2016: Obama's America

America is in the crapper. 

If you didn't know that fact as of the time of me writing this then I'm not quite sure what rock you have been living under. Is it still a fantastic place to live? Absolutely...for now. But I want to address something that I see very predominately among my age group that worries me, and it involves Republicans, Democrats, and everyone in between. Collectively we have this belief, this false belief, that the United States of America cannot fall. It just isn't possible. 

Now...before I get into reviewing this movie, I want anyone reading this to stop and think. Do you believe this? Do you believe that the U.S. is immune to falling like so many empires before it? Do you know someone who believes this? Dozens of empires have fallen throughout the course of history. Some hard and violently while others just puttered out. America is NOT IMMUNE to this fate. In fact, it will happen sooner or later. It's just the way of the world. Personally, I hope that day is hundreds or thousands of years from now. And I think it will be. But the fact of the matter is that we are at a crossroads in our nation's history. The next four years determines the following forty, if not longer. 

With this being said, it is with conviction that I say that I encourage all voters to see 2016: Obama's America. Is it anti-Obama? Yes. But is it more fact than fiction? That's for the attendee to determine. As a new reviewer, I dont want to make my political side obvious and start bashing...that's not what I'm here for. What I am here for is to tell you whether or not this documentary is the cold hard truth, crap, or somewhere in the middle. 

Dinesh D'Souza: the maker of the documentary and researcher
of all things Obama since his run for President.

I'll start with the negative aspects of this film. Of course with it being a politically-sided film, there are some instances that are "unfair" to the other side. For example, in one part, Dinesh interviews Obama's half-brother in Kenya. He asks him if Obama has taken care of him. And the brother replies no, it's not Obama's job to. And I agree with that. Obama's father was a polygamist who had several wives so he most likely has a few half brothers and half sisters who still live in Kenya. I dont really see how him not caring for them goes against him at all. In addition, Dinesh asks some awfully leading questions for the first half of the movie, particularly in the middle. There are some instances where he essentially puts words in people's mouths. I also got fairly tired of the editing. The interview editing was good because it was fair. It shows them answering the question in single cuts and often times more questions are asked in single cuts. This means that there was no editing of their answers which is what should happen in a documentary to make it fair. The editing I am speaking of is the background editing of American flags, skyscrapers, African jungles, and many other images. At times it is what I like to call hyper-editing; editing created for the ADD generation. It gets old fairly quickly. I dont need to see a frayed American flag blowing in the wind 100 times, thank you.  

Obama's half-brother in Kenya largely fails as a proving
point in my opinion...

Despite some negative qualities, the film does captivate you. Particularly when you realize that this guy has done his research. Simple. Undeniable. Research. It is true that Obama has made some inconsistent choices since his inauguration in 2008. Choices that are inconsistent not only with what he said he would do, but what America is based on. It is also true that some of the influences throughout his life have been more than questionable. It's true that a large reason for him getting elected was because it was a race-equality moment for America that so many wanted. I personally know of people who said last election that they were voting for Obama because he was black. Then there is the statistical data concerning debt (probably the scariest part of the movie). And the one that really scared the s**t out of me is Obama's nuclear wishes. Should he be reelected, he would like this nation to have 0 nuclear weapons by the time he ends his next term. Zero. Now dont get me wrong, I'm all for a nuclear-free world, but that is a falsity and anyone who believes otherwise is a complete idiot. Irresponsible foreign countries wont get rid of theirs or they will hide them, simple as that. And what kind of country would you rather attack: a country with zero nuclear weapons or a country with several thousand? I think it should be fairly common knowledge that the U.S. will not use its nuclear weapons. We know the consequences. But the mere intimidation of the fact that we have several thousand of them is a defense in and of itself, and a damn strong one at that. 

Love him. Hate him. You dont know him.

But I digress a bit, it just shocked me with that one...

Regardless, 2016: Obama's America is at its core a study of the man. His background, his upbringing, his influences, and why he makes the choices he does. The film makes a conclusion that some might find radical. And it is. But said conclusion is also based on the human psychology, one of the most studied sciences there is. It is hard to argue when Dinesh explains scientifically (and it is science...a human's upbringing and influences of others are the single most defining tools of our evolving psyche and personality) why Obama is a certain way and then shows a clip of Obama giving a speech displaying exactly that previously stated point. But realistically, we cannot know why Obama has made some of the choices he has and what his thought process is. None of know his end game except for him. And that is why I encourage all to see it. There is nothing worse than an uneducated voter. Do I consider myself an educated voter? No. Not even close. But after seeing 2016: Obama's America I do feel confident that I have a much better (and fair for the most part) idea of the ideals behind the eyes of the man who has been running our country. 

The next four years will determine the following forty. 

Just remember that when you approach the voting booth this November...

Pros:

• I would say that about 80% of the points it makes are relevant. Obviously biased towards the right, but you'd be a fool to think that Dinesh hasn't done his homework
• It was compelling from start to finish. Filmed in a way that it just keeps trucking along and before you know it, it's over
• Interviews are edited fairly. This is important in documentaries and I watched very closely for this
• The main conclusion is based on science. This is the only way that accusations of this magnitude have any credibility. But at the same time, we don't live in Obama's head so we can never know for sure and that leads me to believe that this movie is necessary for all voters to see
• I liked the musical score. At first it was kind of annoying and distracting, but near the end I was finding myself loving it
• Ends very strongly

Cons:

• Obviously features some unfair sections as a politically-sided film
• Some of the transition editing is nauseating. Too quick and too repetitive
• Dinesh's early and middle interviews are poor. He leads many of the interviewees to say what he wants
• Some points are irrelevant in my opinion

Rath's Review Score: 7.5/10