CHICAGO — Barack Obama dismissed Ralph Nader’s claim that the Democratic candidate is trying to “talk white” and has failed to challenge the power structure to appeal to “white guilt.”
Obama told reporters Wednesday that Nader, who has run for president several times, including in 2000 and 2004, was trying to get attention with “an inflammatory statement.”
In a story published Wednesday, the Rocky Mountain News reported that Nader said he was not impressed with Obama and that the Illinois senator was playing down poverty issues. The interview took place Monday in Washington, the News reported.
“There’s only one thing different about Barack Obama when it comes to being a Democratic presidential candidate. He’s half African-American,” Nader said. “Whether that will make any difference, I don’t know. I haven’t heard him have a strong crackdown on economic exploitation in the ghettos, payday loans, predatory lending, asbestos, lead. What’s keeping him from doing that? Is it because he wants to talk white? He doesn’t want to appear like Jesse Jackson?”
Obama said Nader hadn’t been paying attention because he has discussed predatory lending, housing foreclosures and similar economic issues throughout his campaign.
