Former NBA star and TNT sports analyst Charles Barkley attended the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday and answered five questions for CNN.com at the CNN Grill.<!--startclickprintexclude-->
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<!--===========/IMAGE===========--> <!--===========CAPTION==========-->Former NBA star Charles Barkley says the next president must deal with poverty and the war in Iraq.<!--===========/CAPTION=========-->
<!--endclickprintexclude-->CNN.com: Why are you here in Denver?
Barkley: I just wanted to be here. I'm just so excited. I never thought in my lifetime we'd have a black man with a legitimate shot of being president.
CNN.com: Are you a Barack Obama supporter?
Barkley: Barack has been a friend of mine for a long time. I met him when I was writing my last book, and he was running for Senate, and I got to know him, and we stayed in contact. I consider him a friend. I think he'd make a fantastic president. I want to make it clear that if I didn't think he could do the job, I wouldn't vote for him. I think he'd make a fantastic president. And I'm not voting for him because he's black. I think he's a great person.
CNN.com: What do you think the Democrats need to do here to win the White House?
Barkley: I think they've got to just make sure to get those troops home from Iraq, that's a big deal. But No. 1, we've got to give poor people a chance. America is divided by economics, and we as Americans, we've got to do a better job of supporting poor people.
CNN.com: How?
Barkley: We've got to improve the public school system. If you're born in this country poor, whether you're white or black, you're going to be born in a bad neighborhood; you're going to go to a bad school. It's going to be very difficult for poor people to be successful.
CNN.com: What are you doing in Denver for fun?
Barkley: I'm going to the Hill Harper party tonight. Last night we just went out and had a real nice meal and just took it easy because I knew today was going to be a long day. I just want to be here. Plain and simple.
CNN.com: Are you running for governor in Alabama?
Barkley: I'm planning on running for governor. I can't screw up Alabama. Politics, it's just so important, and I just want to do good things with my name, and I'm just going to keep continuing to do that. <!--startclickprintexclude-->
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<!--endclickprintexclude-->CNN.com: Why are you here in Denver?
Barkley: I just wanted to be here. I'm just so excited. I never thought in my lifetime we'd have a black man with a legitimate shot of being president.
CNN.com: Are you a Barack Obama supporter?
Barkley: Barack has been a friend of mine for a long time. I met him when I was writing my last book, and he was running for Senate, and I got to know him, and we stayed in contact. I consider him a friend. I think he'd make a fantastic president. I want to make it clear that if I didn't think he could do the job, I wouldn't vote for him. I think he'd make a fantastic president. And I'm not voting for him because he's black. I think he's a great person.
CNN.com: What do you think the Democrats need to do here to win the White House?
Barkley: I think they've got to just make sure to get those troops home from Iraq, that's a big deal. But No. 1, we've got to give poor people a chance. America is divided by economics, and we as Americans, we've got to do a better job of supporting poor people.
CNN.com: How?
Barkley: We've got to improve the public school system. If you're born in this country poor, whether you're white or black, you're going to be born in a bad neighborhood; you're going to go to a bad school. It's going to be very difficult for poor people to be successful.
CNN.com: What are you doing in Denver for fun?
Barkley: I'm going to the Hill Harper party tonight. Last night we just went out and had a real nice meal and just took it easy because I knew today was going to be a long day. I just want to be here. Plain and simple.
CNN.com: Are you running for governor in Alabama?
Barkley: I'm planning on running for governor. I can't screw up Alabama. Politics, it's just so important, and I just want to do good things with my name, and I'm just going to keep continuing to do that. <!--startclickprintexclude-->
