Jimmy Carter Conspicuously Absent From Podium
By Brett Lieberman and Nathan Guttman
28/08/08 "The
Forward" -- - Denver Former president Jimmy
Carters controversial views on Israel cost him
a place on the
podium at the Democratic Party convention in
late August, senior
Democratic operatives acknowledged to the
Forward.
Breaking with the tradition of giving speech
time to living
former presidents, convention organizers
honored Carter with
only a short video clip highlighting his work
with Hurricane
Katrina victims and a brief walk across the
Pepsi Center stage.
The sidelining of Carter was driven by
recognition in the Obama
camp and among Democratic leaders that giving
the former
president a prominent convention spot might
alienate Jewish
voters.
What more could we do to diss Jimmy Carter?
said a Democratic
official who was involved in deliberations on
how to handle the
former presidents presence at the convention.
The treatment
Carter received, the official added, reflects
the bare minimum
that could be done for a former president.
Although Carter says limiting his presence at
the convention was
his idea, denying him a speaking opportunity
ends a two-year
struggle for the party over how to deal with
the controversial
former president. Since Carter published a book
in November 2006
accusing Israel of practicing apartheid against
the
Palestinians, Democrats have been trying to
distance themselves
from the former president and to convince
Jewish activists that
he does not represent the party line.
Carters status at the convention was an issue
for the
Democratic leadership going back to the early
preparation
stages, a party official said. The solution to
what one
Democratic official referred to as the Carter
problem,
however, was not found until the final run-up
to the Denver
convention.
Carter, according to party insiders, was
initially scheduled to
speak at the event, though organizers insisted
he focus only on
issues relating to domestic policy and not
touch on foreign
affairs. During his speech at the 2004
Democratic convention in
Boston, Carter mentioned Israel, but he only
touched in general
terms on the need to bring peace to the region.
As the Denver convention drew near, organizers
grew uneasy with
the idea of having Carter speak even on
domestic issues. In the
end, the decision was made to have what the
official convention
schedule described as a President Jimmy Carter
segment, which
included a video presentation of the former
presidents work in
New Orleans. The video was followed by a brief
appearance by
Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter,
who walked across
the stage to the sound of Ray Charless
Georgia on My Mind.
The assembled delegates showered Carter with
applause and a
standing ovation.
Jewish Democrats approved of Carters limited
presence at the
convention, as they have argued that embracing
the former
president could tarnish the party in November.
You cant give him a podium, because people
will draw the
conclusion that the Democratic Party supports
Carters views on
the Middle East, said Rep. Jerrold Nadler of
New York. I
wouldnt let him within 100 miles of the
convention center,
because it would be used by an unscrupulous
Republican Party
that doesnt care about the truth in character
assassination
against our candidate.
While Carter did come to Denver, he downplayed
suggestions that
he had been silenced.
In an August 26 interview with the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution,
Carter said that the idea not to speak at the
convention was his
own.
Michelle spoke last night, Barack is going to
speak Thursday
night and the other two nights are for the
Clintons, Carter
said. So, I didnt want to intrude
. I didnt
need to get on
the stage and make a speech.
Delegates from Carters home state of Georgia
did not seem to
take much offense at the former president not
being among the
conventions speakers.
I didnt think much of it at all, delegate
Freddie Mitchell
said. He has spoken at a number of these
things in the past.
Among some of Jewish delegates to the
convention, however,
denying Carter a speech but offering him a
video tribute was not
nearly sanction enough.
He hasnt shown respect to Israel and many of
the Jewish
constituencies here based on the things he has
done, said Nan
Rich, a Florida state senator who left the hall
in protest
before Carters appearance onstage.
Although staunch critics of Carter may not have
been won over by
the Obama campaigns sidelining of the former
president, at
least one one Jewish Democratic official says
the episode
reflects the degree to which the presidential
hopeful is
concerned about shoring up Jewish support
before November.
I think its hard to ask a political party to
take a former
president and say, Were not going to hear you
at all, said
Ira Forman, executive director of the National
Jewish Democratic
Council. The party is very sensitive to the
American Jewish
community, and its very sensitive to ever
conveying that this
is anything but a pro-Israel party.
And though Rich chose to protest Carters
inclusion, she was
among the critics who appreciated the decision
to minimize his
role.
It shows the party gets it and Barack Obamas
campaign gets
it, she said.
Satrio Arismunandar
Executive ProducerNews Division, Trans TV, Lantai 3
Jl. Kapten P. Tendean Kav. 12 - 14 A, Jakarta 12790
Phone: 7917-7000, 7918-4544 ext. 4023, Fax: 79184558,
79184627 http://satrioarismunandar6.blogspot.comhttp://satrioarismunandar.multiply.com "Perjuangan
seorang mukmin sejati tidak akan berhenti, kecuali kedua telapak kakinya telah
menginjak pintu surga." (Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal)
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