I never really worried about the so called controversy of th birth of President Obama because I am no fan of conspiracy theories. In order to believe that President Obama wasn't born in Hawaii, you not only have to believe that a conspiracy is being created involving an entire state's bureaucratic apparatus, but you also have to believe that President Obama has been lying, or lied to, since he was a child. After all, he's maintained he was born in Hawaii since he was a kid. Either he was claiming this lie long before he wanted to be president, or his entire family lied to him about his place of birth.
I haven't followed the dispute closely however there is a birth certificate on file that was released. Birthers claim that the one released isn't the official birth certificate and claim there is a longer form that is supposed to be on file. The state of Hawaii says that the form in question is no longer available because the state went paperless about seven years ago and that form is no longer on file.
The so called controversy is not the issue. If you believe in conspiracy theories, this one is one you will enjoy. The problem is the conspracists are a cancer to anyone around them. If birthers gain any sort of mainstream attention they will decrease the legitimate criticism of President Obama. That's because any criticism will be tied to the conspiracists and dismissed as illegitimate.
The question is why the controversy is gaining attention again. Lou Dobbs started it last week by doing an entire show on the controversy. Of course, Dobbs is watched by about four people so his broadcast on its own didn't cause new media attention. His show lead to Politico doing a series of stories on the issue. Since then, O'Reilly covered it once and plans on covering the issue again. Politico claims that birthers are an issue that Republican law makers have to prepare for. They create a political conundrum for politicians who have to straddle between signing onto a conspiracy theory and alienating part of their base. Politico also claims that a birther leader has stated that Republican leaders are supporting them.
I haven't attended enough Republican townhall meetings to know if birthers are becoming a mainstay. Though, this particular confrontation has become a viral sensation.
It's very possible for a small group of people to look larger by simply being noisy. I doubt that "truthers" account for any more than a handful of the public at large and the Republican party. They can certainly appear more mainstream by showing up at townhall meetings like the video and speaking up.
What is clear is that the whole movement is nothing more than a corrosive cancer to the Republican party and conservatism in general. The more actual power and influence it gains the worse it is for the Republican party. Any mention of this conspiracy theory only goes to the perception that Republicans are unfairly attacking the president. Right now, the president is ready to implode all on his own.
The only thing that will save him is the implosion of his opponents. Being attached to this conspiracy theory is one way for the Republicans to implode. So, while I don't believe the movement is anything as large as the perception being created by Politico, the perception that they are infiltrating the party is something for leaders to be concerned about.
Party leaders are caught in a difficult position if media attention continues. Coming out forcefully against the conspiracy only gives it legitimacy. Saying nothing raises questions that they believe it as well. The best thing is for this movement to back under the same rock it was under until about a week ago. It's unlikely that current media attention will be anymore than a passing fad. So, the best thing to do is for everyone to ignore the current media attention and wait for it to go away. Hopefully, no one encourages these folks as that's the only thing that will keep them active.
Why do conservatives constantly jump through the liberal hoops to silence our own fringe extremists while Democrats and liberals encourage and support their fringe extremists?
ReplyDeleteI don't remember any Democrats or liberals condemning Code Pink. I don't remember any liberals saying we needed to put to bed or debunk the conspriacy theorists who insisted and continue to insist that George Bush was behind 9/11. In fact, they are still trying to indict him for war crimes. I don't remember any liberals trying to silence or rein in Cindy Sheehan.
They must be laughing themselves silly over all of the conservatives throwing other conservatives under the bus.
You are another conservative who is falling prey to Alinsky methods. Why are you doing the liberals' bidding?
Liberals: "Here is a gun, go shoot yourself".
Conservatives: "Thank you, I'll do it right away".
My point is, let the liberals deal with the birthers, we don't need to. They are ostensibly conservative.
When liberals start controlling their fringe exrremists, then we should do likewise. But, you know what? The liberals never, ever, ever disavow their extremists.
And in consequence, they have gotten a very extreme leftist not only into the Senate but the White House.
Stop attacking the most radical conservatives and try opposing liberals for a change.
Best regards,
Gail S
http://backyardfence.wordpress.com
The controversy exists because Obama has chosen to not reveal his birth certificate and put this to rest one way or another. Just using the term "birthers" reveals your political leanings. It is a legitimate beef and will cloud his presidency until he allows his birth certificate, and, indeed, all the other records he refuses to reveal. One would think he would simply say "here it is" instead of spending the amount he has in fighting it. Is that so hard for you to understand?
ReplyDeleteI see the birth certificate issue as just another oddity in a long string of mysteries surrounding Obama.
ReplyDeleteThings like referring to his Muslim faith on television, his reference to 57 states, his lack of college records, etc.
The Constitutionalists thank you for the free publicity by informing the public that the question of 0bama's eligibility remains unanswered.
ReplyDelete"In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution."
- Thomas Jefferson
"So, the best thing to do is for everyone to ignore the current media attention and wait for it to go away."
ReplyDeleteHey, it worked for Pelosi and the CIA!
It's not just the fact that he's refused to reveal the long form; it's that he's spending close to a million bucks fighting lawsuits about it. There's proof in that million-dollar pudding.
ReplyDeleteGail, am I to believe that you think the conservatives don't need to rein in their extremists because "the liberals are ALL extremists"?
ReplyDeleteBecause if so, I think you kinda forgot who won the 2008 election...
But I guess it must make you even more angry to think that the American people elected in a landslide a man you don't even think should have been allowed to run over a "real life American war hero(TM)".
Article two of the constitution, REQUIRES, that the president be a "Natural Born Citizen". A natural born citizen = born in the USA of two (2) US citizen parents. The release of his long form birth certificate, his college records, passport records, etc. are needed in order to prove or disprove his elegibility. The birther movement is not republican, democrat, independent, left or right, it is a movement of "WE THE PEOPLE" of which you are one of. The original birthers where concerned that McCain was not a natural born citizen, because he was born in Panama. Congress addressed this issue with resolution 511, declaring that because he was born of two (2) US citizen parents and the area was a US controlled territory, he is a natural born citizen.
ReplyDeleteI believe they are wrong, but at least McCain released all of his records.
Obama was one of the signers of this resolution.
We need Obama to release his records, just as McCain did when asked.
Is it legal and ethical for Obama to use his campaign funds to pay his attorneys to defend against the dozens of lawsuits claiming he is not a natural born citizen?
The Certification of Live Bith, which the Obama campaign posted on the internet, is not a Certificate of Birth. It is a registration of birth, which means, they have an original birth certificate on file.
The questions were there before the election, the media chose not to investigate them. The questions will be answered. when they are,.....I hope it isn't too late.
"The state of Hawaii says that the form in question is no longer available because the state went paperless about seven years ago and that form is no longer on file."
ReplyDeleteJanice Okubo, the Communications Officer for the Hawaii Department of Health, has been quoted as saying, "I am not aware of any birth certificate records that have been destroyed by the department. When the department went electronic in 2001, vital records, whether in paper form or any other form, [were] maintained. We don't destroy records."
She explained that, "Any records that we had in paper or any other form before 2001 are still in file within the department. We have not destroyed any vital statistics records that we have."
Don't you think that there is a serious contradiction between your assertion and the statement made by the Communications Officer for the Hawaii Department of Health?
There is so much ambiguity,evasion or plain untruth at this point that it is quite clear that this particular controversy is not going away any time soon.
OH God!
ReplyDeleteYour post sure has invited the nuts out of the woodwork.
Go away.
You born in Hawaii, Kenya, us whatever. we have no problem.
ReplyDeleteI see your birth certificate and i say you are the legal president of America.