In an exclusive interview at the Democratic National Convention, Carter told VOA's Kane Farabaugh that if Obama were to win the election in November, he could use his inaugural speech to start changing perceptions of the United States.
<!-- IMAGE -->"He can say, 'when I am President of the United States, we will never torture another prisoner. While I am President of the United States, we will never go to war against another country unless our own security is directly threatened. When I am President of the United States, we will be the champion of human rights all over the earth,'" Carter told VOA.
The former president also pointed out similarities between his 1976 election and the current campaign. Energy security, rising inflation and a growing dissatisfaction with a Republican administration dominated the campaign.
"I ran on a platform of change. Of course that's what America was ready for. The difference between me and Obama is that I didn't have any money," he said.
While attending the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week, President Carter has kept a low profile. He has had only one scheduled appearance, talking about flood-ravaged New Orleans.
The entire 20-minute interview with President Carter is available on www.VOANews.com and VOA's new election website, www.USAVotes2008.com.
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