So back when Obama first announced his intentions to run for President of the US, a fringe group of people suggested that he was born in Kenya and was not actually able to run for president. Obama released his birth certificate, Clinton, McCain, and the Republican Governor of Hawaii all verified it and accepted the proof, bam, problem solved. I didn't really hear anything major about it again for a while. I chuckled a little everytime I saw someone mention it because I was sure than in more than a few cases, it was just someone trying to be funny, and the other cases were just the lunatic fringe rabble rousing, similar to the truthers. But this month, birthermania has heated up again for some reason. I am absolutely confused at where this is all coming from again suddenly.

">For example. Woman goes nuts on a congressman, screaming about Obama's birth certificate. When she finished I expected the crowd to laugh at her, but instead it goes full retard and... applauds... with loud screams and clapping. I mean wow. Then the congressman actually says that Obama is a citizen, and the crowd starts booing him... what the hell? Now it seems everywhere I go, the newsmedia is reporting on the "controversey" behind Obama's birthplace. There's even some moron offering $100,000 for "proof" that Obama was born in America, except he won't accept the Birth certificate as proof. Last week Rush Limbaugh even joined in the insanity with this gem: "Barack Obama has yet to have to prove that he's a citizen. All he has to do is show a birth certificate. He has yet to have to prove he's a citizen. I have to show them 14 different ways where the hell I am every day of the year for three years.". I always knew Limbaugh was crazy, I just didn't think he was padded-wall crazy. So why is this suddenly becoming an issue again? Why are there so many people who suddenly, beyond all rational thought, believe that Obama is an illegal Kenyan immigrant? Is this going to cause some insane nut out there to try to assassinate him, reasoning that he's being patriotic and killing an illegal president? Furthermore, why isn't the Republican party leadership putting any effort into distancing themselves from these nutjobs?

Three words:

Public health issue.


It nearly destroyed the Clintons. I was quite surprised to see Hilary Clinton publicly in favor of it again.

Quote: why isn't the Republican party leadership putting any effort into distancing themselves from these nutjobs?

Same as above. Reagen was one of the biggest opponents of public health care in America, and the current HMO system was developed by Nixon. The Republican party also has a lot to lose if Obama proves himself to be capable of anything. It would forever cement his public image as an Archangel Superstar. But I think the fact that he's making another push to involve the Government in health care makes him an even bigger target.

Not sure I see a link between not believing in public health care and believing that Obama is an illegal kenyan immigrant...

I was thinking more along the lines of reasons of why the Republican-sympathetic media would pick hairs. Even if Obama was born in Kenya, it is a pretty small issue, he lived most of his life as an American citizen.

Quote: Original post by WazzatMan
I was thinking more along the lines of reasons of why the Republican-sympathetic media would pick hairs. Even if Obama was born in Kenya, it is a pretty small issue, he lived most of his life as an American citizen.

It's actually a very big deal if it were true. The constitution requires the president to be a natural born citizen.

As for the all the hoopla, I attribute it to there being relatively little real news at the moment, general right-wing extremist dingbattery, and I'll toss in the race card just for good measure. Nobody can pour on the slathering, flag-draped hate like those guys, just look at how everything negative (from the neo-con point of view) in the entire world was blamed on Clinton pretty much until the instant Obama won, now it's his turn.

Quote: Original post by Anon Mike

Quote: Original post by WazzatMan
I was thinking more along the lines of reasons of why the Republican-sympathetic media would pick hairs. Even if Obama was born in Kenya, it is a pretty small issue, he lived most of his life as an American citizen.

It's actually a very big deal if it were true. The constitution requires the president to be a natural born citizen.

Which is an idiotic concept for a nation that is 99% immigrant family lines. Also, isn't that a fairly new addition to the USA's Constitution?

Quote: It's actually a very big deal if it were true. The constitution requires the president to be a natural born citizen.

While true, under normal circumstances people would have generally calmed down when the original certificate was released. Normal people wouldn't actually be that enraged by it, unless there was something deeper fanning their flames, or someone in the media fanning their flames.

Quote: Original post by Mithrandir
So why is this suddenly becoming an issue again? Why are there so many people who suddenly, beyond all rational thought, believe that Obama is an illegal Kenyan immigrant?

One thing that racists have become exceptionally good at is encoding their prejudice.

For a lot of the birthers, it seems the "he's an immigrant" bit is really just code for "he's strange and foreign," which is code for "black," coupled with the handful of crazies who genuinely believe it.

It's also a great blocking topic - you might recall the single-minded obsessive compulsive disorder the congressional Republicans exhibited over Clinton's marital infidelity. Whenever you're in an argument, you can subvert having actual discussion by bringing up this irrelevant topic and watching as people are innately drawn to it.

It's getting picked up in the media lately because for whatever reason the news cycle has settled on it. As the news cycle gives it more exposure, they'll pick up more people who think they're super clever by hiding their racism behind yelling about Obama's "birth certificate." Think about what happened with the 9/11 truthers when their conspiracy theories actually got exposure in the media.

Since it's actually getting followers, people like Limbaugh are picking it up and running with it in the absence of anything else to quickly unify the party faithful around.

Quote: Original post by Talroth

Quote: Original post by Anon Mike

Quote: Original post by WazzatMan
I was thinking more along the lines of reasons of why the Republican-sympathetic media would pick hairs. Even if Obama was born in Kenya, it is a pretty small issue, he lived most of his life as an American citizen.

It's actually a very big deal if it were true. The constitution requires the president to be a natural born citizen.

Which is an idiotic concept for a nation that is 99% immigrant family lines. Also, isn't that a fairly new addition to the USA's Constitution?

Nah that was in there when it was ratified. It's kind of old. For all I care it could be removed. It's not like some random dictator from another country is going to get voted into office. Just put down "No British Citizens". Don't want any revenge annexations. :P

Quote: For a lot of the birthers, it seems the "he's an immigrant" bit is really just code for "he's strange and foreign," which is code for "black," coupled with the handful of crazies who genuinely believe it.

You don't think they're going to accuse Obama of being black?!