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Obama Versus The True Volk

 

Right-wing syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker got some attention last week for writing a distinctly un-American, and somewhat fascistic, column describing Barack Obama as not being a "full-blooded American." Parker defined the concept thusly: "It's about blood equity, heritage and commitment to hard-won American values. And roots." This concept is many things, but one of them is a device that's historically been used to deny the possibility that rootless, cosmopolitan Jews can be full members of a society.

Anyway, my friend Paul Campos points out that this column is now running on "World Jewish Review." I wonder how many of the readers count as full-blooded Americans?

--Jonathan Chait