In Defense of the Birthers
by Jeremy D. BoreingI am not a Birther. Which is not to say that I think the question of Barack Obama’s US citizenship has in anyway been adequately answered, it has scarcely even been addressed other than through sneers and accusations of racism (and yes, a Certificate of Live Birth and several conflicting CNN statements…). Rather, I just don’t believe it in anyway likely that Mr. Obama wasn’t born in the country when two Hawaiian newspapers reported at the time that he was.
That said, I find the way that people who do believe that is a possibility are being treated by everyone – from the White House, to the media, to many even in the conservative blogosphere – to be completely unfair. Birthers are treated as kooks and extremists, banned from the comment sections of websites, and given less respect or voice in the media than those detached enough from basic reality to believe that passenger planes didn’t hit the World Trade Center on 9/11 despite, you know, the video of it happening and the missing passenger jets full of people. It begs the question – Is uncertainty about the citizenship of the President of the United States really so offensive? Certainly no one expressed this kind of outrage when John McCain’s eligibility was questioned due to his birth in the Panama Canal Zone. And I say rightly so. Here is why:
The list of qualifications for the presidency as spelled out by our founding fathers is remarkably short. As it turns out, almost anyone can be president, as long as they meet three, and only three, basic criteria. One, that they are a natural born citizen of the United States. Two, that they are at least 35 years old. And three, that they have maintained US residency for at least the last fourteen years. Citizenship, Age, and Residency, and that’s pretty much it. You don’t have to have any particular philosophy (which is good for Mr. Obama, considering he rejects the founding principles of the nation he now leads as “fundamentally flawed”), you don’t have to have any particular experience (which also serves Mr. Obama since his meteoric rise to fame seems to have skipped from local political agitator directly to elected government official without ever landing even for a moment on real-world employment), you don’t even have to like America itself, or Americans (those bitter folk who cling to their guns and their religion, or ‘stupidly’ behaved police officers for example). Amazing really. Our founders enumerated almost no restraints whatsoever on who might serve as president, and yet two of the three requirements they did write into the document that is America, citizenship and residency, make clear that they were very concerned that the president be, well, American. That tells me that a president’s citizenship is an important issue indeed.
Of course, the reason our founders cared about this issue so much is obvious. Citizenship is about identity. It’s about who a person is, and what values govern them. It is about loyalty to one nation over all others, which in the case of this new America wasn’t just about geographic-jingoism at all. To them, America was less a place than an it was an idea – An idea that men should be free from the tyranny and that that government serves best which serves least. Since the founders were trying to grow their new country out of a continent of colonies there-to-fore governed by an entirely different nation, and peopled by settlers from diverse nations around the world, the opportunity for competing interests and loyalties was pretty high. They didn’t want to give the keys to just anyone. No, the President of the United States was to be a citizen of this country, holding up this country’s values and ideals, and loyal to this country alone. The president was not to be a British Citizen, or a French Citizen, or a Global Citizen, but an American Citizen.
And that is what the Birther Movement is really all about. It’s about who we are as a people, and whether or not Barack Obama is one of us. And I am not using the term “us” here as some thoughtless code-word for race as undoubtedly those too infantile in their thinking to even have a discussion about race without shrieking accusation and ad hominem in the first place will bemoan, but to talk about Americans – those people of all ethnicities and backgrounds who are defined, not by the color of our skin, but by our common values and loyalty to the idea that is America. What the Birthers see in Barack Obama is a man whose values and loyalties seem to starkly contrast with those that have so long defined us as Americans, a man dedicated to ideas that are foreign to our own.
We see America as a melting-pot, where a singular culture is born out of many. E Pluribus Unum, we say. Barack Obama sees America as a multi-cultural balancing act where each person’s first loyalty is to those most like themselves in class or race or gender, and where those diverse groups can only co-exist with the guidance of government.
We see America, from the Pilgrims who signed the Mayflower Compact to the Biblical scholars (yes, even Jefferson and Franklin) who birthed the nation, to the spirit of sacrifice and charity that thrives to this very day, not as a nation of Christians (for that freedom is at the deepest core of our common philosophy) but as a Christian nation. A nation conceived in and dedicated to those Biblical principals (as directly expressed by our founders and philosophical forbearers all the way back to John Locke) of liberty, self-government, an independent judiciary, forgiveness of debt, mercy, and honor of history . Barack Obama says, “We are not a Christian nation, at least not anymore…,” and subscribes to a personal religious theology rooted not in grace and love and freedom, but in anger and conquest.
We see America, from our victory over British oppression, to the liberation of Europe from the national socialists and defense of her against the communists, to the defeat of the Taliban and toppling of Saddam Hussein, as a force for good in the world. Barack Obama travels the world apologizing for the very actions we have always called our national pride, always quick to point out what he sees as America’s meddling, but never mentioning the communist elements, oppressive regimes, or extremist agitators that typically drew our sons and daughters into those regions in the first place.
We view our progress, our innovation, our freedom as unparalleled on the stage of history because the system of government we have created empowers men to their own highest achievement rather that seeking to regulate them into conformity with the plans of others. Barack Obama speaks of world orders, more intrusive government, and sees America as merely one color in a vibrant tapestry of nations, no better than any other, and perhaps worse for our arrogance and greed. Instead of celebrating us, he decries us as in need of reform in the image of European governments that aren’t ashamed to call themselves socialist.
We see America as not without fault, but unparalleled in our goodness in all of human history. He sees America as flawed, though perhaps not beyond his own repair.
For all of these reasons and many, many more, Barack Obama seems to be, if not un-American, then at least not-American. Which brings us back to citizenship. The question the Birthers are really trying to ask isn’t ‘is Barack Obama one of us.’ He plainly is not one of us. The real question is ‘why not?’ The Birthers think the answer might be as simple as that he is not an actual citizen of this country. They think he must have been born somewhere else, like Kenya, to have the views and values he expresses. Others think that Mr. Obama was born here, but that perhaps his parents renounced his citizenship while he was living in Indonesia as a child, maybe to get him into certain schools or just because they thought at the time that they would live in Indonesia forever. Maybe that would explain how Mr. Obama paid from his Harvard education, through programs aimed at helping foreign nationals get American educations. Which might explain why none of his collegiate records or papers have ever been released. Which might further explain why there is just so much about his past that has been deliberately withheld from the public, or colorfully rewritten in his artificially sweetened autobiographies. I don’t happen to agree with the Birthers or their legal-citizenship cousins, but my question for the Birthers-haters is – When did it become incumbent on citizens asking reasonable questions about their president’s life, experiences, and even his eligibility to be president, to simply accept the that president at his word? Is it not reasonable to expect an elected official, especially one who has promised unprecedented transparency, to simply reveal the documents relevant to answering the biggest questions about his life? Are we supposed to take all of our government officials at face value now, or just this one? Why does the media, whose job it is to hold the government accountable deride the Birthers and not demand the president simply remove the cloak he has so effectively hidden himself behind? Agree with them or not, the Birthers are just trying to answer the perfectly legitimate questions created by the patent dishonesty about and obscuration of most every aspect of Barack Obama’s life. Who can blame them?
As for those of us who don’t subscribe to the conclusion of the Birthers, the truth is that even worse questions remain for us. After all, if the answer isn’t that Mr. Obama is not a legal American citizen, then the question that remains is how is it that a young man who was born here, was raised here, is from among us could be so foreign in his views of who we are as a people? What weakness in our system has allowed to fester on our own streets beliefs, loyalties, and sensibilities so antithetical to the ones that have so long defined, propelled, and strengthened us? And perhaps even more troubling – If the President of the United States really has nothing at all to hide in the past he has so sought to conceal, then why has he concealed it at all? Is it simply distrust of his fellow citizens, or dislike? Does he think himself so far above the rabble that he is simply beyond having to expose himself to our judgments? Or is it that Barack Obama simply wants to be left alone to define his own life, to continue writing his own narrative unencumbered by fact or evidence or inquiry, leaving history to believe about him whatever he himself conceives or constructs? Is he a leader whose legacy is his own declaration? If so, he may be even less American than the Birthers themselves fear.
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217 Comments
Good word. This basically sums up my position on the birther issue. Frankly, I think there is enough to create reasonable doubt about both arguments, but until it is really settled one way or the other, it doesn't matter – he's still my President until proven otherwise.
hitting the nail on the head for many who couldn't articulate their fears. why isn't he one of us indeed…
That argument could have been easily made without mentioning Birthers, who are the very definition of morons.
All HBO has to do is show the original Birth Certificate instead of a copy of birth and that would shut the Birthers up. But, No, he won't do it.
Besides, he was Joe Santoreo, and just like the last two Democrat Presidents he changed his name. Why ?
About a third of Democrats think Bush knew about 9/11 in advance, and about a third of Republicans think Obama was born in Kenya.
Unfortunately, these are the people who steer both parties.
For someone to have touted how transparent his campaign, and his governing would be, Obama totally discredits himself by the amount of effort he has his lawyers undertake to keep so many of his personal records secret.
So long as these records are kept secret, the waters regarding trust of him stay muddied, and his efforts to have legislation passed that he insists is for our own good is going to continue to be met with resistance.
Obama has yet to prove himself trustworthy on so many facets, the most glaring of these being the promises that he will go through the stimulus bill and strike out all the earmarks; that a set period of time would be allocated to read bills before their being voted on. He has broken these promises, and so many more. Is it any wonder that he has lost what little trust voters had in him at the outset?
Refusing to let his personal information, transcripts, etc, be examined further deepens my distrust of Obama.
Transparency, indeed!
Well said, Mr. Boreing.
…And blah, blah, blah. The birthers and the truthers are both idiots…denying overhwhelming evidence against their supposed theories. Some people believe that the president isn't a natural-born United States citizen. Fine. But when credible and overwhelming evidence that proves otherwise is presented, these fools ought to have stood down. Instead, they continue…and for no discernable reason. Maybe Republicans and conservatives ought to spend a little less time defending these morons, and a little more time winning back the favor of the majority of American citizens with a solid and credible vision for the country. Of course, they're not going to do that…it's much easier to spin nutty conspiracy theories.
I'll grant you that a lot of them come across as pretty far out there in some of their other views. But you're actually quite wrong. The 'birthers' are central to Mr. Boreing's main point, which is metaphysically challenging Obama's citizenship.
Every prominent conservative voice from Rush to Coulter to Bill O'Reilly publicly dismissed the birth rumors long ago.
The MSNBC crowd- Chrissie Matthews et al are the ones keeping the birthers out front. Better to kick around red herrings than confron the Ratings Hell they and their Messiah are sliding into.
Wow. Where do you get off?
First, America as a Christian nation? So what does that say about me, a man raised as a Hindu from day one, but a man born in this country, full of the belief that America has a place for him, believing wholly that there is only one American creed, one that does not mention a Christian God or Jewish God or Muslim God or Hindu God, but one that instead proclaims that all are created equal, and are endowed by that creator with certain unalienable rights, and that amongst those rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Am I not American enough for you? Where do you get off closing off the definition of my country? America as a Christian nation? So what does that say about those men and women of the Jewish faith, the Hindu faith, and the Islamic faith, those that have fought and bled and died for this country's very survival, those tombstones in Arlington that have the crescent moon and the Star of David on them. Show them some damn respect. Realize what they fought for and bled for and died for.
World orders? Jeez, when did Lyndon LaRouche join the party? Is it so un-American to believe in cooperation between nations and the need for alliances in the world? I guess Jefferson and Adams were then wrong to woo the French and the Dutch in 1780, or Wilson was wrong to intervene in World War I, or Roosevelt was wrong to join the Allied Powers. Apology tours? What actions has the President apologized for that we call our national pride? Assassinations in the Congo? The support of the Shah of Iran? Tell me you have shrines to these events in your home and worship them every day. Otherwise, back off and get your facts straight. Chesterton was right–saying my country right or wrong is something no true patriot would ever dream of saying, because it makes you blind, gullible, and liable to be proven an idiot.
What exactly is anti-American about this President? Where does he differ from any other liberal of the last century? Where's all the daylight which justifies calling this man anti-American or foreign and calling the others just liberal or saying that you disagree with them politically or intellectually? Or are all liberals, from Franklin Roosevelt all down, intrinsically anti-American, never mind that liberals gave their lives and souls and blood for this land as much as conservatives have. Or is it the name? At the end of the day, can you just not get down with a brother named Hussein?
It must be awful hard coming to grips with underlying motivations. But the ground is shifting, day by day, and I hope it shifts enough where I never have to walk these streets having people question my allegiance, my patriotism, or my love of country.
I'll try and post it again…
When did it become incumbent on citizens asking reasonable questions about their president’s life, experiences, and even his eligibility to be president, to simply accept the that president at his word?
The amount of spam I have received from birthers and the zeal with which they claim Obama's non-U.S. birth, do not make it seem like they are reasonable, or asking.
Birthers are treated as kooks and extremists, banned from the comment sections of websites, and given less respect or voice in the media than those detached enough from basic reality to believe that passenger planes didn’t hit the World Trade Center on 9/11 despite, you know, the video of it happening and the missing passenger jets full of people.
My experience is that birthers are the truthers of the right wing. I am a Republican, and I don't believe the birthers any more than I do the truthers.
Your comment must be approved by the site admins before it will appear publicly.
bunk.
What a Joke and his comment is the exact, accurate and living proof that here in America “We have too much Pluribus in the Unum.” To quote the great Florence King.
Geez. My comment about your comment being deleted, was just deleted. LOL.
Seriously, Brietbart needs to change service providers. These guys are doing him no favors at all.
Now we are seeing ^ what true astrofuring looks like. Were you hired from a Craigslist ad?
So why won't The One release his actual birth certificate? It is a legitimate question. To fight tooth and nail from releasing a trivial document speaks volumes. Where's there smoke, there's fire.
Well that was polite. Where exactly would you like me to go? Oops, I forgot. I'm in loony land.
God bless the echo chambers of the left and the right, drowning out reason and embracing madness. After eight years of wacko liberals who yelled Bush knew about 9/11, now we get wacko conservatives screaming about birth certificates and death panels. No wonder David Brooks is still searching for dignity.
Great piece, Jeremy.
It should also be noted that Obama said in a radio interview that our Constitution is "flawed because it does not account for wealth redistribution."
And during his formative years, Obama sat at the feet of Frank Marshal Davis, a known Communist, and listened to his teachings up until he left for college. That's all in Obama's book "Dreams Of My Father."
This president has NO idea of what made this country great, or its unique place in history. That's why he dictates, that's why he pushes legislation that isn't even Constitutional, and that's why dictators around the world love him so much.
They were a necessity due to how he chose to structure his argument, true. But there is something fundamentally alien about Obama that can be addressed in other ways. Birthers are morons. And it isn't because they've manufactured something conspiratorial. The way Obama and company conduct themselves easily lends itself to all manner of suspicions.
The problem is that he won an election, and anyone with a brain (and an ounce of love for their country) understands how to better choose their battles and that obsessing over a basic qualification for office after the fact amounts to seeking a coup of sorts. It is creepy and not all all helpful to the sane people who are working hard to discredit and defeat Obama based on his horrid ambitions.
The birthers aren't morons because they're wrong, they're morons because they serve no useful purpose.
"What exactly is anti-American about this President? Where does he differ from any other liberal of the last century?"
Well, the most "anti-American" thing I can think of is the fact that he doesn't differ in any important respect from "any other liberal of the last century". But that's just off the top of my head.
Otherwise, for a Hindu, you sound really angry. As to the Americans who can't tell the difference between a rumal and a shamagh, those I apologize for.
Do Hindus get high blood pressure?
Maybe I'm thinking of Buddhists…
Moondance talks a big game but doesn’t name any of all the “…credible and overwhelming evidence that proves otherwise is presented…”
All those “…nutty conspiracy theories.” will easily be debunked if Obama and his administration will address the issue and present the evidence required that qualifies him to sit in the Oval Office instead of spending hundred of thousands of bucks lawyering up to the hilt and stonewalling the birther’s legal efforts.
By the way, I don't disagree with your basic premise. I was defending Mr. Boreing's article from a literary perspective. The 'birthers' may be idiots, but for Mr. Boreing's purpose they were useful idiots, at least in this case.
Obama has nothing to gain from releasing his birth certificate. He's already president and he can keep the most fervent of his detractors busy worrying about it instead of noticing what he is doing to the country. All while his media arm labels them as kooks, and by association all his other opponents. It is a classic case of misdirection and demonization.
For Mr. "What a joke", first let me say that I do not question your patriotism, nor anything else about you, and neither did the author. However, if you do not believe that being Hindu puts you in a small minority of this country, then you are fooling yourself. Also, if you do not believe that this nation was founded by Christians with the intent that it be run by Christians, you are not a student of history. I would say first, do some study, then understand the fact that this country was founded by Christians with the full intent that anyone at any time can practice whatever religion they wish (which was unique at the time).
tcanny has a good point.
Now, to the author of this piece, I absolutely agree with your premise. I am not a "birther" per se, but I do wonder why the POTUS has allowed this silliness to get out of hand, and why his background is being kept so secret by those around him. Frankly, simply producing the document will quell this entire debate and we could all get back to the work at hand. I am not a fan of our current POTUS, neither was I a fan of the last one. However, Mr. Obama's secretive nature leads me to the conclusion that there is nothing that I can believe about him. He's an empty suit in my opinion, and the true power brokers are pulling the strings.
"The problem is that he won an election, and anyone with a brain (and an ounce of love for their country) understands how to better choose their battles and that obsessing over a basic qualification for office after the fact amounts to seeking a coup of sorts"
No – the real problem is that us "morons" have been asking the same questions since last March, before he even got the nomination. The problem is that us "Morons" have been wondering why the media has not done a damn thing to prove one way or the other on ANY of the questions. The problem is that us "Morons" wonder why if there is no fire, where is all the damn smoke coming from.
Not only that, but those of us who HAVE been paying attention since day one heartily object to the ill-informed abuse hurled our way from ignorant jack*sses who were busy obsessing over dead blonde bimbos and american idol when we were screaming "PROVE he is even eligible, before treating him like he already won and is running for his third term!"
George, get off my site, you idiot liberal troll.
Yeah. I suppose I could have better expressed my visceral displeasure over giving these loons even a nuanced defense.
Every prominent conservative voice from Rush to Coulter to Bill O'Reilly publicly dismissed the birth rumors long ago.
Please inform your congressmen.
If being a birther isn't the definition of a moron then being a birther who thinks I'm a liberal troll after reading my second comment certainly is. Every minute you waste on this crap is not only a lost opportunity to convince someone in your trailer park that Obamacare will be a disaster but it also gives the left ample fodder for ridiculing and diminishing the efforts of the rest of us. Idiots like yourself make the left's lies about protests and opposition on the right much easier to sell. You're their boogeyman and you're, sadly, not smart enough to see it.
"This nation was founded by Christians with the intent that it be run by Christians."
Um, no. Not even close.
This nation was founded by people who were a mix of Christians and Deists, and they quite plainly did not label America as a "Christian nation." They were explicit about absolutely every power that was granted to the federal government. If they wanted to label the nation as "Christian," they would have done just that.
Do you really want to hear all the quotes from many of our well-known Founders that disparage organized religion?
"If you do not believe that this nation was founded by Christians with the intent that it be run by Christians, you are not a student of history."
Um, no. Not even close.
This nation was founded by people who were a mix of Christians and Deists, and they quite plainly did not label America as a "Christian nation." They were explicit about absolutely every power that was granted to the federal government. If they wanted to label the nation as "Christian," they would have done just that.
Do you really want to hear all the quotes from many of our well-known Founders that disparage organized religion?
Would you deny that "India is a Hindu" nation because of a Jew who lives there?
Substance McGravitas' comment settles the whole issue once and for all. Silly us. We can rest easy now. We had it in front of our noses all along and couldn’t see it. Thanks ‘Subs’
I've always figured it was gonna show that Momma Hippie wasn't married to Kenyan Commie.
Then the most interesting thing becomes that Hawaiin officials have claimed to have viewed the long form.
Are they outright lying to the public?
This commentary is actually far more vile than the ludicrous theories propounded by the birthers. Because the author is claiming that the only people who have the right to call themselves Americans, who have the right to run for and be elected to office, are those who follow his own political beliefs. No matter that a majority of the country chose Obama to lead — apparently we in the majority deserve no say in how this country runs. Only right-wingers are allowed to set policy, and to choose the path this nation will go down.
Nancy Pelosi serves no useful purpose. Is she a moron too? How about Ryan Seacrest?
Where are your numbers coming from? Those sound wrong.
hear, hear, struggling to think of something to add, what he said, well put sir…
HBO is a network.
Barack Obama was born "Barry Soetoro". I don't know if you meant Joe Satriani, Rick Santorum or "Jose Santeria", the religious equivalent of Santa Claus to the adherents of Santeria, who brings good little boys and girls a beheaded chicken and some herbs.
What were Bill Clinton's and Jimmy Carter's birthnames?
Na, government employees never lie to you, just to me. Especially with such an important document. Is there a doctor listed? Is there a hospital listed? We will never know, because it is criminal to tell what they know. It doesn't matter. In 2010 the congress will require that these documents be brought to life, and Obama will veto it. In 2012 the new president will sign it into law, and Obama's lawyers will argue ex post facto. The Supreme Court will finally allow it in 2014, and Obama will be stripped of his retirement. "You can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." – P.T. Barnum
Moonbat, why won't your "open and transparent" President release his college transcripts? Forgetting the issue of the birth certificate, what doesn't he want us to see from Columbia? That he applied as an Indonesian citizen in order to get in, because he wouldn't have made it applying as an American?
OK…and? If there is any reason why Obama has not granted permission to release the "real" birth certificate it's that the Birthers and their Republican enablers tar conservatives as lunatics more interested in conspiracy theories than fighting for real ideas.
Oh putting it that way … it's still seems kind of stupid. As for the president, I'm more American and I'm a Canadian with an American mother. Using this logic however, there are many "aliens" living among you who believe exactly what the president believes. Any one could theoretically become president because they match the three requirements. The real question becomes how the heck did such an "un"-American and such obvious un-Americanism slip past the media and the public and get elected? Birth certificates won't answer that question even if it's merely rhetorical.
Not only the birth certificate,what about college transcripts and thesis ?
Hewould not show them because he would not get elected
If it quacks like a duck and waddles like a duck and has feathers it must be a duck.
The point is he is more radical than he let on.
Hussein Obama,Chavez,Castro,peas in a pod,maybe seperated at birth
Admittedly, I pulled them from my rear.
It's probably less than a third, but these folks are the loudest. You've got the crazy Bush-haters vs. the crazy Obama-haters, and there's no denying these are the people who are the most vocal in both parties.
Admittedly, I pulled them from my rear. ; )
It's probably less than a third, but these folks are the loudest. You've got the crazy Bush-haters vs. the crazy Obama-haters, and there's no denying these are the people who are the most vocal in both parties.
Admittedly, I pulled them from my rear.
It's probably less than a third, but these folks are the loudest. You've got the crazy Bush-haters vs. the crazy Obama-haters, and there's no denying these are the people who are the most vocal in both parties.
Admittedly, I pulled them from my rear.
It's probably less than a third, but these folks are the loudest, and that gives them the appearance of greater numbers. You've got the crazy Bush-haters vs. the crazy Obama-haters, and there's no denying these are the people who are the most vocal in both parties.
Admittedly, I pulled them from my rear.
It's probably less than a third, but these folks are the loudest, and that gives them the appearance of greater numbers. You've got the crazy Bush-haters versus the crazy Obama-haters, and there's no denying these are the people who are the most vocal in both parties.
America was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles. That is a FACT. You can be a Hindu, and no one "gives" you that right- that is your inalienable, God-given right, even if you don't beleive in God or you believe in a hundred gods. This country establishes no state religion. (Having established no state religion is not the same as having NO religion. We may respect and pay homage to our heritage. The ACLU wants NO religion except for a "religion" that has "the state" as its head.) As far as Obama being anti- American, Americans value individual liberties, and being able to make decisions about their lives and happiness for themselves. Americans deeply resent kings, and don't want to be ordered around by princes (the house) and kings (the senate). Bailing out business that should just fail is intrinsically "anti-American" in that America was made great by capitalism. Socialism is anathema to us. No one questions YOUR allegiance, but we do question the motives of a man who tells dissenters to "sit down and shut up"; whose answer to challenges from opponents is "I won", and who is condescending and devisive whenever he speaks.
Yes to both, and that goes triple for Paula Abduh…
Excellent observations. It really is not the birth certificate alone. The overall feeling is that something is being hidden since no grade school, college or other records were ever released. Some people believe that he claimed a foreign student scholarship for college.
Why weren't the Democrats that demanded McCain's Birthcertificate Morons? Inquiring minds would like to know?
If you're wondering what the ugly, pinched face of America looks like, just turn on the television, open a newspaper or fire up your laptop.
Public mayhem, scare-mongering, and even a warning from the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee about a fictitious "death panel" are, apparently, what constitutes thoughtful discourse about health care coming from the darker corners of American conservatism. . .
Their [birther] dreams of deporting Mr. Obama dashed, kooky conservatives have turned to Plan B: Shouting that the president's health care proposal amounts to socialism. No, wait, make that fascism: At health care town halls and other public events, we've seen posters of Mr. Obama with a Hitler mustache and of a child in a stroller holding a sign warning of impending fascism.
Socialism, fascism — whatever, same diff. It speaks to the incoherence of these protesters that they can't distinguish the two. Yet, so long as the comparison makes the president sound evil, dastardly and un-American, such complications hardly seem to trouble them. . .
(continued…)
While I also agree it is unlikely Obama was born in Kenya, there are a few logical problems with his "story". Personally I think the secrecy of Obama's records (and it isn't just the Birth Certificate…MANY records are unreleased) has to do with SOMETHING ELSE that contradicts he narrative put forth in books and in the public consciousness. What is it? I have no idea.
To say Obama has a very unusual background is an understatement, and the fact that he simply refuses to release many, many records that are commonly released, leads me to guess that he is protecting his published narrative in some fashion. Perhaps it is simply embellishment, or perhaps it is serious enough to enter the level of fiction vs non-fiction.
Whether one thinks birth is an issue, even the biggest Obama supporter has to admit there must be a reason so many records are unavailable. The longer this goes on, the more the Passport Breach of 2008 looks more and more curious. This is what feeds Conspiracy Theories. The question is does Obama's team have so much creativity that they are creating an intentional red herring to waste resources, or are they hiding something ELSE in plain sight? Axelrod, Morris, Carville and Rove have never been as clever as they are given credit for. Opponents tend to turn these people into supermen of obfuscation and misdirection. I can't believe it is simply a "strategy".
The thing is, what could possibly be embarrassing enough to hide to this degree? Bush, Gore and Kerry were average at best students…that didn't really "mean" anything. The only logical guess I can come up with is inconsistencies with his narrative (something other than birthplace)…but then…why lie about it in the first place?
The entire thing is quite a puzzle.
I agree with you essential point, but you should really get your facts straight on the details of the birth certificate issue itself, because they're important and there's been so much obfuscation about it. He has not released a "Certificate of Live Birth." Go to factcheck.org and you'll see that the document is entitled, "Certification of Live Birth". There is such a thing as a Certificate of Live Birth in Hawaii, it was the document that was created on or about the day of his birth, the document that bears the name of the hospital and the signatures of his parents and the doctor. This is the document that has not been released, and that remains the source of all of the hoopla.
The distinction is important because the Certification of Live Birth was created in 2007 from the records then on file. Obviously, there are any number of ways that the information on file in 2007 could differ from the original, and that is why we'll never know for sure until we see the original.
It's my opinion that his mother did have him abroad, and that she sent in his birth registration by mail claiming that he was born in Hawaii so that he would be a U.S. citizen (smart lady it turns out). The birth announcements in the newspapers were generated from that. All else flows from there. Obama does not want to release the original birth certificate because if it consists of nothing more than his mother's attestation via mail, it will raise more questions than it will answer, and the circus will continue, but at an even higher level.
President Obama was legally elected our President. Joe Biden is next in line. Do we really want to go there?
Except for the fact that you are commenting on a conservative blog where a conservative is still kicking this around. Your theory might be valid were it not attached to this column. And this column is not written by MSNBC.
While I'd argue against many of your points, which I won't go into here, I adamantly agree that you are an American. And you are correct, no one should try to tell you different, especially based solely upon your chosen religion. I am a Christian. I have nothing but the utmost respect for your religion, culture, and perspective. I think many Americans, including myself, could learn much from listening to your thoughts and opinions of our country. What your post clearly portrays is you are indeed a real American. You understand your roots, and the tenants of this great country. However, I would argue that the American creed does mention a Christian God, although I wouldn't expect you to like it. Even I question what good it does to have God in our pledge and in our Constitution. Not the least of which what it does to people like yourself when you read your country's founding documents and they mention a religion and a God different from your own. I can't understand how that must feel.
I don't think the author meant to imply you are less of an American because you are Hindu and not Christian. I can understand your anger if you indeed implied such a meaning. What I'd like to believe the author is implying is the same our founding fathers implied when they included God in the founding documents/creed of our country. The founding fathers didn't mention a Christian God to ensure all American's are Christians, but to further the universal ideals that this country was founded upon and share with the Christian religion, i.e.; Love thy neighbor as thyself, respect your parents, don't steal, don't kill, etc. Many of these ideals are shared with the Hindu faith I believe, correct me if I am wrong. However, I also do not believe we must invoke God, or anything else, to keep to those ideals. We must teach them to our children and set an example for all.
This country was founded by individuals who were persecuted for their religious beliefs. Rather than set up their own religious tyranny, these founding Americans believed in religious tolerance. Just because we don't agree on our religion doesn't mean we can't live in harmony and respect each other.
And I fervently agree that the men and women that have died for our country deserve the utmost respect, admiration, and thanks for the sacrifice they made for their country and for me. Regardless of religion. However, to take the author to task for such a thing is misdirected and not implied in the article in my opinion.
When I read your post it gives me hope. The diversity of thought, opinion, and yes even religion, you bring to our country indeed makes us stronger. Our opinions diverge on many subjects, but your opinions are obviously well thought out. You are definitely educated when it comes to your country, its history, and its direction. If every American did as you have done and made their own opinions based upon personal research and education, rather than what they are told, we would be a stronger nation as a whole. Anyone who tells you different is the one that needs a lesson on what America is really all about.
I would take him over Hussein Obama anyday
Spot on. I too am disgusted by the scorn for birthers by the right. They cry and wail when Obama hides anything else, but when it comes to his birth certificate – or any record from his past – they call everyone hunting for it a crazy idiot. What insane Pelosi juice are they drinking? We want the books opened on Obama. Everything from birth to Rezko. Immediately. And anyone who calls us names be damned.
Excellent!
How is it that he was able to take this job without producing a birth certificate when it is a requirement to be a natural born citizen? Shouldn't everyone who runs for president be required to provide proof that they are eligible before they even run?
Biden reminds me of the 3 stooges all rolled into one, but I must say he can be entertaining.
You've obvsiously never served your country or worked in a position requiring a security clearance. If you had you would know what a background investigation is and who gets them. Obama had his done long before the election. Had there been any inconsistency or lack of documentation then it would have come out then. It didn't. You're wrong. And anyone who thinks otherwise is ignorant. I don't blame him for ignoring the screaming lunatics who think this "issue" has any merit.
Only republicans
get with the program
/sarc sort of
"Agree with them or not, the Birthers are just trying to answer the perfectly legitimate questions created by the patent dishonesty about and obscuration of most every aspect of Barack Obama’s life."
I think this statement is closer to the truth. Barry probably doesn't want his birth certificate released because his name is Soetoro on it. Which is bad for name recognition, and bad publicity during the campaign and brings up questions about whether his parents were married when he was born.
His transcripts/essays probably haven't been released because his grades were no good, or he wrote childish and racist rants like his wife. I think he is a citizen and all the secrecy is just a political move to keep people from recognizing that he is just a flawed human who doesn't hold the same values as the rest of us.
Why won't he allow us to know the Hospital where he was born, so a plaque could be hung in their hallowed halls? Why won't he allow us to know the name of the doctor who delivered America's first Black President? What an honor, and yet he remains nameless. . . . Too much unknown history in Obama's past for there to not be something not right about him. Birthers are Patriots.
If you haven't already, read "principles for allocation of scarce medical interventions" , a paper published in the Lancet and co-authored by Ezekiel Emanuel, Rahm's brother and an advisor on White House health care policy. "Death panels" may be hyperbole, but the "complete lives system" is designed to give "attenuated care" to those younger than 10 and those older than 50. Listen to this, in the "objections" section:____"Unlike allcation by sex or race, allocation by age is not invidious discrimination
So first, yes, absolutely I would deny it. I think a person who characterizes India as a Hindu nation misses the point of India, just as the person who characterizes the United States as a Christian nation misses the point of America. Is the majority of this nation Christian? Of course, and I don't dispute that for a moment–but to call it a Christian nation is to say something else. It is implicitly to state that one of the prerequisites to being a "true American" is to be Christian. As I tried to outline above, in my view, there is only one true "religious belief" of America, and is it that summed up by Jefferson in the first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence. That is our creed, our religion, our purpose as a nation. It is the belief that you are at birth and through life indisputably free, that your destiny is not written for you, but it is of your own choosing, that you have the right to self-government, to have a public identity, and to liberty in all of its glory. That you have choice, choice in belief, thought, religion, and ideology. We have not always abided by that faith, and millions gave their blood a century and a half ago to perfect an imperfect union, a process that did not end then, but endures, but that is the ideal, the goal, the possibility of America. It is partially why so many, liberal AND conservative, were for one night in awe last fall, because in no other country are the stories of Barack Obama and Bobby Jindal, Ronald Reagan and Harry Truman, possible.
As General Powell said during the brouhaha over the President's religion last fall, the true answer is that the President is a Christian, but the really correct answer is "why does it matter? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in America? Can a Muslim not be President?" The answer by creed must be "of course he or she can be President, and of course there is nothing wrong with being a Muslim,, because there is no religious bar to being an American."
I should note that a number of comments below have been generous with their thought, respectful, and kind. Regardless of ideological differences, I thank you for your courtesy.
"The birthers aren't morons because they're wrong, they're morons because they serve no useful purpose"
They may serve a purpose. I read an article, I believe at Townhall, suggesting that Barry may have lied about not being an Indonesian citizen on his Bar exam application. This could likely be the reason the BC is tucked away. While I agree that there are enough evidence to support the Hawaii birth, the lie on the application could lead to more exposure of his transcripts, etc, which are also not released.
I don't care what someone's last name, first name or religion is. I care about ONE THING in a Presidential candidate, and that is his/her ability and commitment to DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION. Why should I give a rat's about his parents' marital staus? I don't!!
Right now this President is overstepping his bounds by trying to impose a health care system on the people that will bankrupt the country, lead to more govt intrusion and poorer levels of care. It is NOT the government's business to get into health care.
Right, since we pay for this boon-doggle that is Washington. You’re a majority in the 57the state.
Right, since we pay for this boon-doggle that is Washington. You’re a majority in the 57th state.
Right, since we pay for this boon-doggle that is Washington. You’re a majority in the 57th state.
There are too many inconsistancies in Obama's records to think that he is actually a natural born U.S. citizen. Whay doesn't Barry Soetero Obama just release the birth certificate and clear up all doubt? Also, a certified Kenyan Obama 1961 birth certificate has just surfaced as well. So what's up, Obama? If you are a natual born citizen, did you commit fraud then to get U.S. student aid? If that is the case, Obama cannot legally be President as he is a felon, obstructing justice and needs to be prosecuted to the extent of federal law.
Let's talk about those Birth Announcements in the two newspapers shall we? Everyone uses those as Absolute proof except for two slight problems. The Obamas never lived at the address list in the ads. That address was occupied from the late 50s to the early Seventies by another couple. This was verified from real estate records. Besides why would they live so far away from where they went to school when Obama Sr. kept an apartment much closer until he left for Harvard in 1962. Even though his wife went to school in Washington two weeks after Obama's birth. The other thing is no one ever verified that those ads actually came from the papers. They just appeared one day on the internet and everyone grabbed them as real. They actually track back to a Hillary Supporter. Plus, why do they both say the same exact thing? Word for Word??? Like a copy and paste? Maybe someone should actually check the microfilm??? You think?
I don't know if his Birth Certificate is legit or not both sides have good points but where's there's smoke there's usually fire. This should be reported to whitehouse.gov It all sounds very FISHY to me.
We'll see!
Is being a Birther any more irrational than believing the State is our best friend, and that the best way to promote prosperity is to increase taxes? I think not.
I thank you for your generosity. Above, I replied indirectly to a few points you mentioned, but your insights deserve a few words. You are absolutely right that the values you cite are within Christianity, but those same values are within virtually all religions and definitions of public morality. I would argue that having three branches of government or a Bill of Rights or declaring independence from a despotic king are not inherently Christian or non-Christian. The poster above astute notes that a number of founders were Deists and had complicated relationships with religion. The same can be said of Lincoln, whose own relationship with God shifted radically during his life and was awakened particularly during the war, when the burdens of those times weighed heavily on the great man.
I think my response to the piece was the sense that in some way, the President in un-American because of what he believes. That kind of ideological definition of an American was what I reacted to so strongly. Someone below made the point far better than I could, but here's a few words to expand that a bit.
I don't doubt the patriotism of my conservative colleagues, even those I vehemently disagreed with, including our last President. I don't doubt their motivations, their love of country, or their status as Americans. I merely disagreed with their course of actions and believed it was wrong. I think it is entirely legitimate to question this President on his financial policy, his policies towards the auto industry, the health care plan, and the like, and we can have valid policy disagreements on whether these are the best courses for our nation. But to call him un-American, or to smear his identity or to allege that he is a traitor or alien or some kind of foreign creature is, frankly, contemptible.
For 224 years, there have been patriotic liberals and patriotic conservatives, men and women who wanted nothing but the best for this country, but merely differed in how to achieve it. I think the President, just like former President Bush, both want nothing but the best for this nation, just as I hope both you and I do. We just differ in how to achieve that. Political disagreements are part of our history, from Adams and Jefferson on down. Surely that doesn't justify name-calling, does it?
The Hawaiian newspapers ads were less meaningful than the certification of live birth because they were automatically generated by the issuance of that document. So it means nothing what those newspapers reported. Barry's own grandmother said that he was born in Kenya. She said , “Barack, Jr. was born in Mombasa, Kenya and I was present during his birth.” Affidavit of Reverend Kweli Shuhubia, “Barack Hussein Obama, Jr., the United States Presidential candidate, was born in Mombosa Kenya, “Kenyan Officials with the Provincial Civil Registrar stated there were records of Ann Dunham giving birth to Barack Hussein Obama, III in Mombassa, Kenya on August 4, 1961, and confirmed the birthing records of Barack H. Obama, Jr. and his mother were present, however, the file on Barack H. Obama, Jr. was classified and profiled. The Official explained Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. birth in Kenya is top secret.” Affidavit of Bishop Ron McRae, “US Senator Barack Hussein Obama is a Muslim and not a Christian, and he was born in Mombasa, Kenya and not in the State of Hawaii”
Yes, crazy people tend to make great six o'clock news. BUT…
Consider how about a dozen "vocal" people at the roadside in Crawford TX got nightly coverage on several different networks for months, and compare that to the type and amount of coverage hundreds of thousands of Americans are getting as they vocalize their opposition to single-payer health care. Consider how the WTO protestors (who rioted and destroyed property) were treated in the media versus the treatment the Tax-Day Tea Party folks got.
Don't make the mistake of painting both sides as equally dirty, equally worth blame. Obama did that in the Gates/Crowley crime by painting the race-baiter and the cop with the same "cooler heads should have prevailed" brush. No. One side is definitely more unhinged, more biased, more partisan and more irresponsible than the other.
Also, you'd think I could do math. That should read 234 years. My mistake on somehow leaving out the Revolution and Constitutional Convention.
And the transparency thing he promised…
Indonesian School Record, “Name of School: Fransiskus Assisi School, Name: Barry Soetoro, Citizenship: Indonesian, Name of Parent: Lolo Soetoro, M.A. The school records indicate that Barack Obama Jr. aka Barry Soetoro attended first grade in Indonesia and that he was born in Honolulu Hawaii on 08-04-1961 and his father is Lolo Soetoro.In addition to the above affidavits and questions raised, the Kenyan Ambassador himself said on The Mike in The Morning Show on WRIF in Detroit, Michigan that Obama was born in Kenya.Why has he paid over a million in legal fees to hide all his records, not just some? Why are we not allowed to see any of Obama’s college records, passport records or birth records? Could it be that Obama received foreign student money from Indonesia or other foreign places paying his way through college? Why hide your records? We know that Obama is a liar, we know he is radical, and he has an unreliable past. How hard would it be to conclude that he is not natural born? I say that not being a birther makes less sense than being one. Overwhelimg evidence is present to show he is not qualified to be president.
Back on subject, riddle me this. Why won't Obama just release his public records including his birth certificate? Every president before him did including Bush and Clinton. I think the 'Where there is smoke.." saying applies here and the 'birthers' have some very valid points to ponder. This isn't a conspiracy theory, rather it is a very well documented ACTUAL conspiracy by Obama and his handlers to hide pertinant information from the voting public. Case in point, it is also well documented that Obama has spent close to a million dollars in legal fees to keep these records hidden.
Back on subject, riddle me this. Why won't Obama just release his public records including his birth certificate? Every president before him did including Bush and Clinton. I think the 'Where there is smoke.." saying applies here and the 'birthers' have some very valid points to ponder. This isn't a conspiracy theory, rather it is a very well documented ACTUAL conspiracy by Obama and his handlers to hide pertinant information from the voting public. Case in point, it is also well documented that Obama has spent close to a million dollars in legal fees to keep these records hidden.
Back on subject, riddle me this. Why won't Obama just release his public records including his birth certificate? Every president before him did including Bush and Clinton. I think the 'Where there is smoke.." saying applies here and the 'birthers' have some very valid points to ponder. This isn't a conspiracy theory, rather it is a very well documented ACTUAL conspiracy by Obama and his handlers to hide pertinant information from the voting public. Case in point, it is also well documented that Obama has spent close to a million dollars in legal fees to keep these records hidden.
How can Mr. Boering write such a thoughtful and intelligent analysis of the questions raised by Obama's lack of a birth certificate….yet cluelessly and incredulously state that he believes Obama was born in Hawaii because two local newspapers published his birth announcement? HUH?!
Why is it so difficult to imagine that Obama's proud grandparents probably put the birth announcement (which did NOT state a place of birth) in the local paper(s) to herald the impending arrival of their daughter and new grandson in Hawaii? This, with the alternate explanation given by reliable sources, that the birth announcement was "automatically triggered" by the REGISTRATION of live birth allowed by Hawaiian citizens for their children born elsewhere seems very likely to explain the legally insignificant "birth announcements" in the local paper. These announcements are in fact irrelevant to the question of where Obama was born!
Only someone completely paranoid would read this article and understand it to convey such a message!
** ……….and even a warning from the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee about a fictitious "death panel" **
As soon as a committee is set up to determine whether a particular patient is worth the cost of the care required to sustain life, a 'death panel' has been created.
I choose NOT to have my health care or that of my family left to the capriciousness of some government bureaucrat, nor do I intend to be forced in such a situation by a heavy-handed Obama administration.
After I passed my job interview and was hired, I had to take a drug test. If a birth certificate was also required, you can bet I wouldn't have my job if I hadn't produced it. So I dunno, Justice Roberts swore him in. How about, "Oh hey Barack, what'dyasay we get those pesky requirements out of the way? I need your birth certificate, the past 14 years of tax returns (to make sure you lived here), and both of those will take of the age thing. … Oh you left it in your other suit? Ok, we'll wait."
Go to the WoldNetDaily website for evidence that the fake Hawaiian birth certificate posted on Factcheck.org (an Annenburg website, with ties to Obama) has been determined a fake by the Globe. Prior to this, one or two document experts retained by Phil Berg, Esq. (Obamacrimes.com) determined that this "document" was nothing but an internet creation, never having existed at all in real life!
Biden as president till 2012 would be a better choice than keeping the usurper-in-chief till then, if only because Biden doesn't hate the US and its citizens, and has no plans for making himself into El Presidente of the US…or worse, the world.
Natural Born Citizen = Both Parents are U. S. Citizens and was Born in the U.S. mainland. US Constitution
Art. II, Sec. 1, Cl. 5 U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649 (1898) Perkins v. Elg, 307 U.S. 325 (1939)
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