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
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 14th, 2012
11:56 am
Wow, JDW. That’s all I can say about your response at 11:52.
You used to have a modicum of intelligence to your posts, even if factually incorrect. Now? Just pathetic.
I demand to see Cheesy Grits Birth Certificate- Long Form Please
August 14th, 2012
11:57 am
Or in a real sneaky way like Kyle. Reminding everyone that Obama’ father is a Kenyan.
getalife
August 14th, 2012
11:57 am
The dumbest man in politics make a hit piece on our President’s Dad that left his family.
Anyhoo, “GOP PROS FUME: Romney Ceded Election With Ryan Pick” Aol.
Methinks the gop house forced ryan out there to make excuses for voting to end Medicare when Americans want jobs.
The house will flip dem because the gop deserve to lose.
Aint that a sham
August 14th, 2012
11:57 am
Tiberius
You rightfully do not like being “lumped” in with all folks on the right, yet you take one bloggers post and broad brush the left.
Irony and hypocrisy much?
JDW
August 14th, 2012
11:57 am
Tiberuis…”Once again proving your myopic and incorrect view of all things political, ”
What’s the matter can’t enunciate any differences between the two? Not surprising as there really are none…both want to use a narrow interpretation of the Constitution for political and financial gain. Namely lower taxes for the wealthy and a reduction in the ability of the government to act on behalf of the majority.
Aquagirl
August 14th, 2012
11:58 am
If Romney makes a similar strategy error by not putting ObamaCare front and center and making this election a REFERENDUM on it then he will not win.
The inventor of RomneyCare should make his opposition to ObamaCare a central theme?
Yeah, that’ll work.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 14th, 2012
11:59 am
As for risk taking, isn’t every investment or decision a risk?
Yes, but the risk is greater for some than others and the reward should be as well. Some people refuse to take a risk, spend every dollar they make, a risk in itself, and watch their buying power get withered away by inflation. They depend on earnings to survive, until they can’t earn anymore, but they are protected in some extent by the social safety net.
Others, risk everything, to start a business with their life savings. Other people invest their money in companies, hoping the company does well. These risk takers have already paid income tax on the money they invest, they are attempting to avoid dependence on the social safety net and they should be rewarded somewhat, rather than have their profit taxed as income.
I have a relative who has sunk his retirement savings (no debt involved) into growing pecans; he works like a slave to those trees, watering, spraying, pruning, weeding and he says for the first seven years the government has no interest in what he is doing. In the eighth or tenth year, when he finally sells a few pecans, the government is there with their hand, out for their share. Had the trees died, the government is silent, too bad sucker. He could have assumed no risk and lived on interest and soc sec, created no jobs, created no export product, but when he takes this risk, you want to penalize him for the risk, by paying wage type taxes on his investment. Makes no economic sense to me. If that is the case, everyone should just take the easy road.
.
stands for decibels
August 14th, 2012
11:59 am
When discussing electoral politics in the 1980’s, Finn.
In 2012, they DO.
Here’s Paul Krugman’s take on that debate.
killerj
August 14th, 2012
11:59 am
Obama,s famous speech?,only one I can remember is about a beer.
I demand to see Cheesy Grits Birth Certificate- Long Form Please
August 14th, 2012
12:00 pm
All respect lost for Kyle.
I dont believe for a second he had to be dragged to see this piece of garbage.
On second thought the man did vote for Newt ” Moonbase ” Gingrich.
I dont know why im surprised.
I demand to see Cheesy Grits Birth Certificate- Long Form Please
August 14th, 2012
12:01 pm
Carry on boys and girls
You have officially hit bottom.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 14th, 2012
12:09 pm
“You rightfully do not like being “lumped” in with all folks on the right, yet you take one bloggers post and broad brush the left.
Irony and hypocrisy much?”
Actually, no, sham. I find the left is just about populated with lemmings and myrmidons who are more than willing to follow just about whatever their government leaders tell them to.
“The right” is still largely made up of both fiscal and social conservatives – they ignore the Constitution on the latter and embrace the Constitution on the former. Their concept of freedom and individual responsibility extends only to you if you share their social views.
Constitutionalists are small government all the way. They are fiscal conservatives (personally and governmental) and social liberals on the personal side – NOT the government side.
But I have yet to encounter a liberal who doesn’t think more government isn’t better in both regards.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 14th, 2012
12:09 pm
The house will flip dem because the gop deserve to lose.
Well, I don’t believe that, but obviously you do, getalife, so in your world that is a good thing. Obama will have a free hand to do as he pleases, like he did from Jan 2009 to Jan 2011. That worked out real well did it not? We are all thriving now, based on all the good things he did when he had total power. My life is not one bit better now, that we have 15% unemployment and owe another 5T dollars.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 14th, 2012
12:10 pm
“All respect lost for Kyle.”
And yet, you’re still here . . . .
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 14th, 2012
12:13 pm
from Jan 2009 to Jan 2011. That worked out real well did it not? We are all thriving now, based on all the good things he did when he had total power.
no, we are all doing so much better now because Republicans have ruled teh House since 2011, right?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 14th, 2012
12:14 pm
Finn McCool (The System isn’t Broken; It’s Fixed)
August 14th, 2012
11:35 am
If we make serious attempts to lower our debt
“Deficits don’t matter.” ~ Dick Cheney
Cheney was talking about 162 Billion a year, not 1.7 Trillion, and again, I don’t expect a liberal to understand this.
Aint that a sham
August 14th, 2012
12:19 pm
Tiberius
There are lemmings on and sheep on all sides. That is if one is willing to take off the blinders.
On any given day one an come here or go to Bookman’s and read right wing talking points from the same bloggers. Day in and day out.
And that goes for many on the left as well.
Take away those talking points and soundbites they heard or read somewhere; those folks are lost.
I don’t see it anymore or less on either side.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 14th, 2012
12:19 pm
Or in a real sneaky way like Kyle. Reminding everyone that Obama’ father is a Kenyan.
Yep, we had totally forgotten that Finn!
I never thought he grew up in Peoria and had a father that worked 9-5, drove a Chevy, and whose life goal was to pay for the car, own his own home, and leave his children better off than he was.
He has none of those values, which he would have seeping from his pores, if he had.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 14th, 2012
12:23 pm
Finn
The House argument is stupid. They have passed 50 something bills only to see them die in the Senate and have them mocked by the Pres.
The ONLY value of controlling one house of government is to limit the damage done by Presbo and the Senate.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 14th, 2012
12:23 pm
I didn’t write that, Rafe.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 14th, 2012
12:24 pm
They have passed 50 something bills only to see them die in the Senate and have them mocked by the Pres.
You mean those 50 stupid bills?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 14th, 2012
12:27 pm
“There are lemmings on and sheep on all sides. That is if one is willing to take off the blinders. ”
Which just proves even you can’t get past the left-right mantra and understand that there is a difference, as I stated above, sham.
Aquagirl
August 14th, 2012
12:31 pm
he says for the first seven years the government has no interest in what he is doing. In the eighth or tenth year, when he finally sells a few pecans, the government is there with their hand, out
Oh good lord. The government has nothing to do with protecting his ownership of the land, courts if someone takes those pecans, water supply, small business administration, roads and ports to move his crop, and incorporation in case of bankruptcy? Or agricultural research and disaster relief in case of a drought?
Your relative sounds like a tea potty whiner, tell him he’s welcome for my tax dollar investment. Sadly enough I won’t be buying his pecans because they’re probably going to China, especially if the Feds build a nice new port for cheaper shipping.
Scott Fresno
August 14th, 2012
12:33 pm
Anti-colonialist? You mean like George Washington!
Aint that a sham
August 14th, 2012
12:36 pm
I’m way past it, Tiberius.
There are sheep on all sides and people bringing common sense from all sides. Apparently unlike yourself, I’m not one to just disregard a blogger or their ideas because I do not agree with them.
So take off your rose colored glasses, cease with the bird chest thumping and get with the program
Aint that a sham
August 14th, 2012
12:39 pm
Tiberius
Or be so blind that I think it is real thought out process to take silly comments from one blogger and extrapolate that on to any given demographic.
The same can not be said for you, but do carry on with your typical blather.
Dusty
August 14th, 2012
12:40 pm
Oh dear, liberals do not like the pronoun WE. WE indicates a solidarity they do not wish for American citizens. In fact, liberals fracture this country by debating in the lowest terms possible.
This blog has personified that attitude. LIes, insinuations and namecalling have flooded the place. Why? Because Republicans announced the running partner for Romney.
Evidently, this is the time to unloose all false info possible along with the effort to create more.
Sad….because there are some very fine Democrats out threre. You wouldn’t think so reading posts here. That’s the shame. The “rotten apples” are dominating the liberal barrel.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 14th, 2012
12:40 pm
Aquagirl
We are talking about risks here, not the government infrastructure, that we all pay for. Government doesn’t pay for anything, we do. As for the water supply, he drilled the well, does the government own the ground water? The risk, i.e., financial is all on him. The roads, ports, schools, courts are there for people to use, whether they do or not.
His money does not have to be risked, he could live on the free Bubble Up and Rainbow stew dished out by the government and sit on his money, but my point is that is bad for the economy and that risk taking should be encouraged at every opportunity.
Aint that a sham
August 14th, 2012
12:43 pm
“The “rotten apples” are dominating the liberal barrel.”
So why did you jump in the “liberal barrel”?
Stay in the shallow end. For your own safety and sanity.
Or at least put on those floaties that you wear when coming on this blog.
jd
August 14th, 2012
12:44 pm
According to my copy of the Neo-Con Handbook for Punditry — “Hollywood is liberal. Nothing good comes from Hollywood.”
So, something good came from Hollywood? And, that “good” is not liberal? Who is responsible for updating the handbook?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 14th, 2012
12:45 pm
“Apparently unlike yourself, I’m not one to just disregard a blogger or their ideas because I do not agree with them. ”
Neither do I, sham. And you’s know that if you’d pay attention.
However, the totality of the writings of some of these bloggers demands disregard on a regular basis.
But do go on with your leg-humping.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 14th, 2012
12:48 pm
Off for a bit.
Would love to read even one well thought-out, devoid of DNC talking points, recitation why the Romney/Ryan ticket would be so bad for this country (with specifics) when I come back.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 14th, 2012
12:49 pm
jd
I don’t remember Kyle saying this came from Hollywood or that it was good. He said it was out there and provided some good insights and some commentary on Obama.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 14th, 2012
12:54 pm
Dusty
I appreciate your comments and humor. I read somewhere yesterday where some genius, forgot who, said life’s problems are so complicated, that most fall for the premise that the solutions must also be complicated. He said sometimes simple solutions solve complicated problems, but deflate egos.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 14th, 2012
12:56 pm
this is the time to unloose all false info
examples, please?
Aint that a sham
August 14th, 2012
12:58 pm
Rafe
I appreciate them as well. Albeit for different reasons.
The more postings the better.
BS Aplenty
August 14th, 2012
1:00 pm
H2O-girl
Here goes.
Most Americans by a wide majority are satisfied with their current healthcare plan. They do not want ObamaCare. Mr. Romney wants to dismantle the ObamaCare legislation. I’ll repeat that assertion because it bears repeating, Mr. Romney wants to dismantle ObamaCare. Mr. Obama does not. Ergo, the American public will favor Romney on this issue.
RomneyCare’s not on the table, Mable.
Aquagirl
August 14th, 2012
1:01 pm
The roads, ports, schools, courts are there for people to use, whether they do or not.
That’s an incredibly twisty response to “the darn-do-nothing gub’mint is only there when it’s tax time.” The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service is there whether people use it or not, strangely enough I don’t really recall using it anytime recently. Your poor ruggedly independent self-sufficient relative might have to pay some taxes for it just like I do—oh, the humanity! Help, help, your relative is being repressed!
And if he uses groundwater, the evil gub’mint and ecoweenies are worried about aquifer contamination that might kill his trees, often over the objection of your con buddies.
If your relative doesn’t find the entire array of tax dollars used to encourage his agricultural production sufficient he’s an ungrateful whiner. His reward is making more money than people who collect Social Security. What else would he like from the government, a special attaboy whiner cookie? The satisfaction of watching other people eat dog food?
Seriously, what is his complaint, aside from paying (gasp!) taxes while receiving government services?
tiredofIT
August 14th, 2012
1:10 pm
Another distraction to keep from talking about Romney’s tax returns.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 14th, 2012
1:11 pm
Aquagirl, the Cons only support government services which they use. No matter that other people use them, if it ain’t them, it needs to go.
Don’t go to National Parks? They gotta go – privatize the land and use the proceeds to pay down the debt.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 14th, 2012
1:13 pm
like Ayn Rand they whine about SS and Medicare – until they need it or start to use it.
Then you best keep your guvmint hands off their medicare!
iggy
August 14th, 2012
1:15 pm
The bottom line is do we want a President who wants to “spread it around” ie take from the workers and give to the lazy OR a President who encourges the so called “down-trodden, poor, feeble minded, lazy” to get off their rear-ends and participate.
I choose the latter. We already know where the lazy-libs sit, lay, sleep.
Thomas Heyward Jr.
August 14th, 2012
1:17 pm
l Ryan, Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential running mate, sold stock in US banks on the same day he attended a confidential meeting where top level officials disclosed the sector was heading for a deep crisis.
The congressman on Monday denied profiting from information gleaned from the meeting on 18 September 2008 when Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, then treasury secretary Hank Paulson and others outlined their fears for the banking sector. His office said he had no control over the trades.
Public records show that on the same day as the meeting, Ryan sold stock in troubled banks including Wachovia and Citigroup and bought shares in Goldman Sachs, Paulson’s old employer and a bank that had been disclosed to be stronger than many of its rivals. The sale was not illegal at the time.
———————————————————-
.
Move along now.
Nothing to see here.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
August 14th, 2012
1:18 pm
Seriously, what is his complaint, aside from paying (gasp!) taxes while receiving government services?
That all that risk, sweat, and effort produces a profit, that is shared by the 47% that sit in the A/C, contribute little, and complain, that he is keeping too much of the money he earned.
Aquagirl
August 14th, 2012
1:19 pm
the Cons only support government services which they use.
I wouldn’t mind that so much if they weren’t so adamant they’re not using government services, unlike the “parasites” they constantly obsess over and degrade.
I’d wager Mr. Pecan Grower is genuinely outraged as he plants his government-developed pecan trees so he can make big bucks selling pecans in a government-inflated market. Because, dammit, he’s doing this all hisself! Not like the welfare mama buying his pecans with food stamps!
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 14th, 2012
1:20 pm
This is what is happening in Ohio:
All voting precincts are overseen by 2 Republicans and 2 Democrats. In the Conservative-leaning precincts, the Dems and the Repubs voted to extend voting hours. In the democratic-leaning precincts, the Democrats voted to extend voting hours but the Republicans voted no. So, the Secretary of State had to step in and break the ties. He being a Republican voted no with the other Republicans.
So, what is good for the Conservative-leaning precincts isn’t ok for the democrat-leaning precincts. If you can’t win, play dirty = the Republican mantra.
Now, can the Dems in the conservative-leaning precincts go back and change their votes so no precinct gets early voting privileges?
iggy
August 14th, 2012
1:20 pm
“The sale was not illegal at the time.” <—Ok, so whats your point? Further are you suggesting that Ryan was the only congressional rep to behave in such a manner?
Aint that a sham
August 14th, 2012
1:21 pm
Rafe
Why are you demeaning those enlisted military personnel who are fighting across this world for your freedom?
You do know that many of the lower ranking enlisted do not pay Fed Income Tax and depending on if they qualify for the EITC they even get some back?
You know that, right?
Quit demeaning the men and women who put their life on the line for you.
iggy
August 14th, 2012
1:22 pm
Well perhaps the New Black Panthers, OH chapter, can one again wade into the fray. After all Holder will do nothing about voter intimidation, etc.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 14th, 2012
1:24 pm
until recently it was ok to do insider trading if you were in congress. One of those perks, ya know. So you can’t knock Ryan for doing something that is legal.