Anti-Obama film muddy on facts

This undated image provided by Rocky Mountain Pictures, shows an undated film clip from "2016: Obama's America". Hollywood may have run out of summer hits, but an anti-Obama documentary is helping fill the gap. "2016: Obama's America"was expanded from limited to nationwide release and took in $6.2 million to finish at No. 8, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. Photo by The Associated Press.

BETH FOUHY, Associated Press

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — "2016: Obama's America," a new conservative film exploring the roots of President Barack Obama's political views, took in $6.2 million to make it one of the highest-grossing movies of last weekend. The film, written and narrated by conservative scholar Dinesh D'Souza, argues that Obama was heavily influenced by what D'Souza calls the "anti-colonial" beliefs of his father, Barack Obama Sr., a Kenyan academic who was largely absent from the president's life.

To document that claim, D'Souza travels to Kenya to interview members of Obama's extended family as well as to Hawaii and Indonesia, where Obama grew up. He also cites several actions and policy positions Obama has taken to support the thesis that Obama is ideologically rooted in the Third World and harbors contempt for the country that elected him its first black president.

The assertion that Obama's presidency is an expression of his father's political beliefs, which D'Souza first made in 2010 in his book "The Roots of Obama's Rage," is almost entirely subjective and a logical stretch at best.

It's true that Obama's father lived most of his life in Kenya, an African nation once colonized by the British, and that Obama's reverence for his absent father frames his best-selling memoir. D'Souza even sees clues in the book's title: "Notice it says 'Dreams From My Father,' not 'of' my father," D'Souza says.

But it's difficult to see how Obama's political leanings could have been so directly shaped by his father, as D'Souza claims. The elder Obama left his wife and young son, the future president, when Obama was 2 and visited his son only once, when Obama was 10. But D'Souza frames that loss as an event that reinforced rather than weakened the president's ties to his father, who died in a car crash when Obama was in college.

D'Souza interviews Paul Vitz, a New York University psychologist who has studied the impact of absent fathers on children. In Obama's case, Vitz says, the abandonment meant "he has the tension between the Americanism and his Africanism. He himself is an intersection of major political forces in his own psychology."

From there, the evidence D'Souza uses to support his assertion starts to grow thin.

D'Souza says Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, shared his father's left-leaning views. After living in Indonesia for several years, D'Souza said, Dunham sent the younger Obama to live with his grandparents in Hawaii so he would not be influenced by her second husband, Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian who worked for American oil companies and fought communists as a member of the Indonesian army.

"Ann separates Barry from Lolo's growing pro-Western influence," D'Souza says in the film. Obama has said his mother had sent him back to Hawaii so he would be educated in the United States.

In Hawaii, D'Souza asserts with no evidence, Obama sympathized with native Hawaiians who felt they had been marginalized by the American government when Hawaii was becoming a state. D'Souza also asserts — again with no evidence — that Obama had been coached to hold those views at Punahou, the prestigious prep school he attended in Honolulu.

"Oppression studies, if you will. Obama got plenty of that when he was here in Punahou," D'Souza says, standing on the campus.

In Kenya, D'Souza interviews Philip Ochieng, a lifelong friend of the president's father, who claims the elder Obama was "totally anti-colonial." Ochieng also discloses some of his own political views, complaining about U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Iraq and saying the U.S. refuses to "tame" Israel, which he calls a "Trojan horse in the Middle East." D'Souza seems to suggest that if a onetime friend of Obama's late father holds those opinions, so too must the president himself.

D'Souza then goes through a list of actions Obama has taken as president to support his thesis. Many of them don't hold water:

— D'Souza rightly argues that the national debt has risen to $16 trillion under Obama. But he never mentions the explosion of debt that occurred under Obama's predecessor, Republican George W. Bush, nor the 2008 global financial crisis that provoked a shock to the U.S. economy.

— D'Souza says Obama is "weirdly sympathetic to Muslim jihadists" in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He does not mention that Obama ordered the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and the drone strikes that have killed dozens of terrorists in the region.

—D'Souza wrongly claims that Obama wants to return control of the Falkland Islands from Britain to Argentina. The U.S. refused in April to endorse a final declaration on Argentina's claim to the islands at the Summit of the Americas, provoking criticism from other Latin American nations.

—D'Souza says Obama has "done nothing" to impede Iran's nuclear ambitions, despite the severe trade and economic sanctions his administration has imposed on Iran to halt its suspected nuclear program. Obama opposes a near-term military strike on Iran, either by the U.S. or Israel, although he says the U.S. will never tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran.

— D'Souza says Obama removed a bust of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill from the Oval Office because Churchill represented British colonialism. White House curator William Allman said the bust, which had been on loan, was already scheduled to be returned before Obama took office. Another bust of Churchill is on display in the president's private residence, the White House says.

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RobHunterJohnson 9 months, 3 weeks ago

The last 5 paragraphs answer all the questions is that Mitt or Donald Trump? Rob

copcamaro 9 months, 3 weeks ago

it doesn't muddy the waters for me a bit. That goes the same for Cluless Claire.

Insight 9 months, 3 weeks ago

That's because facts shouldn't get in the way of a muddled belief system.

RobHunterJohnson 9 months, 3 weeks ago

CopCamaro, Going back to President Reagen there has been debt passed on since, and I broke it down for Grace month back.. Afghanastan, Iraq, and Pakistan? Falkland islands, if England has a problem they will handle it. They are an ally. I would imagine there is alot of thought going into IRAN, the Israelies are planning for a month long war, at least 500 dead! President Bush let the North Koreans start popping Nuclear bombs off in 2006? The bust was scheduled to go? We got our own bust at the Capital, I wonder how many faithful have made the pilgramage? Hey do you know what time Rush comes on? Rob

newone 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Fact's do not matter to Obama haters, they don't care what he has or hasn't done, they will always twist the facts to support thier hate.

asb 9 months, 3 weeks ago

To demonize is to defeat. This fact-poor and nearly fringe bit of Swiftboat fluff IS the GOP, it paints Obama as a non-white, non-American, extremist, foriegn influnced destroyer of America. It isn't the final effort; there will be more and more as November nears. Even Romoney has thrown in with the birthers. Painting Obama as an alien, with hatred of America as his guiding light, is predictable from the extreme right and the odd super PAC doing weird stuff. But no, this is the GOP machine, from the heart of the party. Lies, exaggerations, and the constant portrayal of Obama as un-American and dangerous. Shameful. I have to give the NT credit; a normally conservative paper running this expose is a glint of light and truth against a mounting personal and irrational attack against the President. Is there even a grain of truth or spark of flame to the basic tenets of the story? Yes. Barack Obama has seen our nation from perspectives not available to most national politicians who've grown up white, wealthy, and always in-country. Has he used this unique perspective to resent and attack American values? Not one shred of evidence support such ideas. Tying him to Wright, to Jihadists, to America haters; that's the work of the greatest PR effort brought to bear against a presidential candidate since Andrew Jackson's wife was labeled a prostitute in major American papers. This is shameful pandering to the fears of a public robbed of nearly half of their wealth, many of their homes, and many thousands of their jobs . . . for larger profits . . . in the greatest shift of American wealth to the fewest and wealthiest in history. And they want more.

tonto_goldberg 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Your comment is irrelevant and off topic. The discussion is about a movie-length propaganda film that distorts and ignores factual reality. That is a pretty good example of demonizing.

BubbaD 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Well, Mitt has said they don't need any fact checkers. Evidently you don't either. Might as well say you don't need any facts to follow your existing biases.

BubbaD 9 months, 3 weeks ago

August 22, the Des Moines Register quotes him.

TickledPink 9 months, 3 weeks ago

thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/244855-romney-says-fact-checkers-biased-in-criticism-of-campaigns-welfare-ads

blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/08/22/mitt-romney-interview-transcript-with-the-des-moines-register/

John 9 months, 3 weeks ago

I read the Des Moines Register link 3 times. I did not see anything about Romeny saying anything about not needing a fact checker(s)??

BubbaD 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Well, he didn't say the phrase that I used. But he dismissed all fact checkers as biased.....even politifact which he has sighted in his favor on several occasions. Politifact gave his claim a "pants on fire" rating, so he now dismisses their judgement. He obviously has no use for fact checkers if he thinks they are all biased.

John 9 months, 3 weeks ago

So the statement you made, "Well, Mitt has said they don't need any fact checkers" is not true?

asb 9 months, 3 weeks ago

It does end up being an Obama support piece, by pointing out its clear pattern of deception against him. I'm not aware of ANY reviews that support the claims or veracity of the movie, quite the opposite in fact. I'll remind you of something I point out regularly: The left, with a few temporary exceptions, has always won. The left is a human tendency that is rightfully slowed by conservatism, but it has ALWAYS won, for all of recorded history.

TickledPink 9 months, 3 weeks ago

The left are losers? Really ... this is what you consider intelligent, reasonable discussion?

newone 9 months, 3 weeks ago

You must remember who you are talking with, Graceful never has an intelligent, reasonable discussion, this is how he/she is, if you disagree with him/her than you are a "loser" and any other name he/she can come up with. This is why no one takes her serious.

online_editor 9 months, 3 weeks ago

It would help encourage issue-oriented discussion if everyone would focus on the specifics of what they believe is accurate or inaccurate, good or bad, etc. Although labeling a certain group as losers can be viewed as a political statement in some cases and therefore, not something we want to ban, it also can be seen as a personal attack on others and trigger further responses of an escalating nature. Let's improve the forum by minimizing the blanket name calling and addressing the issues instead. Thanks. --Rick Brown, online editor, News Tribune

spelchek 9 months, 3 weeks ago

"To demonize is to defeat."-- You mean like the rich?

RobHunterJohnson 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Some right winger are makin MONEY, can not wait to see it released at WalMart. Rob

tonto_goldberg 9 months, 3 weeks ago

It would sell really well at Tea Party rallies.

spelchek 9 months, 3 weeks ago

I can't wait to see this movie and the truth it will bring to mass audiences. I like how the AP STILL blames Bush in this article (news flash, unemployment still 8.3% and Bush isn't running for President). At what point does the $600,000,000 Obama spent to become President start being used for him to be President? If he wins in November, will he blame the previous administration? What a shameless bunch of bed wetters.

newone 9 months, 3 weeks ago

And we will see how much Romney blames on the previous administration if he gets elected in November! But I guess that will be ok right?

asb 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Bed wetters? Oh Spel, what won't you say to make yourself look strong?

RobHunterJohnson 9 months, 3 weeks ago

We are still in the Bush wake from 8 years of Mission Accomplished, the national debt goes all the way back to President Reagen, and the Congress who has done nothing for the last 2 years. We could elect Romeny and just switch polarity! Congress has been the problem ! President Obama got his congress to implement his health care only to see the next congress to devote all their time to erase it, and nothing else. Rob

spelchek 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight...we're still in the wake of someone elses policies. There hasn't been a Democrat controlled congress from 2006-2010 and there hasn't been a leftist President reigning since 2008. "Those good for making excuses are seldom good for anything else."

newone 9 months, 3 weeks ago

But what you fail to see is the numbers under Bush, the unemployement rate when Bush took office was 4.2% after 3 1/2 years of being in office it went to 6.2% that is a 2% increase in 3 1/2 years, Obama came in at 7.8% and is now at 8.2% which is an increase of .4% in the same amount of time, how in the heck can you say Obama's unemployment rate is so horrible when it went up twice as much under Bush in the same amount of time, I understand Obama hasn't made it better but it sure hasn't got that much worse since he took office.

newone 9 months, 3 weeks ago

The numbers do not lie, the rate when Bush took office was 4.4% and was 7.9% when he left...and are you seriously going to blame Obama for the unemployement rate going up before he even took office????? lol..now I have heard it all! You are something else and very desperate to blame Obama for everything even though Bush was much worse! And I am sorry it wasn't "apparent" that Obama was going to be elected until the last min, it was a very close race as this November will be because both canidates stink and people will only be voting for the worse of two evil's, my vote will be for Obama because Romeny is a lier and a cheat and only cares about the rich! And yours will be for a lier and a cheat and that is ok, because obviously you know not what you do. Have a great day Graceful.

RobHunterJohnson 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Spck, all that crying about 8.3% unemployment, you probably have never missed a day in your carreer, maybe you can take some of your GOLF money, and Buy a copy of that movie @$19.99 and next summer I will pick it up at your garage sale for .50 cents! You know I still blame Bush for where we are today, and the bumber sticker on the back of my truck reads HOW COULD 59 MILLION PEOPLE BE SO WRONG! That is a quote from the British Tabloids after the 2004 swift boat campaign. Rob

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