Obama Response to ‘2016: Obama’s America’ Too Late

COMMENTARY | Having decided to its horror that the polemic film “2016: Obama’s America” has become too popular, the Obama campaign has issued a tart response, according to the Hollywood Reporter. To say the least, the review is two thumbs down.

Dinesh D’Souza, the co-director of the film, no doubt satisfied that he has gotten a rise out of his target, responded in kind, according to Deadline. He suggested that the Obama reaction was full of name-calling and false accusations. In any event, it was full of free publicity.

The success of “2016: Obama’s America,” which has as its premise that the president is being driven by an anti-colonialist ideology to deliberately downsize America’s economic and military power, has been quite surprising, especially to fans of the film. As of this writing, it is the second most successful documentary in history, behind Michael Moore’s anti-George W. Bush screed, “Fahrenheit 9/11.” The Bush campaign generally ignored the 2004 film, designed to head off President Bush’s re-election. The Obama campaign would have been well advised to do the same with D’Souza’s film.

By yelping about “2016” the Obama campaign has served to validate its power among moviegoers. Die-hard Obama supporters are not likely to be swayed by the film’s arguments. Obama opponents are only given one more reason for their opposition. Those who are on the fence are going to hear the controversy and might be motivated to go see the movie in order to discover what the fuss is all about.

In any case, the sudden Obama complaint, made weeks after the film’s release, is a case of locking the barn door after the horses have escaped. The allegations made in “2016” have already been out there for weeks, unchallenged. There is a theory that political accusations need to be responded to instantly least they take hold in the public perception. By responding belatedly, the Obama campaign has not so much countered the accusations made in the film but publicized them further. It’s too late to try to counter them.

Now “2016” has really become “the movie Obama doesn’t want you to see.” D’Souza and his movie partners must be laughing all the way to the bank.