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Obama a Marxist? Seriously?

Tsukasa Buddha

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Tsukasa Buddha
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Sep 10, 2006
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NAPOLITANO: Hey Sen. Lieberman, you know Barack Obama, is he a Marxist as Bill Kristol says might be the case in today’s New York Times? Is he an elitist like your colleague Hillary Clinton says he is?

LIEBERMAN: Well, you know, I must say that’s a good question. I know him now for a little more than three years since he came into the Senate and he’s obviously very smart and he’s a good guy. I will tell ya that during this campaign, I’ve learned some things about him, about the kind of environment from which he came ideologically. And I wouldn’t…I’d hesitate to say he’s a Marxist, but he’s got some positions that are far to the left of me and I think mainstream America.
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Linky.

*facepalm*

Seriously, I started a thread because I couldn't find any Marxists, and it turns out Obama is one this whole time?

And I like how having some positions "left" of "mainstream" America means you are a closet Marxist. Let's see, I support national healthcare, marijuana decriminalization, gay marriage... ****, I'm the reincarnation of Marx >< .

(Yes, I like doing "that")
 
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The question stems from Bill Kristol's column in the NY Times today:

I haven’t read much Karl Marx since the early 1980s, when I taught political philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. Still, it didn’t take me long this weekend to find my copy of “The Marx-Engels Reader,” edited by Robert C. Tucker — a book that was assigned in thousands of college courses in the 1970s and 80s, and that now must lie, unopened and un-remarked upon, on an awful lot of rec-room bookshelves.

My occasion for spending a little time once again with the old Communist was Barack Obama’s now-famous comment at an April 6 San Francisco fund-raiser. Obama was explaining his trouble winning over small-town, working-class voters: “It’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”
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While it sounds a tad absurd, there's more than just Obama's SF comments behind it. A childhood mentor of Obama's was a member of the CP-USA (Communist Party):

However, through Frank Marshall Davis, Obama had an admitted relationship with someone who was publicly identified as a member of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA). The record shows that Obama was in Hawaii from 1971-1979, where, at some point in time, he developed a close relationship, almost like a son, with Davis, listening to his "poetry" and getting advice on his career path. But Obama, in his book, Dreams From My Father, refers to him repeatedly as just "Frank."

The reason is apparent: Davis was a known communist who belonged to a party subservient to the Soviet Union. In fact, the 1951 report of the Commission on Subversive Activities to the Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii identified him as a CPUSA member. What's more, anti-communist congressional committees, including the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), accused Davis of involvement in several communist-front organizations.
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Barack's father was a socialist.

3. Obama [Barack's father] advocated dramatically increasing taxation on "the rich" even up to the 100% level, arguing that, "there is no limit to taxation if the benefits derived from public services by society measure up to the cost in taxation which they have to pay" (p. 30) and that, "Theoretically, there is nothing that can stop the government from taxing 100% of income so long as the people get benefits from the government commensurate with their income which is taxed." (p. 31)
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I am not of a conspiratorial bent, but you could see how somebody would put this stuff all together and claim that Barack's a stealth commie. I doubt that very strongly, and am more inclined to think that while he flirted with radicalism in college (as I did), he grew up eventually.
 
Karl Rove, having successfully called this "elitist" attack four days before it happened, is now pushing the Marxist meme as well:

COLMES: Karl, do you think there's any truth to what Obama said? Do you think there are some people who might be bitter, angry, feel that life didn't give them a fair shake, who may cling on to whatever it is that they cling on to as a response? Is there any truth whatsoever to that?

ROVE: Alan, Alan, the point he was making was this is the dominant culture in rural America. It wasn't that there might be a person or two who feels this way. But this is how he characterized rural America.

My view of rural America is different. I find people in rural America are people of deep faith, they love the outdoors, many of them make a conscious decision to remain in rural America because of the quality of life and because they have ties to the land or they want their children to grow up in that kind of an environment.

I don't find a lot of people in rural America, I certainly don't find the dominant view to be I'm so bitter that I'm going to hold on to my gun or I'm going to — you know it was almost Marxisian, in this, that "they cling to their religion." I mean it's sort of like "it's the opiate of the masses" instead of this is something that fulfills their lives and gives them a great of...
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Joe Lieberman's got a lot of nerve, btw. Back in 2006, Obama endorsed him for the primary and for the win:

"I know that some in the party have differences with Joe," Senator Obama said, all but silencing the crowd. "I'm going to go ahead and say it. It's the elephant in the room. And Joe and I don't agree on everything. But what I know is, Joe Lieberman's a man with a good heart, with a keen intellect, who cares about the working families of America."

Then, with applause beginning to build, he finished the thought: "I am absolutely certain that Connecticut's going to have the good sense to send Joe Lieberman back to the United States Senate." That time, people cheered loudly.
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What a tool that Lieberman is.
 
What in tarnation happened to Lieberman? He seemed teh regular Democrat before Iraq. But after Iraq, he does not seem content in just having a difference of opinion in regards to Iraq with the Dems, which I had no problem with. He now seems hell-bent on attacking Dems over everything else under the sun too! I am starting to dislike the man.
 
Lieb was asked a question by someone, he wasn't giving this out as a stump speech. If you read the text without a confirmation bias, he basically waffles the answer.

Its cool to flame Lieberman these days though so. ZOMG SELLOUT
 
Lurker said:
What in tarnation happened to Lieberman? He seemed teh regular Democrat before Iraq. But after Iraq, he does not seem content in just having a difference of opinion in regards to Iraq with the Dems, which I had no problem with. He now seems hell-bent on attacking Dems over everything else under the sun too! I am starting to dislike the man.
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Well, let's see, the progressive netroots essentially kicked him out of the party in 2006 over the war, financing, publicizing and endorsing his primary challenger Ned Lamont. Obama did speak up for Lieberman (as did Bill Clinton; can't find Hillary's position) during the primary process, but I'd doubt very much if either of them supported Joe after he didn't get the nomination and ran as an independent.

So, yeah, I can't imagine why he's not more grateful either. ;)

BTW, the Republicans have had a somewhat similar situation. Lincoln Chafee, a very moderate Republican from Rhode Island faced a bitter primary challenge in 2006. The Republican establishment said no to his challenger, and the party voted for the incumbent. Of course in 2006, no Republican was going to get elected in Rhode Island, so Chafee was defeated by the Democrat. And after the election Chafee changed his own registration to (D).
 
Brainster said:
The question stems from Bill Kristol's column in the NY Times today:



While it sounds a tad absurd, there's more than just Obama's SF comments behind it. A childhood mentor of Obama's was a member of the CP-USA (Communist Party):



Barack's father was a socialist.



I am not of a conspiratorial bent, but you could see how somebody would put this stuff all together and claim that Barack's a stealth commie. I doubt that very strongly, and am more inclined to think that while he flirted with radicalism in college (as I did), he grew up eventually.
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Obama’s communist mentor Davis had to have been a friend of the family, meaning his white grandparents. It would not surprise me the Dunhams were Communist Party members back in the 30's and 40's.
 
Lurker said:
What in tarnation happened to Lieberman? He seemed teh regular Democrat before Iraq. But after Iraq, he does not seem content in just having a difference of opinion in regards to Iraq with the Dems, which I had no problem with. He now seems hell-bent on attacking Dems over everything else under the sun too! I am starting to dislike the man.
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Lieberman is a Jew first and a Democrat second. America fighting wars in the Middle East is good for Israel.

Today Iraq, tomorrow Iran.
 
MaGZ said:
Obama’s communist mentor Davis had to have been a friend of the family, meaning his white grandparents. It would not surprise me the Dunhams were Communist Party members back in the 30's and 40's.
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What evidence do you have, other than AIM's disinformation campaign, that Frank Marshall Davis was Obama's mentor? "Dreams From My Father" does not say this. AIM is trying to smear Obama by guilt-through-association by exaggerating Davis's radical background and exaggerating Davis's influence over Obama.

For an analysis of AIM's redbaiting campaign, search the my.barackobama.com website for "redbaiting."
 
He was more than likely a "coffee house" Marxist in college. But that is probably the extent of it. His mother was very far left but she appears to have had little influence on him. The Black Liberation Theology taught in his church is very wedded to Marxist philosophy but I am coming to the conclusion that Obama is probably more an opportunist than ideologue.
 
Brainster said:
The question stems from Bill Kristol's column in the NY Times today:



While it sounds a tad absurd, there's more than just Obama's SF comments behind it. A childhood mentor of Obama's was a member of the CP-USA (Communist Party):



Barack's father was a socialist.



I am not of a conspiratorial bent, but you could see how somebody would put this stuff all together and claim that Barack's a stealth commie. I doubt that very strongly, and am more inclined to think that while he flirted with radicalism in college (as I did), he grew up eventually.
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Brainster, were you ever a card carrying member of SDS?
 
MaGZ said:
Obama’s communist mentor Davis had to have been a friend of the family, meaning his white grandparents. It would not surprise me the Dunhams were Communist Party members back in the 30's and 40's.
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Well, it wouldn't surprise me if certain members had been planted here by Karl Rove to supply disinformation about Obama. Of course, since I have no evidence to support it, I would never make such a charge.
 
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