Giuliani: "Obama doesn't love America"

At a private dinner at the upscale 21 Club in Manhattan on Wednesday night, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani said the following during a speech he made:

"I do not believe -- and I know this is a horrible thing to say -- but I do not believe that the president loves America. He doesn't love you. And he doesn't love me. He wasn't brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through the love of this country."

He also said that he would support a presidential candidate whom expressed that the United States is "the most exceptional country in the world," adding, "And if it's you Scott (Walker), I'll endorse you. And if it's somebody else, I'll support somebody else."

After receiving some backlash for his remarks, Giuliani appeared on Fox News and attempted to clarify that he was "not questioning [Obama's] patriotism," adding:

"He's a patriot, I'm sure. What I'm saying is, in his rhetoric, I very rarely hear him say the things that I used to hear Ronald Reagan say, the things that I used to hear Bill Clinton say about how much he loves America."

The former New York City mayor also said that he hears President Obama "criticize America much more often than other American presidents" and that he sounds "like he's more of a critic than a supporter," adding, "You can be a patriotic American and be a critic, but then you're not expressing that kind of love that we're used to from a president."

I have so many problems with these remarks, I honestly don't know where to begin...

First off, like many far-right Republicans leading up to the 2008 election, Giuliani again attempts to paint the president as a foreigner.

"...He wasn't brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through the love of this country..."

Translation: "His name is Barrack Hussein Obama. He's part black, has not always lived in this country, used to be part of a church with an angry pastor, there have even been reports that he wasn't born here and that he's actually a Muslim! To put it simply, he's not one of us."

Giuliani and others like him can deny it all they'd like, but they never said such things about John Kerry, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, and other Democratic presidential nominees. Never did you hear a Republican politician say things such as, "Is Al Gore's birth certificate legit? I want proof!" or "John Kerry might be a Muslim!" or "Bill Clinton just wasn't brought up the way you and I were brought up through the love of this great country!" Sorry, but I don't care how much of a discount I'm getting on the item, I'm not buying it.

I also find it funny that Giuliani seems to insinuate that since President Obama doesn't appear to love him or the others at this private dinner at the upscale 21 Club in Manhattan, he doesn't love America - like most Americans can afford to be found at a private dinner in an upscale Manhattan club on a Wednesday night. How twisted is that logic anyway?

Giuliani and the GOP: "We fight for the top 1% of this country's earners and no one else!"

President Obama: "I'm fighting for that other 99%!"

Giuliani and the GOP: "You see? Obama hates America!"

Not nearly as much as the GOP seems to hate math...

Speaking of twisted, how out of sorts is Giuliani's philosophy that illustrating love through words is of greater importance than illustrating love through actions? I thought the saying always went, "Actions speak louder than words," but apparently that's not the case with the former New York City mayor and many of his brethren.

Setting: Giuliani catches his wife cheating on him

Mr. Giuliani: "What the...? Honey, what's going on?"

Mrs. Giuliani: :: fornicating with some guy, before looking back :: "I love you, honey."

Mr. Giuliani: "Aw, thank you, sweetie. I love you too. Carry on... Carry on..."


Setting: Giuliani's wife catches him cheating on her

Mrs. Giuliani: "What the...? Honey, what's going on?"

Mr. Giuliani: :: fornicating with some woman, before looking back :: "I love you, honey."

Mrs. Giuliani: "That's it! We're through! I'm getting a divorce!"

Mr. Giuliani: "But I said I loved you..."

Yeah, good luck pulling that one off, buddy...

Lastly, what's with this growing obsession on the right side of the political spectrum with regard to the concept of American exceptionalism? Whenever a person criticizes this country in any manner or doesn't loudly exclaim to the masses that this is the greatest nation in the world and/or perfect, according to the GOP, he or she doesn't fully love this country.

Democrat: "Our education system isn't perfect."

Republican: "Hater!"


Democrat: "Our healthcare system isn't perfect."

Republican: "Hater!"


Democrat: "Our president isn't perfect."

Republican: "Hater! Wait a minute... Damn, they tricked us!"


Believing one's own country is perfect and loudly exclaiming it to the masses is dangerous on two major fronts. First off, it can be quite difficult to make close friends when one is constantly talking about how wonderful they are, is it not?

England: "Hi, how are you all doing today?"

Australia: "Fine, and yourself?"

England: "Good, good, thanks for asking."

Sweden: "My, it's nice out today, isn't it?"

France: "I know, right? Know of any nude beaches around here?"

Japan: "I thought you were the one to go to for that kind of information..."

France: "Ha-ha, very funny..."

Japan: "Thanks, I'll be here all weekend."

Brazil: "I wish there were more nude beaches around us."

Germany: "The women are so beautiful in that country."

Brazil: "Yeah, so I hear..."

India: "...and see..."

Brazil: "Ha-ha, yeah, I suppose that too."

America: "You think the women in your country are beautiful? Come to our country sometime and you'll see the best and most beautiful women in the history of the world!"

Brazil: "Uh, okay..."

Sweden: "That's kind of arrogant, don't you think?"

America: "It's a fact."

France: "Okay, what about the food in your country?"

America: "Best in the history of the world"

Italy: "Seriously?"

America: "Do I look like I'm kidding?"

France: "I can't really tell..."

Spain: "Okay, what about your healthcare system?"

America: "Best in the world"

Spain: "That's not what the numbers say."

America: "Numbers shnumbers. Who cares about those? We're the best and we know it!"

Canada: "What about gun violence?"

America: "Best, safest country in the world"

Canada: "Even safer than us?"

America: "Yup, safest country in the history of the world"

Australia: "So you're just the best at everything, is that it?"

America: "Now you're catching on! U S A! U S A! U S A! U S A!"

Netherlands: "Jesus... Anyone else wanna go out and get a drink?"

Every other country besides America: "YES!"

America: "Yeah, that sounds good."

Netherlands: "Sorry, but you're not invited. Come on, guys..."


Secondly, if a country already believes itself to be perfect, then what point would there be to make changes to improve that country?

It's highly ironic for Rudy Giuliani and other like-minded Republicans to cast President Obama and other Democrats as America bashers, for at least progressives tend to be cognizant of the fact that the country isn't perfect, we want to make the necessary changes to improve it, and try to represent the bottom 99% of the country as opposed to just the top 1%. For the GOP - the party of the top 1% - to claim that Democrats - the party of the bottom 99% - doesn't love America isn't proof that the Democratic Party hates America; it's simply proof that the Republican Party hates math.