Starting with the shrill hysteria surrounding former-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s expression of his private opinion (in what was supposed to be a private off-the-record gathering Wednesday night), the American media has revealed itself as ready to take its left-wing sympathies to a new and dangerous level. To protect Obama and blast Republicans, the media are now engaging in outright McCarthyism.

That’s not hyperbole. Hear me out.

The question you must answer, and answer a certain way, is no longer, “Are you now or have you ever been a Communist?”

Instead, the media is now requiring that Republicans take a loyalty test that has only one question: “Do you now or have you ever held a negative personal opinion of President Barack Obama?”

And you had better give the answer HUAC the media wants or you will be publicly and politically bludgeoned. Furthermore, you will also be destroyed if you do not publicly repudiate those among your colleagues who do not pass the loyalty test.

The media is currently on a full-bore witch hunt to root out and politically batter those in the GOP who refuse to vouch for Obama as a flag-waving Jesus freak.

For verbalizing his throughtcrime in a private setting, Giuliani was outed by the media (Obama’s Palace Guards at Politico) last week, locked in the public stocks of 24/7 news coverage, and brutalized like a baby seal.

Since, although Giuliani has provided a number of concrete examples to back up his personal belief that Obama does not love America, he has still been dragged through the mud in shockingly personal ways. Maggie Haberman and Alex Burns were awarded with the front page of the New York Times Saturday for turning the “controversy” section of Giuliani’s Wikipedia page into a vicious profile.

Unlike Giuliani, who hasn’t held elected office in over a decade, there are numerous examples of powerful high-profile Democrats, including Barack Obama, questioning the patriotism of a sitting president. Members of the elite media have attacked the patriotism of others. The unbiased, objective, not-at-all liberal media never raised an eyebrow then. Today, though, it’s the biggest political litmus test going.

In the wake of Giuliani expressing an opinion the media will not tolerate, against his will, Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker, a likely 2016 presidential candidate, found himself hauled before HUAC the media late last week and threatened with political and personal destruction if he didn’t repudiate Rudy and pass the Obama Loyalty Test.

When asked if he believes Obama is a patriot, Walker answered “I don’t know.”

When asked if he believes Obama is a Christian, Walker answered, “I don’t know.”

The media is still freaking out.

Bloomberg’s Mark Halperin all but accused Walker of racism by inferring he was a Birther.

Because Walker didn’t vouch for Obama’s Christianity and patriotism, the coordinated and effective media attacks are coming from all sides: 1) He’s not ready for primetime. 2) He’s racist. 3) He’s extreme 4) He’s a bumbler.

Sorry, but “I don’t know” is a perfectly acceptable answer to both questions.

If you had asked me 5 years ago if Obama was a patriotic Christian, I would have answered in the affirmative on both accounts. A lot has happened since. Obama’s deeds — apologizing for America, the dishonest and unnecessary example of the Crusades, using his Christian faith to lie about and hide his support for same sex marriage, etc. — have given me doubts.

Under oath, if asked today if Obama is a patriotic Christian, I would have to answer, “I don’t know.”

But “I don’t know” isn’t the answer the media wants. The media wants a “yes,” and if members of the GOP refuse to vouch for Obama’s faith and patriotism, the media is determined to see them destroyed.

If Walker were running around attacking Obama’s patriotism and faith, that would be reprehensible. He is not doing that, though. He’s not doing anything. He’s not saying anything. He’s not volunteering anything. He wishes to remain silent on the meaningless subject of Obama’s faith and patriotism.

Nevertheless, silence is not good enough for the media.

Walker MUST be hauled before the public to answer these questions and Walker MUST pass the loyalty test by vouching for Obama’s patriotism and Christianity. If he doesn’t, CNN’s Dana Bash and John King, the disgraced Ron Fournier, and everyone with a byline at Politico, The Washington Post, and New York Times have already threatened to politically annihilate him.

Loyalty tests. Political blackmail. Being hauled before the public against your will to answer questions with only one acceptable answer — questions that have nothing to do with your fitness to hold any kind of office.

If that’s not the textbook definition of McCarthyism, what is?

Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC