Posted on 08/01/2009 4:15:36 AM PDT by nathanbedford
The Irony of His Birth
It is ironic that the "state-controlled" media have brought this matter nearly to a boil only after the main props of the Birther argument have been dashed or dramatically weakened so that there can be little doubt left that Barack Obama was born in Hawaii which his underlying long form certificate will confirm. [For a more complete analysis leading to the conclusion that the documents will show the birth of Obama in Hawaii, please see my reply: Suborned in the U.S.A. - The birth-certificate controversy is about Obama’s honesty...http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2304411/posts?page=49#49]
Two revelations undercut both the evidence that he was born in Kenya and the argument that his underlying and suppressed Birth Certificate could under the laws of Hawaii be at variance with his published Certification of Live Birth. The first was dashed by a You Tube audio which conclusively demonstrated that the original audio in which Obama's grandmother said she witnessed his birth in Kenya was, in effect, cropped. In the extended version she disavowed any such reference and maintained that he was born in Hawaii. The second was severely weakened by the statement of Doctor Fukino which, when read in pari materia with her previous statement of October 31, makes it clear that she and a colleague have examined the underlying birth certificate and it says that Obama was born in Hawaii.
Before the publication of the extended YouTube audio and the release of the second statement by the officials of Hawaii, there was plenty of room to believe that Obama could have been born abroad. So long as the direct evidence that he was born in Kenya existed, and while the inference could reasonably be drawn from the officials' first statement of October 31, 2008 that the underlying birth certificate did not necessarily recite that he was born in Hawaii, the birthers were behaving reasonably and indeed, patriotically, in demanding to see the original birth certificate and raising the issue of Barack Obama's status as a natural born citizen.
While the birthers were behaving reasonably, or at least many of them here on Free Republic were behaving reasonably, the media were not. They certainly were not behaving professionally. They persistently and willfully, conflated the published "Certificate of Live Birth" with a regular longform "Birth Certificate." The Birthers kept shouting back that there was a real and significant difference between the two documents and Obama was hiding the latter but the media resolutely continued to ignore that difference. The media recited that the October 31 statement of Doctor Fukino, standing alone, was dispositive of the issue when that logically that was not true. I can recall the instance of Chris Matthews holding up a document for a close up to the camera, but not close enough to reveal the header, which said " Certification of Live Birth," while he proclaimed that it was the "Birth Certificate." Of course, virtually no one in the mainstream media bothered to explain to the people the real and significant potential difference between the two documents and the underlying statute which might have permitted Obama's mother to aver that she was a resident of Hawaii for one year and thus secure a Certification of Live Birth reciting a birth in Hawaii for her son, Barack, even though the original longform Birth Certificate might have recited a birth somewhere else, for example, the place where Barack's grandmother told us on You Tube that she had witnessed the birth, in Kenya.
It is ironic that these revelations have come out just as the mainstream media has begun to take up the issue and, if not to support the Birthers, at least no longer to ignore them to death but to give them the publicity which is the oxygen a media feeding frenzy needs. The media has still declined to get down into the weeds and make a clear presentation to the general public about the elements in dispute. It continues to report the matter alternatively that the Birthers are "crazed right wing nuts" or, "why doesn't Obama released a birth certificate already?" The media as usual is reporting the matter in terms of personalities rather than substance: who is crazy and who is furtive.
Why should this be happening now? Why is the media giving bandwidth to the Birther movement now?
First, I do not believe that the media is bringing this to a crescendo now because it sees an opportunity to discredit the right because of the new revelations that I have recited. I don't think most of them are fully aware of the significance of these developments. Bill O'Reilly made that obvious on his show when he said that he examined the Birth Certificate when he obviously had examined the Certification of Live Birth and betrayed that he does not know the difference between them and, since he does not know the difference, he does not understand the issue. I think O'Reilly is illustrative of most of the media who are very busy and see this as either a ratings gainer or a ratings loser. I think the media are coming to the conclusion that the issue can be a ratings gainer and they are much impressed by the notoriety gained by Lou Dobbs. Dobbs got the best of both worlds, he has the politically correct position in opposition to the birthers, but he has also asked for the exposure of a birth certificate showing that he is in favor of transparency, and, most important in this industry, he got a ton of publicity.
There is another factor which I think is even more important. The magic has gone out of the Magic Negro. One can see the brouhaha over the arrest of Professor Gates as a reaction to a mistake made by Barack Obama but I think the significance of that flapdoodle is that the media now want to take Obama on. Obama's mistake just came at the wrong time. One need not cite gaffe after gaffe committed by Obama during the campaign, through the inauguration, and until very recently, which was utterly ignored or explained away by the media to illustrate its disgraceful bias in favor of electing the first African-American president. The media, like the gods, first build up those whom they will destroy.
The reaction of many FReepers to the second statement of Doctor Fukino saying that the "vital records" show the birth of Barack Obama to be in Hawaii, is interesting. Many will simply not let go of their Confederate money. Others are beginning to see that the issue of where Barack Obama is born is a metaphor for his whole life. They recognize that it was Obama's lack of candor and transparency which ultimately has kept this issue alive and in fact was the oxygen for the fire. I am personally convinced that the underlying birth certificate will show a birth in Hawaii. What else it might reveal about Barack Obama and why he so desperately wants to keep it concealed is not knowable. But it makes for great stuff politically and every ounce of it should be exploited. We have been beaten up on this issue since before the election but now the public is in a different mood and the matter of the birth certificate of Barack Obama is beginning to cost him dear because the public and even the media are beginning to demand an accounting from Barack Obama. The demand for his birth certificates is but a figure for all their fears and anxieties about the man who seems to want, not to govern, but to rule over them.
It is time for the Birther movement to articulate a broader rationale for their demands that Obama produce his birth certificate. They should not be grounded alone in arguments that he is not a natural born citizen, but that he has concealed every significant document which records any part of his life since the time of his birth. The argument should be made that Barack Obama, the President of the United States of America, is a mountebank no matter where he was born and the people of the United States are entitled to know the truth about his whole life. It is an odd quirk of human nature that we as a society will endure a series of insults from our politicians dumbly and then, almost unaccountably, rise up in indignation over some triviality. We saw this applied against the Democrats in the House banking scandal. Today, our people are being abused by their own politicians perhaps as never before. They are yearning for an issue which they can seize upon and vent against Obama. Their cares might be taxes, and healthcare, and fears for their children's future, but their complaint is that he will not release his damn birth certificate!
The issue should be used as a vehicle to continue to assault the mainstream media for their bias and to force them to confront other issues as they arise. One is either on defense or offense and it is better to be on offense against the media even though I have little hope that their tribal culture and taboos can be changed.
One quick historical note on the media: When Paula Jones' lawsuit against Bill Clinton was being derided as the legal convulsion of a "slut and a nut," Stuart Taylor Jr. wrote a piece in the American Lawyer which laid out in scholarly detail the facts which showed that Paula Jones did in fact have a case, that she was entitled to a hearing, and that she was not a "nut." That article actually turned the coverage of the lawsuit around which led to the whole Monica Lewinsky affair and made possible the events which led to the impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton. The parallel to the treatment of the Birthers today is obvious. It is only a matter of time before some enterprising journalist gets into the weeds and reports the nuts and bolts of the birther controversy. It behooves us to make the record clear before that happens that the demand for Obama's birth certificate and the rest of his Life's documents is justified for compelling reasons of good government quite independent from the argument that he is not a natural born citizen. This must be done before a new Stuart Taylor Jr. writes his piece.
Most importantly, the argument of Andrew McCarthy which was the subject of an article by him which was presented on these threads should be adopted. It was one that I had made before his article appeared. The secrets of Obama's birth are but a symbol of the dark secrets of his life. The dark secrets of his life are that he is a Manchurian Marxist bent on the radicalization of America or worse. The dark secrets of his life show that he is governing as he lived. The summons to produce a birth certificate in accordance with the constitutional mandate is but a metaphor for the call to govern in accordance with the Constitution.
The irony Of the Birther movement might be that it brings down Barack Obama after all.
What territory does Eni Falawmamaega represent?
I agree with you on all points but I am syill left with this question:
The Birth Certificate/ Certification that has been posted on line is alleged to be a forgery. Is any one in the media (even WND) going to take that allegation seriously?
If that was proved one way or another to the satisfaction of the masses it would shed tremendous light on the whole matter
Valois is brilliant in the piece.
Thank you for the reasoned analysis. To read your posts and those of a few others, is the reason I come to FR.
Well done! It reflects what so many of us have been saying from the very beginning. One other thing I might add is the new ‘precedent’ being employed by democrat politicians whenever they don’t want to be fully transparent. And that is this practice of democrat politicians ‘releasing’ documents to only a select few biased media personalities, friendly organizations, or one person who could easily be bribed or intimidated? This tactic is being deployed more and more these days (Kerry,Obama,Dodd) and should not be allowed to stand.
Why should the American people be forced to take the ‘word’ of lying biased media hacks who have demonstrated time after time that they have no regards for the truth anymore?
Thanks RVN,
That Valois column was so good I added her to my bookmarks.
Astute analysis, NathanBedford. Thank you.
"The controversy over President Obama’s birth certificate will not go away as long as he refuses to release sealed records, including the original birth certificate, according to Carol Swain, professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University."
'I believe that the president should end the speculation by being transparent about all aspects of his background,' Swain said. 'In fact, it can be argued that the president belongs to the people and to scholars, biographers and others who are entitled to know every aspect of his past. Only great men can ascend to this height, and their lives should be examined and studied for the lessons they offer.'
Swain said that what is posted online for the president is a certificate of live birth. “It is the failure to release the long form that keeps suspicion alive,” she said. Swain noted that she strongly disagrees with those who want to criticize Americans, including journalist Lou Dobbs, who continue to raise the issue.
Other sealed records that Swain has called for the president to release include those pertaining to his education, foreign travel and state legislative business."
I don’t find either of those negative items especially convincing.
I saw the full version of the grandmother’s comments about witnessing Obama’s birth some time ago. My conclusion was that, of course it’s not proof, any more than the shorter version was proof. She might have misremembered, or misspoke, or something of the kind.
But it seems equally probable that she blurted out the truth and then, a bit late, remembered that Obozo’s agents had warned her NEVER TO SPEAK ABOUT Obama’s birth in Kenya.
In support of that, we have a little further evidence. In an early interview with the press, granny said that the whole family was Muslim. Then last year she was interviewed and said that the whole family was Christian. Then early this year she said she was planning to go on the Haj to Mecca.
What do we make of that? Pretty obviously, the most probable reading of these contradictions is that she told the truth, and then was warned to keep her mouth shut about all those Muslim connections during the campaign, and then was told, OK, you can be a Muslim again now that he has been inaugurated.
There was also some evidence that most of Obama’s remaining family in Kenya was under house arrest last fall, kept away from any contact with the press. (The same with his white granny in Hawaii.)
What about Fukino’s recent statement? Well, what would you do if the Chicago Democrat Machine instructed you to release such a statement? Would it need a horse’s head in your bed? Or a dead cat on the porch? Sorry, but I find it hard to believe that she said one thing a year ago and now something rather different now, but pretended that it was just a repetition of the earlier statement.
No, we don’t KNOW that Obama was born in Kenya. But neither do we KNOW that he was born in Hawaii. There are far too many records being kept under wraps. There is a surprising lack of witnesses.
Very well written, Nathan
***
They should not be grounded alone in arguments that he is not a natural born citizen, but that he has concealed every significant document which records any part of his life since the time of his birth.
~~~
In addition to the TOTAL MASS of all his personal life’s journey and event records that have either been scrubbed or sealed from any public view, and as I’ve posted before:
* “Fukino’s most recent pronouncement “says nothing about just what ‘vital records’ (a new term coming from them) she’s seen.”
* “Not being a Constitutional attorney, I wonder
how it is that a state administrative official
takes it upon herself to pronounce that Obama
conforms to the Constitutional term, “natural
born citizen,” when as far as I’ve read and
seen, no official court in the land in our
entire history has EVER even take a case wherein
that issue was at question and a ruling required.”
~~~~~
Most pointedly, we see his decisions and policies and we inherently know that what we sense, see and know intuitively, as McCarthy’s piece so incisively illustrates, whether as a matter of his native origin or not:
that HIS CORE PERSPECTIVE *IS* so completely, naturally and shamelessly *anti-American* that it cannot be ignored, and therefore adds to the confounding citizenship maze and growing doubts that will not go away and may yet become critical mass.
Add to that, among many other vagaries:
the peculiar McCain “natural born” resolution before the election (has anyone ever seen a comment from McCain about that ?),
the recent Abercrombie NON-BINDING resolution which so disingenuoualy included the statement about his birthplace being Hawaii,
the difference in the language in the two different DNC qualifying statements of Pelosi and the secretary of the DNC in Denver at the convention
the inconsistencies and irregularities and atypical routines of Hawaii’s peculiar citizenship standards and qualifications (adoption records, allowing family statements, etc.)
... you’d have to be completely indifferent and disinterested in the subject to NOT be saying: HUH ?
about all the Constitutional requirements in fact having conclusively and legally been met
Admittedly, his natural paranoid propensity to be opaque OVER being transparent (ironic in itself since it’s his campaign/presidency theme) is NOT anti-Constitutional, and sadly CAN exist in a candidate chosen by the uncurious, uninformed, naively unconcerned, transfixed and mesmerized voting masses, who bought a well-written FICTION.
But .. as I’ve also said:
“Isn’t it fascinating that some people actually think CONCERN about this and all the
unresolved
unreconciled
unrevealed
parsed
covered up
lied about
obfuscated
and sealed
information about this peculiar person with the sketchiest of pasts and super radical affiliations and agendae, who now has massive power and is exercising it to the hilt, to our detriment and downfall .. will just go away ?”
~~~
If folks don’t believe there are certain vital matters worth fighting for and demanding answers, that our Consitution *must be preserved* at whatever cost and the persistent attacks on it by this crew, then we are truly lost, the American experiment will fail, and God help us all.
I pray we fight on.
NB, well written and thought provoking post. I have long believed that the BC leads to the ‘other’ Obama locked down documents (the transcripts!!!). That is why I think he is fighting so strenuously producing any document in Court (the blinking of the Feds on the Sgt. Cooke matter).
Vox, Ms. Valois is excellent!!! She is a homemaker and mother!!! I am impressed (and feel like a piker myself). Awesome link...thank you.
The reaction of many FReepers to the second statement of Doctor Fukino saying that the "vital records" show the birth of Barack Obama to be in Hawaii, is interesting. Many will simply not let go of their Confederate money.
WHen you have lawyers write your statements, as this gal SO OBVIOUSLY has done, words matter. Saying there are "vital records" that verify something versus his "original birth certificate", purposely leaves the door open for the following:
1) Name change
2) Parental information changes
3) Adoption papers
4) Off island birth petition for a HI BC.
5) Requested and accepted changes to the birth record
6) Requested and rejected changes to the birth record
Sorry, Fukino is spinning a web. Exactly what she is not telling us is anyone's guess. But I'll just about guarantee you that the COLB info does not match the original BC.
Thanks for the PING, don-o! An excellent read and excellent thread. Many salient, bottom-line points made.
“FREE THE LONG FORM!”
Thanks for the well written article. Thanks for the ping.
Yep. The entire notion that Granny retracted her statement is bunk.
All the Obama-related records in Kenya have been sealed as well. Why would that be necessary if the information was of no threat to him?
Excellent comments.
Yours are excellent too.
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