Former president Jimmy Carter said Wednesday that if Barack
Obama were elected president, he could improve the US image overseas "in
10 minutes" with a strong inaugural speech, according to a broadcast
interview with Voice of America.
Carter is in the Rocky Mountain state attending the Democratic presidential
convention. He put in a cameo appearance along with wife Rosyln before
delegates at the Pepsi Center Monday evening, but did not speak.
Obama was formally nominated by delegates Wednesday evening as the centre-left
party's presidential candidate. He will face presumptive Republican candidate
Senator John McCain, whose nominating convention is next week, in November 4
general elections.
Carter, president from 1977-1981, told VOA that Obama's brief inaugural speech
could start correcting perceptions of the United States overseas that have been
damaged during eight years of the Republican presidency.
Obama could pledge that as US president the country "will never torture another
prisoner (or) go to war against another country unless our own security is
directly threatened," Carter suggested.
His Carter Center works internationally to promote human rights and health
care.
Carter lost his 1980 bid for a second term to Republican Ronald Reagan.
He drew parallels to conditions before his 1976 election and those today:
Energy insecurity, rising inflation and dissatisfaction with a Republican
administration.
"The difference between me and Obama is that I didn't have any money,"
he quipped.
Obama's campaign has raised 389 million dollars since the start last year - one
of the largest amounts in history for a presidential campaign. Senator Hillary
Clinton, who threw her support solidly behind Obama this week, raised 234
million in her failed bid for the nomination, dpa
reported.
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