Beck: Only "Small Minority" Of Obama Protesters Fueled By Racism

Glenn Beck told Katie Couric that he doesn't believe the majority of anti-Obama protesters are fueled by racism, according to a transcript of their interview obtained by the Huffington Post.

In an interview for Couric's 7PM webcast, @katiecouric — excerpts of which are to be aired on the "CBS Evening News" tonight — Beck says that he believes only a "small minority" of people in this country "hate based on color."

"I think people see things, a larger percent, but still in the minority...through the prism of color," Beck said. "But generally not through the hatred of color."

Beck, of course, has been at the center of a firestorm and an advertiser exodus over his comments that President Obama is "racist" and "has a deep-seated hatred for white people" on "Fox & Friends" this summer.

A transcript of the excerpt appears below. Excerpts from Couric's interview with Beck will appear on the "CBS Evening News" at 6:30 ET, and the full interview will air at cbsnews.com/katiecouricwebshow at 7PM ET.

COURIC: Do you think any of the animosity that we've seen over healthcare or the stimulus package or the auto bailout, do you think any of it is fueled by racism?

BECK: Any of it is a large-- statement. I think that there are people of all color that hate based on color. I think that is such a small minority-- in this country. I think people see things, a larger percent, but still in the minority. See things through the prism of color. But generally not through the hatred of color.

COURIC: So you think there could be people who are racists who are participating in some of these things, but for the--

BECK: Here's the va--

COURIC: --vast majority--

BECK: -- vast majority of people on both the left and the right are people who are tired-- they're tired, Katie. Do you have time sto-- what-- how much time we're spending on politics in our lives. Do you have time for it? I don't have time for it. In my real life I don't wanna be doin' this. I don't wanna be thinking about this all the time.

My wife looks at me at midnight and says, "Honey, turn the computer off." I'm like, "I know, I know. But I gotta finish--" it's insane. Look how much politics are eating up, sucking out of-- do you know-- do you think we could be energy-- free if we used the same amount of time and effort and money that we do on politics? You're darn right.

The average person is tired. They're tired. And they've also come to a point to where they no longer see our children or our children's children having the kind of opportunity and life that we have. Because we've spent ourself into oblivion. Both sides have done it. It's gotta stop.

Comments

[goodpyr]

08:54 PM on 11/21/2009

Only a small minority base their hate on color? And you're not only O.K. with that,
you encourage it.
You must've had a real doosie of a time when you were on the sauce.No one in their right
mind could come up with Cr#p you do.
What does it say about bearing false witness in the "Book of Mormons"?

[indywoman]

03:56 PM on 10/04/2009

Whenever Glenn Beck starts with "I think", you know its not going to make any sense.

Glenn Beck thinks that President Obama is a racist, and that the teabaggers are not. See? He makes no sense.

[1murillo]

06:02 PM on 09/25/2009

ron ray,
Choosing "immigrants, minorities and anyone different" as scapegoats is the favorite choice of Beck, OReilly, Hannity and their followers.
These are constituencies that have had a difficult time organizing a response. Once they do, be sure that Beck will move on to other groups.

[1murillo]

05:42 PM on 09/25/2009

Beck is not a maven race relationships in America. He merely knows how to exploit race for his own viewer numbers.

[missouriwatcher]

03:25 PM on 09/24/2009

While Glenn Beck certainly has the right to his own opinions, he should be careful (like all of us) about where and how he espresses them. I am glad that he said it was "his opinion" instead of listing it as fact, although there will be plenty who will hear it that way. I would HOPE that only a (small) minority of the President's detractors are of such a closed mindset as rascist; however, I do not know if this is the case, or not. I don't know of any polls or other statistical information with which one can make claims one way or the other. I do know that the loudest and most obnoxious of President Obama's critics use rascist-style-type criticism, and one could only assume that these are indeed rascist; but I do not know how many of these critics there are versus those that are truly not rascist. Also, I am quite sure that there are varying degrees of rascism, just like anything else.

[Laws456]

02:49 PM on 09/24/2009

This man is obviously full of the stuff in my son's diaper that stinks up the room. He's trying to portray himself as a rational thinker but his actions on a daily basis are anything but rational. I haven't watched the interview, I've only read snippets, but did Katie ask him about the statements he made on Fixed and Cronies? So if there's racism is motivating the diasagreements about the President's policies, he only has to look in the mirror to figure out why people continually ask the race question.

[ron ray]

01:57 PM on 09/24/2009

funny thing is, he recognizes the problem -- working people feel poor, powerless unappreciated. because they are.

but then he blames immigrants, minorities and anyone different, so he can win over the rich and powerful by making working people hate each other. it's what fascists do.

[MichaelMcKLA]

01:06 PM on 09/24/2009

...And the rest are fueled by sheer ignorance.

[dcrinaz]

10:20 PM on 09/23/2009

And Glenn Beck is part of that supposed minority!

[jon86]

09:26 PM on 09/23/2009

Including you Beck?

[k1dork]

07:37 PM on 09/23/2009

Would it stand to reason that the WTO rally in Seattle was based on anarchism, since there were anarchists there who tried to destroy the city?

[MJHammonds]

08:13 PM on 09/23/2009

Based on your question- no. Strawman argument.

[PWM]

04:29 PM on 09/23/2009

Doesn't seem to me to be a small minority as the majority of signs and shouting of the teabaggers/birthers/town howlers are openly racist.

[MJHammonds]

08:04 PM on 09/23/2009

Openly? Depends on how you define it. From what I have seen, Muslim is the new socially acceptable (marginally speaking) term to replace n**ger.

[Policon]

01:59 PM on 09/24/2009

I thought Socialist was the new n-word.

[Policon]

02:00 PM on 09/24/2009

Thats only because you keep looking at the same sign over and over again.

[StillIRise]

04:12 PM on 09/23/2009

Zeus9000:

Please cite from my posts where I have said that it's alright for blacks to hate white!

Typical of tro//s, when you can't comprehend an unfamiliar concept, you simply twist its meaning to conform to your distorted paradigm and your narrative.

All hate is wrong, but all hate is not r@cism. However, that which is not r@cism, does not make it any more acceptable than that which is!

The indigenous Africans of South Africa hated their white oppressors, but that did not equate to them being r@cists. The Afrikaners, on the other, instutionalized a system of race preference throughout their social and political construct, one in which white Afrikaners benefited and the blacks suffered. This system of Apartheid was justified by the belief that blacks were inferior and whites, superior, and that belief became an integral part of the consciousness, leading to white Afrikaners not merely hating blacks, but denying them the dignity of their humanity solely because of the color of their skin.

Hate is wrong, no matter from what source it emerges, but hate in and of itself is not all that constitutes r@cism. If it was, we wouldn't have half of the racially divisive problems that we have today,

[MJHammonds]

08:07 PM on 09/23/2009

Amazing post. And you made some excellent points about our so-called post racial society.

That said, until all races can move on past our differences, we are as a society, hopelessly divided.

[OneHeart]

03:00 PM on 09/23/2009

Through all the racism shouting, did Katie ask Beck why he, Beck, called the POTUS a racist? If she didn't ask that question, Katie, again, shows her worth as an investigative journalist... not trustworthy, just like David, George and William.

[MJHammonds]

08:16 PM on 09/23/2009

Actually, she asked if he would stand by his statement of calling the POTUS a racist. He effectively refused to answer. You did watch the entire show, correct?

[spiderbucket]

02:31 PM on 09/23/2009

So Beck claims that only a small minority hate the POTUS because of his skin color but Obama himself (who is half white) dislikes white people ? Really ? Is that what your story is ? Give me a break.