lot bolder in his promulgation of his own ideas
than has Hillary Clinton,” he added. “But I think she is going to come
along later and win.”
"Carter also commented on race relations, noting that after the Civil
Rights Era “I think the United States kind of breathed a sigh of relief
and said, well, we have resolved the race issue now, and there won’t be
anymore, detectable, at least, elements of an American society where
whites are in the supreme position, to the detriment of blacks.”
"“And I think the recent high public about the police and black
confrontations and the tragedy in Charleston have reminded us that we
still have a long way to go,” he said. “There’s still an innate racism
in our country that needs to be addressed accurately.' ”
Bridget Johnson is a veteran journalist whose news
articles and opinion columns have run in dozens of news outlets across
the globe. Bridget first came to Washington to be online editor at The
Hill, where she wrote The World from The Hill column on foreign policy.
Previously she was an opinion writer and editorial board member at the
Rocky Mountain News and nation/world news columnist at the Los Angeles
Daily News.
She is an NPR contributor and has contributed to USA Today, The Wall
Street Journal, National Review Online, Politico and more, and has
myriad television and radio credits as a commentator. Bridget is
Washington Editor for PJ Media.
