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If Giuliani’s Obama Smear Wasn’t Racist, What Was It?
New York Magazine ^ | February 20, 2015 | Jonathan Chait

Posted on 02/22/2015 9:11:28 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

When Rudy Giuliani accused President Obama of not loving America, was he expressing a form of racism? If not, what was Giuliani saying?

I have argued, controversially to some on the left, that it is important to grapple with ideas on their own terms before merely analyzing their motivations. American conservatism is historically intertwined with white racism in such a way that nearly any conservative idea could plausibly be understood as an appeal to racism, but most of those ideas can be expressed and justified in non-racial terms, and deserve to be taken at face value. The trouble with Giuliani’s comments is that they lack the coherence necessary to be analyzed as an idea. Brush away the bilious rage he has emitted, and nothing solid remains behind.

The original basis for Giuliani’s comments was Obama’s allegedly unusual upbringing. “He wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up, through love of this country,” alleged the former mayor. As Wayne Barrett points out, Giuliani’s father was a mob enforcer, and he and his five brothers all avoided military service during World War II. What about this upbringing in any way suggests it conveyed some deeper patriotism than Obama’s?

Giuliani subsequently clarified his original remarks, though not in the way he intended, by asserting that Obama’s alleged anti-Americanism amounted to “socialism or possibly anti-colonialism.” Here Giuliani is reprising the theories of Dinesh D’Souza, who has described Obama as fundamentally influenced by Kenyan anti-colonialism. Unfortunately for Giuliani, D’Souza’s racism is so transparent not even many conservatives care to defend it any longer....

(Excerpt) Read more at nymag.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Local News; Politics
KEYWORDS: accurate; giuliani; newyork; obama; rudygiuliani; scottwalker; spoton; wisconsin
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If Rudy’s remarks were racist, what isn’t racist nowadays?


41 posted on 02/22/2015 9:34:42 AM PST by Sans-Culotte (Psalm 14:1 ~ The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Giuliani’s father was a mob enforcer, and he and his five brothers all avoided military service during World War II. What about this upbringing in any way suggests it conveyed some deeper patriotism than Obama’s?...#1 Poppa Giuliani’s father WORKED for a living, but probably as a Unionista #2. Rudy and his brothers never joined, supported or were educated by the enemy. Dispute me?


42 posted on 02/22/2015 9:35:08 AM PST by Safetgiver ( Islam makes barbarism look genteel.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Days after 9/11, Obama basically said it was our fault. He is a monster.


43 posted on 02/22/2015 9:35:41 AM PST by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Obama could be red haired and freckled and I would still oppose everything he has done and everything he represents!
44 posted on 02/22/2015 9:36:12 AM PST by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied .. the economy died.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
“American conservatism is historically intertwined with white racism in such a way that nearly any conservative idea could plausibly be understood as an appeal to racism...”

This can only be true in a liberal’s brain. It is not racist when the expectation of hard work and following of laws is applied equally. Clarence Thomas would also beg to differ, Mr Chait.

Southern Democrats, who made up the KKK, should be your whipping boys. Senators like Democrat Robert Byrd are the ones who you should lambaste.

Republicans fought slavery, wanting blacks to be free.

45 posted on 02/22/2015 9:37:12 AM PST by ConservativeMind ("Humane" = "Don't pen up pets or eat meat, but allow infanticide, abortion, and euthanasia.")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:21, Luke 12:34

I’m quoting this (gasp) Christian Biblical verse for this reason..it fits..

If you consider the treasure as being not only money but also be substituted by your all, your whole being, your reason for living, where you put your strength, your thoughts, where you seek influence, bow down to etc, then its one more step to giving your heart to whatever that is, etc..

that’s Obama and his love of anything but America..that anything in his case being for the koran of the mohammadans and our enemies the Islamic terrorists and anyone who will support and enable them..anything that is anti and un-American..


46 posted on 02/22/2015 9:37:36 AM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: reasonisfaith

Of course, it could be that Mr. Chait is simply being dishonest. This behavior commonly seen on the left is another product of adherence to postmodernist views.

Postmodernism claims there is no truth. The purpose of this claim is to give license to dishonesty. Thence liberalism.


47 posted on 02/22/2015 9:39:24 AM PST by reasonisfaith ("...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2 Thessalonians))
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Any criticism of the Kenyan God = Racism.

I always wondered - The actor Wentworth Miller has a white mother and a black father just like The One. If The One looked this white, would it *still* be racist to criticize him?


48 posted on 02/22/2015 9:39:27 AM PST by GrandJediMasterYoda (Obama: 12 acts of blatant treason and counting)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

A statement of FACT.


49 posted on 02/22/2015 9:39:56 AM PST by G Larry (I'm not here to make liberals happy.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Factual - it was factual.


50 posted on 02/22/2015 9:42:01 AM PST by GladesGuru (Islam Delenda Est. Because of what Islam is - and because of what Muslims do.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
American conservatism is historically intertwined with white racism

Well there you have it! Johnathon has spoken. Must be true because he has said it?

My God, what an a$$hole!!!!!!!!

51 posted on 02/22/2015 9:42:55 AM PST by eeriegeno (<p>)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If your main desire towards something is to “fundamentally transform” it, you don’t love it.


52 posted on 02/22/2015 9:44:47 AM PST by denydenydeny ("World History is not full of good governments, or of good voters either "--P.J. O'Rourke)
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To: PghBaldy
“And in that sense,” Obama continued, “I think we can say that the Constitution reflected an enormous blind spot in this culture that carries on until this day, and that the Framers had that same blind spot. I don’t think the two views are contradictory, to say that it was a remarkable political document that paved the way for where we are now, and to say that it also reflected the fundamental flaw of this country that continues to this day.”

http://www.Newsmax.com/InsideCover/obama-constitution/2008/10/27/id/326165/#ixzz3SUsOjiiN

53 posted on 02/22/2015 9:44:50 AM PST by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: Lady Heron
Any dissent is racist....how convenient for dems.

The nice thing about playing the race card with every perceived outrage is that it has lost its sting. Increasingly, people just don't care anymore.

54 posted on 02/22/2015 9:45:36 AM PST by Drew68
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
What's the problem? Its not like Giuliani said "I am going to fundamentally transform black culture".


Obama: "Fundamentally Transforming the United States of America" Long Version
55 posted on 02/22/2015 9:47:10 AM PST by Kid Shelleen (Beat your plowshares into swords. Let the weak say I am strong)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
American conservatism is historically intertwined with white racism....

How do they still keep getting away with this? It's a proven LIE.

56 posted on 02/22/2015 9:47:33 AM PST by ponygirl (Put. A. Bird. On. It.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Answer: The truth


57 posted on 02/22/2015 9:47:41 AM PST by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Racist?

Not again.

Grow up, Jonathan Chait!


Not everything negative about Obama is racist.

Jonathan Chait, you guys have worn out the ole race card. It doesn't work anymore.


58 posted on 02/22/2015 9:49:55 AM PST by TomGuy
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I mean, there are aspects of America that I’m sure Obama loves. College basketball. Brackets. Martha’s Vineyard in the summer. But the majority culture, the majority religion, the Constitution, everything that makes America America—all that stuff he hates with a passion.


59 posted on 02/22/2015 9:51:55 AM PST by denydenydeny ("World History is not full of good governments, or of good voters either "--P.J. O'Rourke)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Why am I not surprised that you have posted an article supportive of Obama? You have an unusual propensity for playing the part of the “devil’s advocate”.....of course it’s to stimulate conversation...Absolutely! Of course!


60 posted on 02/22/2015 9:58:35 AM PST by wintertime
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