Murdoch Apologizes For “Real Black President” Tweet But Ben Carson Defends It
Rupert Murdoch this morning scurried away from his radioactive President-Obama-not-a-real-black-president tweet:
Apologies! No offence meant. Personally find both men charming.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) October 8, 2015
That after causing a major uproar yesterday when he tweeted this:
Ben and Candy Carson terrific. What about a real black President who can properly address the racial divide? And much else.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) October 8, 2015
Murdoch had been tweeting in support of Carson – presumed to be part of a Murdoch campaign to take out front-runner Donald Trump. Carson’s been gaining on Trump in polls:
Don't miss Ben Carson tonight on Kelly File.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) October 6, 2015
Reputable IBD poll surprises with Carson at 24 and Trump at 17. Allowing fullest possible margin of error, they would be even.
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) October 3, 2015
Everywhere pundits keep underestimating Ben Carson. But public understand humility as admirable, listen to the multi-faceted strong message
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) October 3, 2015
Murdoch should not have apologized, Carson said this morning.
“I know Rupert Murdoch; he’s not a racist, by any stretch of the imagination. He’s expressing his opinion. I think it’s much to do about nothing,” Carson said.
“I believe what [Murdoch] was making reference to was the fact that there was a man who is a black president, that the black community was very excited about, who came in and whose policies have not elevated the black community,” Carson continued in a CNN interview.
But, when Wolf Blitzer asked Carson if he thought Obama was a “real black president,” Carson shot back, “I wouldn’t even get into such a conversation.”
“Well, he’ s the president and he’s black,” Blitzer noted accurately.
“We’re dealing with semantics,”Carson responded, adding, “I’m the last person who wants to play around with semantics and political correctness.”
Carson insisted Murdoch only apologized “because a lot of people took it the wrong way,” adding, “I think there are so many more important issues to deal with,” by way of signaling he was done with the subject.
But Blitzer noted Obama has confronted a “whole history of these kinds of accusations,” and asked Carson if he believes Obama was born on the United States. “I do believe that,” Carson said. Asked if he believed Obama is Christian, however, Carson responded, “He says he is.”
When pressed, Carson added, “I have to take him at his word” and would not budge off that.
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