Los Angeles has been quite the spot for U.S. presidents in the past two weeks.
On Monday, former President Jimmy Carter was in town to sign copies of his new book, “White House Diary,” at Borders on Westwood Boulevard ““ his second appearance at the store in five years.
More than 700 people lined up for autographs, including members of Carter’s generation, children in strollers and UCLA students who took the one-mile walk south of campus to meet the 86-year-old former president.
The bookstore, a common place to study for UCLA students, has become a hot spot of promotional events, such as book signings and discussions, said Lita Weissman, a Borders event marketing manager.
In addition to hosting Carter almost five years ago, the Borders has brought in Paul McCartney, Al Gore, Anthony Kiedis and Heidi Klum, among others. The store hosts monthly talks by the Peace Corps as well as other discussions and book signings. Actor Rainn Wilson will be hosting a discussion and book signing on Nov. 17.
Carter entered the second floor of Borders, much of which was cleared out for his visit, cheerfully greeting employees, Secret Service agents and members of the press. The president spoke briefly with the press about the current political climate surrounding the upcoming elections.
Asked if he would consider running for political office again, Carter, known for his humble personality, said he would not stand a chance against candidates backed by personal wealth and corporate funding. Carter also commented on the Supreme Court’s Jan. 21 decision to block a ban on corporate donations to political campaigns, calling the ruling “dopey” for allowing more private money to back public officials.
Moments later, attendees were escorted upstairs, a few dozen at a time.
Alex Yu, a fourth-year economics student, said he wanted to see all three living Democratic presidents after going to former President Bill Clinton’s rally at UCLA on Oct. 15 as well as President Barack Obama’s rally at USC on Friday.
Tess Brady, an exchange student from Ireland, came with her friends and was excited to see Carter. The third-year English student said she wanted to see an American president, and she added that this was her first time at the store.
The excitement inside the store contrasted with the approximately 40 protesters who lined the entrance to Borders. Several Los Angeles Police Department officers were on scene to maintain the peace.
The protesters complained about the disparity between Carter’s emphasis on fighting humans rights abuses worldwide during his presidency and his relative silence on abuses under the current Islamic regime in Iran.
The protesters, who trickled in throughout the night, were mostly peaceful, although several got into arguments with attendees of the event.
Carter told the press he was sorry about the current violence in Iran. He said the current administration should strive for maximum communication with the country, citing Obama’s 2009 remarks about reaching out to Iran with an “open hand” and not a “clenched fist.”
With reports by Samantha Schaefer, Bruin senior staff.