Ladies and gentlemen, the Democratic base:

As the news of Barack Obama’s pastor and his racist, America-hating comments slowly spreads (despite media’s best effort to ignore it), you just knew the Kos Kidz would be spinning like Iranian centrifuges, didn’t you?... Please let an old black man have his anger in the privacy of his church... Are you honestly going to tell me that this is the first time white America has seen and heard from black folks? Have we not heard what Rabbis routinely say about Palestinians across the US? Even our military is told to call Iraqis and Afghanis "ragheads" and "Ali Baba" as a part of their training.

The true mark of an anti-Semite is not, of course, that he harbors animosity towards specific Jews or towards Judaism in general. That's an opinion. An unseemly and maybe suspicious opinion, but an opinion. Anti-Semitism is more than that. It's a pathology. A pattern of thinking. A tic. What makes an anti-Semite an anti-Semite is his obsession with Jews. Bring up a topic and the anti-Semite's mind can't help but leap to a Jewish angle. It doesn't have to be an anti-Semitic angle although of course it often is. It's not necessarily about blaming Jews. But it is always about Jews. No matter what the question - no matter how far removed it is from Judaism or Israel, no matter how untenable the connection - the anti-Semite's answer will somehow tie in Jews and Judaism.

Global warming? Jews.
Darfur? Jews.
Iraq? Jews.

And now: Obama's conspiratorial and hysterical minister? Jews.

UPDATE: Hawaii? Jews.

References:
* Anti-Semitism As Obsession (The "What Would Make You Care About That" Question) [MR]
* Jimmy Carter: The Only Reason It Seems Like I Ignore Darfur And Obsess About Israel Is Because Darfur Isn't A Genocide [MR]
* John Mearsheimer - Not Anti-Semitic. Just Anti-Semiticish [MR]

Previously:
* Isn't It About Time For Democratic Jews To Stop Electorally Empowering The Ahmadinejad-Supporting Left?
* Memo To Democratic Jews: "US Engagement In The Peace Process" Is Bad For Israel, Barack Obama Edition
* The Democratic Party and American Jews: The Divorce Is Going To Be Ugly