2012 Tuesday: ‘2016′ says we don’t know the president we elected in 2008
At a friend’s request, I went to the theater Sunday to see “2016: Obama’s America” (it’s true, I’m not the most political person I know). The movie, if you haven’t heard, is the work of Dinesh D’Souza, the Indian-born conservative commentator and college president whose 2010 book, “The Roots of Obama’s Rage,” argued the president’s world view was shaped heavily by his anti-colonialist Kenyan father.
I’m no movie critic, so I’ll spare you my thoughts on the cinematography (I’ll only note that D’Souza worked on the film with Hollywood veteran Gerald R. Molen, and it shows in the film’s production quality). The movie’s about our president’s past and what that means for our future, and I’ll focus on that.
D’Souza dispenses early on with any notions of birtherism, noting briefly, but pointedly, that Obama was born in Hawaii. Instead, he makes the far more interesting argument that what’s foreign is Obama’s ideology, shaped in absentia by a father he barely knew. His evidence for his claim is two-fold: Excerpts from Obama’s own autobiography, “Dreams From My Father” (the film liberally quotes from the audio version of the book, narrated by Obama himself), and footage from D’Souza’s travels to the places of Obama’s youth, Hawaii and Indonesia, as well as to Kenya. There are also phone conversations, videotaped on both ends, with sociologists such as Shelby Steele who try to explain what makes Obama tick.
What D’Souza turns up on his trips is often less than compelling: Brief doesn’t begin to describe what he gets from an interview with a retired Hawaii professor who knew Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham; a lengthier exchange with Obama’s half-brother, George, in Nairobi ultimately fails to land a blow on the president. But that’s not to say there’s no substance to the story.
Briefly, D’Souza’s narrative goes like this: The elder Obama was an anti-colonialist (this much is confirmed in interviews with a pair of his contemporaries; Obama Sr. of course died in a car wreck in 1982) whose antipathy toward Kenya’s British rulers was distinct from America’s earlier rebellion from the British in that it was also a rejection of the West and capitalism. Dunham (who died in 1995) fervently transferred these beliefs to a young Barack — and even sent him home to Hawaii from Indonesia when her second husband, Lolo Soetoro, took a job with a U.S. oil company and got a little too friendly with actual breathing capitalists. Back in Hawaii, her father arranged for young Barack to have a mentor named Frank Marshall Davis, a writer and card-carrying Communist who was on the FBI’s radar. From there, we hear of Obama’s adult associations with which we’re more familiar, including Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
This is a vetting of Obama’s background that, D’Souza plausibly argues, was given short shrift in the 2008 campaign. For instance, D’Souza notes that Obama’s famous speech about race relations, to address the steady stream of Wright’s controversial statements (uncovered, let’s remember, while he was still contesting the Democratic primary against Hillary Clinton), was a deflection from the collectivist black liberation theology that laced Wright’s incendiary sermons. That, D’Souza claims, allowed Obama to keep his dealings with Marxists mostly out of the public eye on his way to the White House.
It is a vetting that is worthwhile for anyone interested in current U.S. politics, if only because it is so reliant on Obama’s own words. (Here, I must acknowledge I haven’t read “Dreams” and can’t say whether D’Souza is cherry-picking Obama’s quotes or taking them out of context; if he did, however, he has given his critics a huge tool to use in discrediting him.) As an immigrant from another former British colony who is the same age as Obama, D’Souza presents an intriguing figure with alternating sympathy for and critique of anti-colonialism.
That’s the first half of the movie. From there, D’Souza delves into purely political commentary and prognostication that most likely will resonate with you, or not, in close correlation with your own political leanings. I won’t spoil his conclusions, but I will say they err toward the most pessimistic, even conspiratorial end of the right side of the spectrum.
If there’s a tragic aspect of the film, it’s that the only people likely to see it are those who have already made up their minds against Barack Obama. It deserves as well an airing among his supporters and those precious few who are unsure about him, to point out where they think D’Souza is wrong and consider the ways he might be right.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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912 comments Add your comment
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 15th, 2012
3:19 pm
“Who is the Trashman?”
He’s the guy who is currently going under the blog name of “What Makes Myth Robme Tick? Mormonism? Money? Or Both? “
Not. The original Trashman had a brain and was somewhat interesting. This thing you speak, not so much.
gm
August 15th, 2012
3:20 pm
President Obama campaign on changing health care and delivered, whats amazing is how stupid acting and shock the right are that a President actually kept his promise.
The most amazing thing is how conservatives white males under 55 would allow a rich bratt come in and change their medicaid and give them a vocher when their time to collect, after putting thousands of their hard money into the program, and the right wonder why people around the world look at them like a bunch of sickos.
How could conservative women vote for Ryan after he voted against the ledbetter fair act? you have to wonder about rep women mental state in this country”””’
saywhat?
August 15th, 2012
3:20 pm
Back on topic- “‘2016′ says we don’t know the president we elected in 2008″
________________________________________________________________
Well then, ‘2016′ is simply wrong. I know very well the President we elected in 2008. He’s the same one we will elect in 2012.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 15th, 2012
3:20 pm
This thing you speak –of,– pardon me.
Kamchak - "Socialism" is just a code word for "fear," the monster under you bed ~ Kamchak
August 15th, 2012
3:20 pm
You know, Trashman, sometimes a joke is just a joke.
Who is this “trashman”?
Rule 4 is very clear.
4. Anyone who refers to another commenter by anything other than the handle the latter uses will be subject to a ban of at least one week. This may sound like an extraordinary measure, but it is the source of many commenter fights. A shortened version of the handle may be acceptable, but only if there is no obvious intent to insult. As I will be the sole judge of that intent, I recommend you err on the side of not being too cute. The ban will also be applied to anyone who refers to commenters by previous handles they used.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 15th, 2012
3:22 pm
Why won’t anybody tell me what getalife did, was it that bad? Was he hatin on the US again?
sam
August 15th, 2012
3:24 pm
if anyone tryly knows whats in Obamas heart and mind it would be D’Souza. wtf?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 15th, 2012
3:24 pm
“you bed” is a grammatical atrocity and should also be a violation of the blog rules.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:25 pm
“The most amazing thing is how conservatives white males under 55 would allow a rich bratt come in and change their medicaid and give them a vocher when their time to collect,”
You obviously haven’t actually read his Medicare proposal, have you, GM? You really need to get off those liberal websites that only tell you half the story. The truth is that people under 55 can STILL choose to join Medicare with absolutely no changes, or they may opt out and take their voucher.
“How could conservative women vote for Ryan after he voted against the ledbetter fair act?”
Given the fact that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act merely changed the TIMING of when a person could challenge their pay, and didn’t change anything else currently under law, the importance of that passage was minimal.
JDW
August 15th, 2012
3:25 pm
@Rafe…”Lies, statistics, damn lies, figures lie, liars figure, that kinda thing.”
It’s all about the point which is Duhbya hit the gas and got us into the $hit. Obama has not hit the gas but neither has he slowed us down which means we are still flying right along.
saywhat?
August 15th, 2012
3:25 pm
re Kam’s 3:20- Uh oh. Somebody else may be going on vacation.
re : I report’s 3:22- see rule #4.
JDW
August 15th, 2012
3:26 pm
@Tiberius…”way of “adjusting” figures simply means “cooking the books” to flip the meaning of them.”
And here I thought it was so clear cut and simple even you could get it.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:27 pm
Kamchak, if KYLE has a problem with us using that moniker, he’ll tell us.
But I could just change my reference for that poster to “Tick” (shortened names ARE allowed). It would probably be more accurate, even.
saywhat?
August 15th, 2012
3:30 pm
“Given the fact that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act merely changed the TIMING of when a person could challenge their pay, and didn’t change anything else currently under law, the importance of that passage was minimal.”
_——————————————————————-
Unless, of course, that timing screws you out of tens of thousands of dollars.I would hope somebody who gets their panties in a twist over an old blog name could see that being unfairly relieved of all that money is almost as important.
sam
August 15th, 2012
3:30 pm
as you know Tiberius, TIMING is everything
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:30 pm
“And here I thought it was so clear cut and simple even you could get it.”
You were. You cooked the books. I got it.
Get Real
August 15th, 2012
3:31 pm
saywhat?
You know next to nothing of Obama’s background nor does anyone else because he was the love child of the liberal press. He was never really vetted, it is that simple. Now does that mean that we would find the bogeyman if he was vetted…NO….but the fact remains he was never really vetted before he was elected nor since so no one can say for sure….and those are the plain and simple facts…
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 15th, 2012
3:31 pm
JDW
With all that has been said, is this correct?
Obama is on pace to double the amount (5T) Bush added to the debt, if reelected.
That is about as complicated as it needs to be, IMHO.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:33 pm
saywhat?, I fully understand that timing can be an issue when considering / filing a protest. However, the left holds up the Ledbetter Act as some kind of miraculous piece of legislation, when it’s effect on fair pay laws is minimal.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:35 pm
Your 3:31 is all anyone needs to know, Rafe.
No cooking the books required.
What Makes Myth Robme Tick? Mormonism? Money? Or Both?
August 15th, 2012
3:35 pm
@Tiberius – pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:15 pm
“Who is the Trashman?”
He’s the guy who is currently going under the blog name of “What Makes Myth Robme Tick? Mormonism? Money? Or Both? “. His original moniker was “God Hates Trash – Superstar”, but he has changed that name about 8-10 times in various iterations since then.
It is simply easier for us to use “Trashman” than to type out his very wordy and oft-changing names.
________________________________________________________
KYLE, please tell Tiberius THAT I AM NOT THE TRASHMAN.
Tiberius you would be SHOCKED TO KNOW WHO I AM.
BUT I AM NOT THE TRASHMAN.
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I AM A MAN?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 15th, 2012
3:35 pm
re : 3:25
say what – Did you pop your cork?
Oops, saywhat is one word! I’m sorry, please don’t report me.
Jefferson
August 15th, 2012
3:39 pm
What a deck, indeed.
Kamchak - "Socialism" is just a code word for "fear," the monster under you bed ~ Kamchak
August 15th, 2012
3:40 pm
Kamchak, if KYLE has a problem with us using that moniker, he’ll tell us.
He already told you — The ban will also be applied to anyone who refers to commenters by previous handles they used.
So, how about it, Kyle?
They’re your rules.
Are you gonna dole out punishments equally?
saywhat?
August 15th, 2012
3:42 pm
Thats right “get real”, Obama was never really vetted. The Clinton and McCain campaigns totally to forgot to do any opposition research(oops!), and what they did happen to find out by accident, they conveniently forgot to tell the rest of us. Why, I bet Obama hasn’t even released 10 years of tax returns like every other Presidential candidate , I mean….. uhhh, nevermind.
What Makes Myth Robme Tick? Mormonism? Money? Or Both?
August 15th, 2012
3:42 pm
@Kamchak – “Socialism” is just a code word for “fear,” the monster under you bed ~ Kamchak
August 15th, 2012
3:20 pm
You know, Trashman, sometimes a joke is just a joke.
Who is this “trashman”?
Rule 4 is very clear.
4. Anyone who refers to another
__________________________________________
Trashman was a blogger who was a thorn in the side of other bloggers.
For some reason he was not been on the blog.
However, they (Tiberius and others) think that I AM THE TRASHMAN.
They would be SHOCKED TO KNOW WHO I AM.
I am just another blogger EXPRESSING MY OPINIONS which are
opposite of their opinions.
AND THEY CAN’T STAND IT.
I will keep them GUESSING.
BUT I AM NOT THE TRASHMAN.
JDW
August 15th, 2012
3:42 pm
@Rafe…”With all that has been said, is this correct?”
In 2005 dollars Duhbya added about $3.12 trillion to the public debt.
If current projections hold Obama’s total will be about $5.24 trillion 2005 dollars
SlickRick
August 15th, 2012
3:42 pm
I Report – Kyle doesn’t like getalife’s politics. That’s all.
JDW
August 15th, 2012
3:43 pm
In my 3:42 the $5.24 trillion is through 2016
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 15th, 2012
3:45 pm
I think we should add a new rule. People who visit the blog infrequently, with only one purpose in mind, to provoke, attack, or disparage a blogger they do not like, should also be given a time out.
saywhat?
August 15th, 2012
3:46 pm
” when it’s effect on fair pay laws is minimal.”
________________________________________________________________
Its only minimal when it doesn’t affect YOU. (This seems to be a common thread among things conservatives find to be unimportant). If it was indeed minimal in effect, what possible reason was there to vote against it then?
SlickRick - glad to no longer be suffering through Fratboy George's ineptocracy
August 15th, 2012
3:46 pm
Tiberius – Nice comeback; however, I was talking about male gay prostitutes – you know, the ones male congresspeople like to do the dirty with when nobody’s looking.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:47 pm
“BUT I AM NOT THE TRASHMAN.”
Fine. Even though your writing style is EXACTLY like the Trashman’s. Even though your repeated comments are EXACTLY like the Trashman’s, you insist you’re not the Trashman.
I’ll just refer to you as “Tick”.
Until you change your blog name yet again.
saywhat?
August 15th, 2012
3:48 pm
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer’s ineptocracy
August 15th, 2012
3:45 pm
I think we should add a new rule. People who visit the blog infrequently, with only one purpose in mind, to provoke, attack, or
disparage a blogger they do not like, should also be given a time out.
________________________________________________________________
What about the people who visit the blog all day everyday with only one purpose in mind, to provoke, attack, or
disparage a blogger they do not like? Can they go on vacation too?.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:48 pm
“People who visit the blog infrequently, with only one purpose in mind, to provoke, attack, or disparage a blogger they do not like, should also be given a time out.”
That is covered in one of Kyle’s rules, Rafe, but is not used very often.
But I agree with you.
JDW
August 15th, 2012
3:49 pm
@Tiberius..”Your 3:31 is all anyone needs to know,”
If you only want half the story and don’t plan to actually fix the problem…see to do that you go back to a baseline…say the Clinton years and build a model from there.
Psssstttt…it doesn’t involve more tax cuts for rich guys.
bug
August 15th, 2012
3:50 pm
Herman Cain for Sec. of State when Romney wins. The sheriff in AZ. head of homeland security.
Kamchak - "Socialism" is just a code word for "fear," the monster under you bed ~ Kamchak
August 15th, 2012
3:50 pm
BUT I AM NOT THE TRASHMAN.
A valid point.
But the issue is, Tiberius – pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed — believed/believes that you are and addressed you using that handle which is in clear violation of the last sentence in Kyle’s rule #4.
And since — Tiberius – pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed — runs and cries to Kyle with every infraction, it is only fair that he takes his lumps also,
What Makes Myth Robme Tick? Mormonism? Money? Or Both?
August 15th, 2012
3:52 pm
@Kamchak – “Socialism” is just a code word for “fear,” the monster under you bed ~ Kamchak
August 15th, 2012
3:40 pm
Kamchak, if KYLE has a problem with us using that moniker, he’ll tell us.
He already told you — The ban will also be applied to anyone who refers to commenters by previous handles they used.
So, how about it, Kyle?
They’re your rules.
Are you gonna dole out punishments equally?
________________________________________________________
No he will not.
There are certain bloggers who GET away with breaking the rules.
THEY are notorious for getting away with breaking the rules and that
is because they are CONSERVATIVES and so is KYLE.
Kyle Wingfield – Political commentary from The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution’s 30-something conservative
@@
August 15th, 2012
3:53 pm
Getalife is celebrating somewhere. Another ban, albeit temporary, is something he cherishes.
I’d also like to know what it was he did.
SlickRick - glad to no longer be suffering through Fratboy George's ineptocracy
August 15th, 2012
3:54 pm
Kamchack – yes, it’s high time Kyle enforced the rules against those who agree with him, and not just the selective censorship he typically engages in. Let’s see how principled and upstanding Kyle really is…
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:55 pm
Saywhat?, from Wiki:
“The Act amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 stating that the 180-day statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit regarding pay discrimination resets with each new discriminatory paycheck.”
In legal terms, this basically gives you multiple (and on-going) bites at the apple. Again, not a big deal, and certainly not the ground-breaking piece of legislation hailed by the left.
Frankly, if you haven’t figured out you’re not being paid accordingly by six months time, you’re not very bright.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:57 pm
I’m just wondering how it is that Kamchak can be so wrong so many times on so many issues?
saywhat?
August 15th, 2012
3:58 pm
“Frankly, if you haven’t figured out you’re not being paid accordingly by six months time, you’re not very bright.”
________________________________________________________
Because all of my co-workers tell me how much they earn. Yours too? Anybody else?
Kamchak - "Socialism" is just a code word for "fear," the monster under you bed ~ Kamchak
August 15th, 2012
3:58 pm
Let’s see how principled and upstanding Kyle really is…
I believe Kyle to be a pretty stand up kinda guy.
Whether he wades through these posts and takes issue with this is another matter entirely.
I’m pretty sure that he didn’t wade through and find getalife’s infraction.
I suspect someone tattled.
saywhat?
August 15th, 2012
3:59 pm
Tiberius – pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:57 pm
I’m just wondering how it is that Kamchak can be so wrong so many times on so many issues?
_______________________________________________________
Perhaps he is emulating you?
What Makes Myth Robme Tick? Mormonism? Money? Or Both?
August 15th, 2012
3:59 pm
@Tiberius – pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
3:47 pm
“BUT I AM NOT THE TRASHMAN.”
Fine. Even though your writing style is EXACTLY like the Trashman’s. Even though your repeated comments are EXACTLY like the Trashman’s, you insist you’re not the Trashman.
I’ll just refer to you as “Tick”.
Until you change your blog name yet again.
________________________________________
It is not what you call me, but what I answer to, that matters most.
@@
August 15th, 2012
3:59 pm
The neighbor’s <——- blog must be downsizing. His nannies are looking for work.
REALLY, guys? Must you?
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 15th, 2012
4:02 pm
“Because all of my co-workers tell me how much they earn.”
No, because bright people know when they are being deliberately underpaid for the job they are doing. We’re not talking about a couple of grand a year, here, saywhat?, we’re talking significant money at executive levels.
JDW
August 15th, 2012
4:04 pm
@Tiberius…”Again, not a big deal, and certainly not the ground-breaking piece of legislation hailed by the left.”
I am guessing Lily Ledbetter doesn’t agree…that timing cost her a bundle.