It didn’t take long for GOP Candidate Herman Cain to be asked about disparaging Tea Party comments made by veteran film star Morgan Freeman.
As previously reported, the Academy Award-winning actor called the efforts of the ultra-conservative group “a racist thing” during an interview last week on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight.”
“Their stated policy, publicly stated, is to do whatever it takes to see to it that Obama only serves one term,” Freeman told Morgan. “What underlines that? ‘Screw the country. We’re going to do whatever we can to get this black man outta here.’”
The “Dolphin Tale” star went on to say the party’s agenda “just shows the weak, dark, underside of America.”
“We’re supposed to be better than that,” Freeman continued. “We really are. That’s, that’s why all those people were in tears when Obama was elected president. ‘Ah, look at what we are. Look at how, this is America.’ You know? And then it just sort of started turning because these people surfaced like stirring up muddy water.”
Cain made an appearance on Fox’s Your World with Neil Cavuto, where he addressed Freeman’s remarks.
“Well, first of all, I doubt if Morgan Freeman, with all due respect, who is a great actor, has ever been to a Tea Party,” Cain said. “Most of the people that are criticizing the Tea Parties…about having a racist element, they have never been to a Tea Party.”
When Cavuto attempted to make a joke about Freeman having presidential experience (starring as the commander in chief in “Deep Impact”), Cain said, “In a movie! This is real life out here on the campaign journey, man. This is not a movie.”
Cain, whose campaign is riding high after winning the Florida straw poll, was quick to say that he was not offended by the actor’s remarks.
“I just think that it is sad that they’re so short-sighted in really understanding what the whole Tea Party citizen movement is all about,” he continued. “I’m not offended by it, because it doesn’t slow down my momentum. It doesn’t slow down the reaction that I get from people.
“So, name-calling is something that’s going to continue in this, because they don’t know how to stop this movement. And this movement is making a big difference in politics, because a lot of the traditional Democrats are moving to the center or moving over to vote for conservatives. They’re taking another look at a Herman Cain.”
