Obama TV Bio Glorifies, Doesn’t Scrutinize
Biography: Barack Obama is generous in its treatment of the title subject and predictably lacks critical material.
A trip back to Kenya in Obama’s mid-20s seems to have set his life course anew. We’re told it’s there that he realized he was following in the footsteps of a father he barely knew — helping others like his dad did by returning to Kenya.
The biography remains at arm’s length from its subject matter. Archived interviews with Obama and his wife, Michelle, patch some of the story’s holes, while only a few Obama family members spoke to Biography directly to fill in the rest. Obama is given a chance to speak, but chiefly through archived material. Viewers won’t even see enough examples of what Obama is best known for — his soaring oratories.
Biased voices like legal scholar Lawrence Tribe, who describes Obama in ridiculously glowing terms, and commentary from Obama’s media chief David Alexrod makes sure the narrative stays on the senator’s side.
Just how did Obama endear himself to his controversial Chicago church and its fiery pastor, Rev. Wright? The only time we see of Rev. Wright is courtesy of a marriage snapshot — and then we only see the back of his head.
The special ends with Obama’s star still on the rise, and his presidential run just beginning. But the DVD offers an update section that gives us a brief recap of his march toward the Democratic presidential nomination.
Finally, some negatives creep in, although the change in tone is so jarring it might as well have been left out. We see a snippet of the Rev. Wright controversy and learn how comments Obama made regarding people who “cling” to guns and religion cause the senator serious heartburn.
Obama’s life is an American success story like few others. The child, multiracial to his family’s core, walked step by step up this culture’s ladder to where he stands today, near the country’s highest rung.
It’s material begging for a worthy documentary, one viewers of all party lines can appreciate.
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Christian Toto is a freelance writer and film critic for The Washington Times. His work has appeared in People magazine, MovieMaker Magazine, The Denver Post, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and Scripps Howard News Service. He also contributes movie radio commentary to three stations as well as the nationally syndicated Dennis Miller Show and runs the blog What Would Toto Watch?
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7 Comments
1. David Thomson:“Obama complains of dealing with racism in his teen years”
Where is the evidence? Hawaii is a very multi-racial part of the United States. Racial incidents supposedly occur very rarely—especially by the 1970s. I strongly suspect that Obama sensed that he would benefit by employing the race card. Never forget that he was raised in a relativist cultural milieu. Such individuals often believe they have the right to invent their own history.
Jul 3, 2008 - 7:11 am 2. Obama TV Bio Glorifies, Doesn’t Scrutinize…Biography: Barack Obama is generous in its treatment of the title subject and predictably lacks critical material. « Tizona’s Weblog:[...] Page 1 of 2, on The Messiah/ Pajamas Media [...]
Jul 3, 2008 - 8:52 am 3. Dave II:“It’s material begging for a worthy documentary, one viewers of all party lines can appreciate.”
Well now, THAT’S the understatement of this election year!
Of course, we will never GET such a hard-hitting “WORTHY” documentary because Obama DOESN’T WANT YOU TO KNOW exactly what ARE the facts about his past!
- We STILL don’t know the TRUTH about his birth certificate…the original has never been released. (the “Certificate of Live Birth” on his fight-the-smears website has been proven to be a fake!)
- We STILL don’t know the TRUTH about his studies in Indonesia and how he learned to recite the Muslim prayer in Arabic!
- We STILL don’t know the TRUTH about FRANK DAVIS, the communist party member that was a mentor and father-figure to the fatherless Obama during his teen years.
- We STILL don’t know the TRUTH about his time in Kenya and his relationship with the Odingas, his relatives that are linked to violent Muslim uprisings and political fighting there.
- We STILL don’t know the TRUTH about his 20-year relationship with his racist Pastor Wright and what or when he heard the rants or preachings of Black Liberation Theology expounded on at that church.
- We STILL don’t know the TRUTH about his relationship with Rezko, Ayers, or even less about his “alleged” relationship with Larry Sinclair and murdered gay choirmaster Donald Young.
This man has so many skeletons in his closet, it surely is bursting at the seams now with things trying to get out. I only touched on the main ones.
Would love to see a “Frontline”-type documentary about his life, but that would be like getting the fox to leave the henhouse in the middle of winter!
Never gonna happen!
Jul 3, 2008 - 9:16 am 4. Bob:Wow! Thanks for the BIO channel heads-up. I always thought MSNBC had the distinction!of being Obama TV!
Jul 3, 2008 - 10:10 am 5. misanthropicus:Obama’s racial struggles in Hawaii – what a piece a crap.
Jul 3, 2008 - 1:26 pm 6. Ken Hahn:A white kid is an oddball in Hawaii, not biracial one.
Isn’t this an in kind contribution to Obama’s campaign?
Jul 4, 2008 - 2:11 am 7. neefer:From what I’ve observed in my neighborhood, I don’t think these ads are having much of an effect. I live on the west side of Cleveland with many blacks and I assumed they would be Obama supports. I’ve seen one Obama yard sign although he has a number of campaign offices in our area. The local media ALWAYS starts their presidential campaign coverage with at least 30-seconds to several minutes of Obama coverage, then a one liner of where McCain was for the day. All things considered, the “Will Smith,” two parent, black households on the Westside don’t seem to be falling all over themselves in support of Obama.
Jul 7, 2008 - 11:03 am