Uploaded August 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
According to Holocaust and Israel/Palestine scholar Norman Finkelstein, Barack Obama’s “neat trick” allowed voters to imbue whatever political values they wished on to a blank slate who seemingly came out of nowhere. This allowed Democrats to turn the 2008 and 2012 elections into a referendum not on the candidate, but the “goodness” and “morality” of the electorate.
Finkelstein’s new book, “I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get To It: Heretical Thoughts On Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, And Academic Freedom”, tackles, among other topics, Barack Obama’s 2020 memoir, “A Promised Land”, concluding Obama was little more than a cipher enamored by celebrity. In ArtiFact #43, Alex Sheremet and Norman Finkelstein discuss Barack Obama’s presidency, cultural import, and more, kicking off a series of conversations that will span much of Finkelstein’s text.
"Before Palestine, There Was Liberia" -- Alex Sheremet's video essay on how former American slaves colonized West Africa: youtube.com/watch?v=fUwdbPxRFYc
Watch Alex Sheremet's video essay on the fraud of Robin DiAngelo: youtube.com/watch?v=0bRqzSjJlu4
Subscribe to this channel to be notified of an upcoming conversation with Norman Finkelstein on the role of “antiracist” scholars such as Robin DiAngelo, Ibram X. Kendi, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Buy Norman Finkelstein’s book: amazon.com/Heretical-Thoughts-Identity-Politics-Academic/dp/B0BSJXB7WN
Norman Finkelstein’s website: normanfinkelstein.com
Watch Norman Finkelstein discuss Israel with Palestinian refugees: youtube.com/watch?v=S4OP7B9jKao
If you found this video useful, support us on Patreon and get patron-only content: patreon.com/automachination
Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: spoti.fi/3xw2M4D
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3wLpqEV
Google Podcasts: bit.ly/3dSQXxJ
Amazon Music: amzn.to/2SVJIxB
Podbean: bit.ly/3yzLuUo
iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L
Read more from the automachination universe: automachination.com
Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: alexsheremet.com
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/automachination
Timestamps:
0:00 – was Barack Obama’s presidency a net positive?
1:25 – introducing Norman Finkelstein’s “I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get To It”
3:05 – Norman Finkelstein’s textual analysis; Barack Obama has no real written record; biographer David Garrow calls Obama’s “Dreams From My Father” a work of historical fiction; why Obama’s “A Promised Land” is unmemorable
10:38 – Obama finally had the opportunity to say anything he wanted, but said nothing; the Joe Biden / Obama tension; the Oprahfication of Michelle Obama; Michelle Obama’s humiliation of pre-fame Obama
15:12 – David Garrow is Obama’s definitive biographer; Obama & the Choom Boys; the GQ Marxist; how Obama cultivated white people; Chuck Schumer, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton vs. Obama
34:23 – Obama conspiracy theories & birtherism vs. the reality of an ex nihilo, blank slate Obama; the post-Bush presidency; the Great Recession; how Barack Obama turned the 2008 election into a referendum on the electorate
44:49 – why Norman Finkelstein had few illusions about an Obama presidency; Pod Save America sucks; the biggest critique of “I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get To It”; Alex and Norman debate Cornel West
01:03:26 – Obama as politician; why Dick Cheney could not shut up; how Barack Obama’s love of celebrity threw David Axelrod under the bus
01:12:11 – Barack Obama repeatedly shields Hillary Clinton from Libya, the “Kenyan dress” scandal, & her RFK assassination comments; Obama in Martha’s Vineyard; the Central Park Five; why Hillary Clinton & Stormy Daniels LOVED Donald Trump; David Garrow’s final judgment on Barack Obama’s person
Tags: #obama #normanfinkelstein #politics #democrats #palestine
According to Holocaust and Israel/Palestine scholar Norman Finkelstein, Barack Obama’s “neat trick” allowed voters to imbue whatever political values they wished on to a blank slate who seemingly came out of nowhere. This allowed Democrats to turn the 2008 and 2012 elections into a referendum not on the candidate, but the “goodness” and “morality” of the electorate.
Finkelstein’s new book, “I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get To It: Heretical Thoughts On Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, And Academic Freedom”, tackles, among other topics, Barack Obama’s 2020 memoir, “A Promised Land”, concluding Obama was little more than a cipher enamored by celebrity. In ArtiFact #43, Alex Sheremet and Norman Finkelstein discuss Barack Obama’s presidency, cultural import, and more, kicking off a series of conversations that will span much of Finkelstein’s text.
"Before Palestine, There Was Liberia" -- Alex Sheremet's video essay on how former American slaves colonized West Africa: youtube.com/watch?v=fUwdbPxRFYc
Watch Alex Sheremet's video essay on the fraud of Robin DiAngelo: youtube.com/watch?v=0bRqzSjJlu4
Subscribe to this channel to be notified of an upcoming conversation with Norman Finkelstein on the role of “antiracist” scholars such as Robin DiAngelo, Ibram X. Kendi, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Buy Norman Finkelstein’s book: amazon.com/Heretical-Thoughts-Identity-Politics-Academic/dp/B0BSJXB7WN
Norman Finkelstein’s website: normanfinkelstein.com
Watch Norman Finkelstein discuss Israel with Palestinian refugees: youtube.com/watch?v=S4OP7B9jKao
If you found this video useful, support us on Patreon and get patron-only content: patreon.com/automachination
Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: spoti.fi/3xw2M4D
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3wLpqEV
Google Podcasts: bit.ly/3dSQXxJ
Amazon Music: amzn.to/2SVJIxB
Podbean: bit.ly/3yzLuUo
iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L
Read more from the automachination universe: automachination.com
Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: alexsheremet.com
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/automachination
Timestamps:
0:00 – was Barack Obama’s presidency a net positive?
1:25 – introducing Norman Finkelstein’s “I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get To It”
3:05 – Norman Finkelstein’s textual analysis; Barack Obama has no real written record; biographer David Garrow calls Obama’s “Dreams From My Father” a work of historical fiction; why Obama’s “A Promised Land” is unmemorable
10:38 – Obama finally had the opportunity to say anything he wanted, but said nothing; the Joe Biden / Obama tension; the Oprahfication of Michelle Obama; Michelle Obama’s humiliation of pre-fame Obama
15:12 – David Garrow is Obama’s definitive biographer; Obama & the Choom Boys; the GQ Marxist; how Obama cultivated white people; Chuck Schumer, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton vs. Obama
34:23 – Obama conspiracy theories & birtherism vs. the reality of an ex nihilo, blank slate Obama; the post-Bush presidency; the Great Recession; how Barack Obama turned the 2008 election into a referendum on the electorate
44:49 – why Norman Finkelstein had few illusions about an Obama presidency; Pod Save America sucks; the biggest critique of “I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get To It”; Alex and Norman debate Cornel West
01:03:26 – Obama as politician; why Dick Cheney could not shut up; how Barack Obama’s love of celebrity threw David Axelrod under the bus
01:12:11 – Barack Obama repeatedly shields Hillary Clinton from Libya, the “Kenyan dress” scandal, & her RFK assassination comments; Obama in Martha’s Vineyard; the Central Park Five; why Hillary Clinton & Stormy Daniels LOVED Donald Trump; David Garrow’s final judgment on Barack Obama’s person
Tags: #obama #normanfinkelstein #politics #democrats #palestine
