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Birtherism: Worst. Trap. Ever.
Washington comPost ^ | February 19, 2011 | Adam Serwer

Posted on 02/19/2011 7:18:52 AM PST by Zakeet

For the past couple of weeks, I've been writing about Republican politicians' birther problem.

Whether or not the issue is one of mere symbolic belief or genuine agreement among large segments of the Republican base, GOP leaders feel obligated to mollify those among their base who believe the outlandish conspiracy theory that president wasn't born in the United States or that he's secretly a Muslim. But now former President George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove has come up with a new conspiracy theory that is less dumb than the original one, but not by much. According to Rove, the White House wants Republicans to continue raising doubts about Obama's citizenship in order to make the GOP look kooky:

[Snip]

The problem, of course, is that at least one recent poll showed that a majority of Republicans have doubts about the president's citizenship, which explains the rise of "post-birtherism." Republican leaders don't want to anger a large section of their base by flatly calling this stuff what it is, which is nuts. So the new approach is to joke about it or to carefully avoid denouncing the idea completely.

[Snip]

The idea that the issue is a "trap" is belied by the ease with which Republican leaders could shut the entire matter down. All they have to do is say it's silly.

(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: birthcertificate; birther; certifigate; jimmyqaeda2; naturalborncitizen; obama
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To: sanjuanbob
A good post and good logic, but don’t you want to know the truth? I prefer to be known as a truther instead of a birther.

Eheheheh, I'd probably steer clear of that word, as well.

I'd love to know the truth. I'm an analyst, researcher and teacher by trade. I have my own theories about what's going on, but I'm also used to dealing with incomplete data. Aside from divine revelation or some pretty extensive waterboarding, the truth on this will stay cloaked in enough shadow to be irrelevant in any amount of time that it would be actionable.

There's only two ways to win from this. The first is to make a reasonable standard at the state level for Presidential candidates. Let Obama crash and burn against a reasonable, impartial standard, or overcome it, and lose the sympathy that birtherism provides him. The second is to admit that Obama found haven in a grey area that most Americans aren't willing to explore, and work to defeat him the old fashioned way.

The sympathy of racism is Obama's brier patch. Surrounding himself in it is what got him elected. Throwing him back in that same brier patch is literally the dumbest tactic available.

141 posted on 02/19/2011 12:12:55 PM PST by Steel Wolf ("There are moderate Muslims, but Islam itself is not moderate." - Ibn Warraq)
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To: nwrep
"The burden of proof is on you, not on 0."

Incorrect.

The Twentieth amendment, section three places the burden of proving eligibility upon the "President elect". If he/she cannot offer proof to Congress that he/she is qualified to serve as President, they, Congress, must name an interim President.

142 posted on 02/19/2011 12:22:10 PM PST by Uncle Sham
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To: willk
Look how they keep asking our potential candidates if they believe Obama was born in the USA.

For those who just tuned in, that is only part of the issue. The real issue is over his Constitutional eligibility, as in his status as a Natural Born Citizen, a term with specific meaning.

His father (mother's husband, presumably his father) was a Kenyan, and Obama would have been either born with dual citizenship regardless of where he was born, or a British Subject if not born in the USA. After his mother and Father divorced, little Barack was allegedly adopted by an Indonesian, one Lolo Soetoro, and his name changed according to the only school record available to Barack Soetoro. If so, he would have had Indonesian citizenship, and that document also lists his religion as "Muslim".

The plot thickens when neither Birth Certificate, nor Selective Service Registration, nor admissions records, nor financial aid statements, nor college transcripts, nor any other documentation of Obama's past are available, and in fact were sealed by Executive Order as one of his first acts in the Office of the President.

In an era in which children are required to present their birth certificate in order to be enrolled in kindergarden, I don' think it is too much to require the person who controls the nuclear arsenal of the US to prove he is Constitutionally qualified to hold the office.

YMMV, but far fewer people think this is "kooky" than the press would have you believe, and the actions of this administration taken at the behest of or with the blessings of Obama convince more people daily that he does not have the interests of America foremost.

Those actions speak louder than the press on this issue to many, and cause more to question Obama than ever.

If, as many have simply pointed out, he was in fact born in the US, then producing the BC should be a simple matter, and one which would eliminate a nagging issue for the administration.

143 posted on 02/19/2011 12:22:10 PM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: null and void
"McCain was not born on US soil."

Neither was George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, John Jay, and a few other folk.

What is your point?

144 posted on 02/19/2011 12:24:43 PM PST by Radix ("..Democrats are holding a meeting today to decide whether to overturn the results of the election.")
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To: cynwoody
"And even if Obama were shown not have been a citizen at birth, we'd still need 67 senators to do anything about it"

Not true. If he did not meet eligibility requirements for the office of President, he cannot be a legal President. He is instead, a usurper. Usurpers are arrested and dealt with accordingly.

145 posted on 02/19/2011 12:27:38 PM PST by Uncle Sham
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To: Radix

Apparently you’ve never read The Constitution.

Article II Section 1 Paragraph 5


146 posted on 02/19/2011 12:32:27 PM PST by null and void (We are now in day 760 of our national holiday from reality. - It's almost 3 AM)
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To: Uncle Sham

Incorrect.

The Twentieth amendment, section three places the burden of proving eligibility upon the “President elect”. If he/she cannot offer proof to Congress that he/she is qualified to serve as President, they, Congress, must name an interim President.


There hasn’t been a President-Elect since a little after noon on January 20, 2009.


147 posted on 02/19/2011 12:34:58 PM PST by jamese777
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To: Radix

Radix, those born before the adoption of the Constitution were grandfathered in. It’s those who were born later who were obligated to the ‘natural born’ requirement.


148 posted on 02/19/2011 12:36:18 PM PST by EDINVA
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To: jamese777
"There hasn’t been a President-Elect since a little after noon on January 20, 2009. "

True. There also has not been a legal President since a little after noon on January 20,2009.

149 posted on 02/19/2011 12:42:18 PM PST by Uncle Sham
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To: EDINVA

bflr


150 posted on 02/19/2011 12:43:24 PM PST by rdb3 (The mouth is the exhaust pipe of the heart.)
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To: Zakeet
Regardless of what the facts are in the case of Obama's birth certificate (the real one) are or not. The fact that such a large percentage of Americans who do not believe he is a citizen is a symptom of a much larger problem.

This man does not think or act like an American. His past is a sequestered secret, with absolutely no educational evidence with regard to the superlative excellence his lap dogs profess.

He, before becoming President would not pledge allegiance to its flag. He would not vote consistently, either negatively or affirmatively, on legislation under his purvue. He has personally written that he will stand with his Muslim brothers if the shit hits the fan, and he consistently bows and kisses the rings of the foreign despots and Muslim potentates he 'pilgramages' to visit. He has given up the last vestiges of our nuclear deterrent arsenal to our enemies, and he has personally done everything he can to devolve this country to fourth world status.

Folks, the evidence doesn't get much overt than this. I dont' need a birth certificate now. I just need a fair election come 2012 where I can vote against this son of a bitch.

151 posted on 02/19/2011 12:48:50 PM PST by Gaffer (A Democrat is an animal that escaped extinction from the 'big dinosaur-killer' event.)
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To: Tex-Con-Man

Oh so the numerous lawsuits that have been filed to produce the document and fought by said lawyers has been done gratis.

Let me know if you ever want to buy some lakefront property, you I gotta meet.


152 posted on 02/19/2011 12:50:51 PM PST by traderrob6
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To: Mr. K
If anyone believes it is possible that Obambi likes this issue because it makes us look like kooks... Then all they have to do is prove he is a citizen and we are done for-

Why havent they?

*******

I can't wait for the presidential primaries and caucuses to begin, because it looks like most of the 57 states will require candidates to attach state certified proof---like AN OFFICIAL STATE long form or short form birth certificate---to their application forms.

1. Obama: I can't wait to see what OFFICIAL Hawaii document---with the Hawaii state seal clearly present---Obama will attach to his application.

2. My point is this: We will finally see an OFFICIAL Obama Hawaii birth certificate that is not posted on an Obama site.

3. Obama's presidential application will also open a Pandora's box, because the mass media will suddenly be all over Hawaii officials as they ask the officials how they know that Obama was born in Hawaii. The media will especially be all over the Hawaii official who will be the unlucky person who has to sign the document.

4. For instance, as I see it, the only way that Hawaii officials can positively certify that Obama was born in Hawaii is if they have personally seen Obama's original long form birth certificate.

5. But if Hawaii officials have to admit that they have seen Obama's long form birth certificate, then there will be tremendous public and media pressure on Obama to "voluntarily" allow Hawaii to release the long form birth certificate.

6. Pelosi: Remember how Pelosi signed the Hawaii document where she certified that Obama was eligible to be President under the laws of the Constitution without providing any legal proof that Obama was who he said he was?

7. Well, Pelosi and the Democratice Party are not going to get a free pass this second time around, that is, the Democratic Party person who signs that Hawaii document will have to provide positive proof that Obama is eligible. The public will demand it.

8. So I say bring it on. Let the primaries and caucuses begin. Obama, we can't wait to see what Hawaii document you will attach to your application form in most of the 57 states that shows that you were born in Hawaii.

9. I bet Hawaii officials dread the day that they have to provide most of the 57 states withe proof that Obama was born in Hawaii and was not adopted by his stepfather Soetoro.

10. Myself, I don't think that Hawaii can provide a certified document---with the Hawaii seal--- that Obama was born in Hawaii. But we will see when the primary season begins.

11. I think Arizona holds one of the earliest primaries. I wouldn't be surprised to see this: As soon as Obama files his application form, many Arizona voters will be right there to challenge Obama's application. Good luck to the people of Arizona.

153 posted on 02/19/2011 12:51:17 PM PST by john mirse
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To: Zakeet
Republican politicians shouldn't be spending a lot of time with the issue, other than, perhaps, to pass laws at the state level requiring a valid birth certificate for a Presidential candidate to be on the state ballot.

But, it is awfully fun for conservatives to bring the issue up on occasion in order to get liberal idiots like Chris Mathews all worked up.

154 posted on 02/19/2011 1:01:29 PM PST by Ol' Sparky (Liberal Republicans are the greater of two evils)
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To: Zakeet
Republican politicians shouldn't be spending a lot of time with the issue, other than, perhaps, to pass laws at the state level requiring a valid birth certificate for a Presidential candidate to be on the state ballot.

But, it is awfully fun for conservatives to bring the issue up on occasion in order to get liberal idiots like Chris Mathews all worked up.

155 posted on 02/19/2011 1:01:41 PM PST by Ol' Sparky (Liberal Republicans are the greater of two evils)
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To: Uncle Sham
The Twentieth amendment, section three places the burden of proving eligibility upon the "President elect". If he/she cannot offer proof to Congress that he/she is qualified to serve as President, they, Congress, must name an interim President.

That's not what the 20th Amendment says, and the provision you're talking about is in the event of the death of the President elect. It also doesn't specify what proof Congress would require, either.

If Congress is satisfied with a post-it note from Hawaii saying, 'Obama's a natural born citizen', then they're satisfied. There's no formal standard, and trying to invent one in reverse just isn't going to fly with your average voter or congressman.

Setting formal documentation standards to the future is the way to solve this. (Everyone running for office must supply A, B, C and D, etc) It's not like that now. Since the standard is hard to prove (Who *really* knows where they were born? Unless there's video of your mother holding up a newspaper, and giving birth next to a public landmark, you're pretty much taking someone else's word for it.)

Obama can easily claim that to the best of his knowledge, he is a natural born U.S. citizen. Even if there's no paperwork to back it, and in the absence of formal requirements, most people (including congress) will give him the benefit of the doubt. It's no more complex than that.

156 posted on 02/19/2011 1:04:12 PM PST by Steel Wolf ("There are moderate Muslims, but Islam itself is not moderate." - Ibn Warraq)
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To: Zakeet

There is absolutely no proof that Obama was not born in Hawaii.
Perhaps we will never know the whole truth about this Man From Nowhere, so much of his past has been scrubbed or hidden.
Perhaps it is part of his plan to jerk around Conservatives around an unprovable issue like the BC, and the Birth Certificate will turn up before the next Election.

Just remember, There is absolutely no proof, legal or otherwise, that Obama was not born in Hawaii.


157 posted on 02/19/2011 1:06:00 PM PST by Cincinna ( *** NOBAMA 2012 ***)
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To: Eva; Anti-Bubba182; Zakeet; bgill; warsaw44; ColdOne; Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!; GQuagmire; ...
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

July 2008

0bama’s mama was very young and single when she had him according to Michelle 0bama:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/10/1193601.aspx

158 posted on 02/19/2011 1:07:27 PM PST by LucyT
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To: Zakeet

There is absolutely no proof that Obama was not born in Hawaii.
Perhaps we will never know the whole truth about this Man From Nowhere, so much of his past has been scrubbed or hidden.
Perhaps it is part of his plan to jerk around Conservatives around an unprovable issue like the BC, and the Birth Certificate will turn up before the next Election.

Just remember, There is absolutely no proof, legal or otherwise, that Obama was not born in Hawaii.


159 posted on 02/19/2011 1:09:07 PM PST by Cincinna ( *** NOBAMA 2012 ***)
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To: Zakeet
The idea that the issue is a "trap" is belied by the ease with which Republican leaders could shut the entire matter down. All they have to do is say it's silly.

And follow up with "all we need is the rest of the missing paper trail of his entire life; records from Indonesia, passport records, school applications and financial records, college records...

(crickets)

160 posted on 02/19/2011 1:11:29 PM PST by JimRed (Excising a cancer before it kills us waters the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS, NOW AND FOREVER!)
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