Colbert Pans Crist’s Obama Hug: ‘You Just Played The Race Card’ (VIDEO)

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Comedian Stephen Colbert couldn’t resist dramatically recounting Charlie Crist’s 2009 hug with President Barack Obama when the former Florida governor swung by “The Colbert Report” on Tuesday night.

Crist wrote in his new book, “The Party’s Over,” that the hug virtually ended his career as a Republican politician. He’s now running against Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) as a Democrat.

“Why do you think it ended it for you?” Colbert asked the former Republican.

“Several reasons, I think. Number one, he was there to talk about the Recovery Act. The stimulus, as people call it,” Crist replied. “And a lot of Republicans took issue with that, so I think that was part of it. Sadly I think another part of it was that he was a Democrat, but not just a Democrat, an African-American.”

“You’re not going to play the race card?” Colbert said. “You just did … you just played the race card.”

“I’m not going to play it, no.” Christ said. “I’m just trying to tell the truth. I’ve seen a level of vitriol directed at this president that I have never seen directed at President Kennedy, or maybe President Johnson or even President Carter.”

So Colbert had a challenge for him: “If in the course of the campaign, you’re approached by three men who are about to hug you — Joseph Stalin, Darth Vader, or Barack Obama — you have to hug one. Which would it be?”

“My president, no question,” the former governor answered.

Watch below:

h/t Washington Post

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