Morgan Freeman vs. Herman Cain: Is the Tea Party Racist?

Speaking with Piers Morgan on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight Friday, actor Morgan Freeman accused the Tea Party of being driven by racism. He said:

The Tea Partyers who are controlling the Republican Party … their stated policy, publicly stated, is to do whatever it takes to see to it that Obama only serves one term. What underlines that? Screw the country. We are going to do ... whatever we can to get this black man out of here.

Pressed by Piers Morgan, he insisted, "It is a racist thing." Freeman continued, "It just shows the weak, dark underside of America."

[See a collection of political cartoons on the Tea Party.]

Herman Cain, GOP presidential candidate and winner of Saturday's "Presidency 5" Straw Poll in Florida, responded to Freeman's allegation on Fox News on Saturday.

I doubt if Morgan Freeman, with all due respect, who is a great actor, has ever been to a Tea Party. Most of the people that are criticizing the Tea Parties ... about having a racist element, they have never been to a Tea Party.

Though he claimed not to be offended by Freeman's remarks, Cain said it was "sad that they are so short-sighted in really understanding what the whole Tea Party citizen movement is all about."

What do you think? Is the Tea Party racist? Take the poll and comment below.

Previously: Should Gary Johnson Be Included in Future GOP Debates?