It used to be tough and unrewarding to be a crank. You had to communicate by inky mimeograph. The big media monopolies refused to accept your calls. Your neighbors ignored you or laughed at you.
How that has changed! Modern communication technology has empowered cranks, enabling them to build entire virtual crank communities. It has multiplied the number of media outlets — and thus the number of hours to fill — creating new crank opportunities on radio and television.
Among the greatest beneficiaries of these new opportunities: the cranks known as “birthers.” The birthers claim that U.S. President Barack Obama is not legally entitled to occupy his office because he is not in fact a “natural-born citizen” of the United States, as the federal Constitution requires.
This claim rests on two assertions, one wrong, one crazy.
The wrong assertion is that Obama is not “a natural-born” citizen because his father was not a U.S. citizen. People born on American soil are American citizens, full stop, regardless of their parents’ status in the country. The phrase “natural-born” means that a president cannot be an immigrant himself, not that his parents cannot be immigrants. Nobody imagined that Chester Arthur was ineligible for the presidency because his father was born in Ireland.
The crazy assertion is that Obama himself was born somewhere other than the United States. (The place of birth is usually given as Mombasa, Kenya, although in fact the city of Mombasa was not ceded to Kenya until two years after Obama’s birth: Until then, the city had belonged to British-ruled Zanzibar.) The birth certificate showing Obama born in Honolulu is, the birthers claim, a forgery or a fake.
So here’s the hypothesis. Barack Obama Sr. has brought his new wife to Kenya. (A journey for which there is precisely zero documentation.) There, she bears him a child. Then — in an era before jet travel and at a time when plane fares cost many, many times more than they do now — she immediately gets on a plane from Mombasa to Nairobi, then another plane from Nairobi to Cairo, then a third from Cairo to London, then from London to Gander, Gander to maybe Chicago, Chicago to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Honolulu. Arriving in Honolulu she presents her — what? two-week old infant? — to the authorities and asks for a birth certificate. Oh — and she also retroactively places birth announcements in the local papers.
There’s an alternative hypothesis, which is that the fake happened sometime later, after Barack Obama Jr. immigrated illegally to Honolulu. Some deep penetration agent in the Hawaiian Department of Vital Statistics generated a false certificate sometime between 1961 and 2008 with a view to sneakily inserting a black man with an exotic name into the Oval Office. Good plan!
The idea is so over-the-line nuts that it has been repudiated even by commentators who are themselves borderline nuts.
And yet, it would not be accurate to refer to birtherism as “fringe politics.”
Some recent survey data:
- Twenty-eight percent of Republicans think Obama was not born in the United States, and another 30% say they are not sure, according to a Research 2000 poll commissioned by the left-wing website Daily Kos.
- The pollster who performed the Research 2000 poll broke down the numbers by region for Dave Weigel of the Washington Independent. Approximately 70% of white Southerners don’t know or don’t believe that Obama was born in the United States.
- A poll released on Aug. 6 by the very reliable Pew Center finds that 39% of Republicans — a plurality among respondents — think there has been “too little” coverage of the birth certificate issue.
If that’s the fringe, it’s an awfully large fringe.
It should be noted that an equally disturbing proportion of Democrats were willing to entertain the idea that the Bush administration somehow “knew” about the 9/11 attacks: Thirty-five percent of Democrats asserted that Bush “knew” and another 26% were “not sure” in a 2007 Rasmussen poll.
The poor phrasing of the Rasmussen question muddled two different ideas: The harsh but not paranoid view that Bush negligently failed to heed intelligence warnings — and the truly loony paranoid view that Bush was somehow complicit in the attacks.
The birther survey data is more explicit. The white Southern base of the GOP strongly doubts the legality of the 2008 election and the legitimacy of the man elected. They see him as alien, foreign and suspect.
Is this mistrust racial? It sure looks that way. But there’s something else going on too: the trauma of a society adjusting to mass migration, 40-million newcomers since 1970. The people responding to the polls may be thinking: OK, maybe it’s legal for the President’s father to be a non-citizen from Kenya. But it shouldn’t be — the president should have deeper roots in the country than can be sunk in a single generation.
Or maybe all this reflects an even more basic trouble in modern media democracy: With cable blaring 24/7 and the Internet distributing rumors faster than thought and Facebook creating digital enclaves of like-minded networks across the planet — maybe we’ve all lost some of our immunity to lunacy.
Originally published in the National Post.
23 responses so far
1 ottovbvs // Aug 9, 2009 at 10:30 am
ireign // Aug 9, 2009 at 10:10 am
“Please stop giving this story more attention than this deserves.”
……..Are you kidding…..this cow is long out of the barn…….in the scheme of things it’s just another of the right wing nonsenses ranging from Obama as marxist/nazi to FEMA re-education camps……..until the leadership of the GOP step up to the plate there’s no way this is going to stop…….Yesterday it was Michelle Obama as black panther (ummmm….that alleged tape never did appear did it?) and today it’s Obama’s birth…….at bottom much of this is racism as David suggests and indeed as numerous other incidents have demonstrated racism is well nigh endemic in the the Southern GOP……many Republicans(including some posting here) are unconcerned about this because they’ve written off the black vote but in the multi ethnic society America is increasingly becoming it’s fatal in the long term…….there’s no doubt in my mind as David has previously said that the GOP is in the grip of a virus (which he himself played a part in importing btw) and there’s only one way that’s going to be eradicated at that’s at the ballot box
2 anniemargret // Aug 9, 2009 at 11:21 am
Ditto that, Otto.
Yesterday at a town hall meeting, Congressman John Sullivan (R), OK, said:
“This is a scary time in Washington,” he said. “It’s a very frightening time. I see Barack Obama is creating an enemies list of people who oppose this miserable health care plan. I think that’s frightening. That’s from a guy that can’t even show a long-form birth certificate. I think we all ought to be prepared to fight that.”
What Republicans are in denial about is that this typical comment is not just coming from the wing-nut bloviators on the right, the Sarah “Obama is Evil” Palin, but also much more seriously from Congressmen/women in their party.
Recently after Rush Limbaugh made a despicable comment regarding President Obama and Hitler on his talk show, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R) was called upon by the National Jewish Democratic Council to repudiate this remark, Cantor fudged. Earlier however, just prior to this event when asked about Limbaugh’s usual extremist rhetoric, Cantor replied, “…more Limbaugh’s are needed in the GOP.”
This is deeply entrenched meme for Republicanism, and it is exacerbated and upheld by the very voices that should be refraining from it. One of the primary reasons why Obama beat out all the other presidential candidates was his supreme ability to speak not only articulately and intelligently, but also his more important ability to refrain from divisive and culture-baiting politics.
3 ottovbvs // Aug 9, 2009 at 11:40 am
anniemargret // Aug 9, 2009 at 11:21 am
……….I can only endorse what you say….the GOP establishment (that includes David) let the Morlocks out of the basement because they were electorally useful but now they have taken over the house and are using the antique panelling and books as firewood and the corner of the library as a bathroom……….Some of the morlocks actually got elected and are going off the reservation (Sullivan and Bachmann are typical examples) while the drummers like Limbaugh and Beck who are only in it for the money keep the morlock masses well plied with liquor…….the leadership doesn’t know what the heck to do so one day they endorse Morlock activity and the next day try to distance themselves from it. But most of the time they clam up, cover their eyes and hope it will all go away. I won’t of course, it’s gone way, way beyond that which is why irreign’s comment is totally unrealistic…….the leadership show no signs of wanting to bring this under control so ultimately the only thing that does is defeat at the ballot box which will force a reassessment and a tack back to the middle……..this is going to take some time
4 rbottoms // Aug 9, 2009 at 11:54 am
Will that malarkey never die?
The stunning number includes people who are well aware that Richard Clarke warned Bush about an impending Bin Laden attack, and that the administration failed to act on it.
Hence, Bush “knew”.
That is in no way, shape, or form comparable to the birther nutcase delusions.
5 ottovbvs // Aug 9, 2009 at 12:06 pm
rbottoms // Aug 9, 2009 at 11:54 am
…….you have to remember there’s a cottage industry devoted to finding “equivalence” for whacky conservative behavior…..hence we have battalions of SEIU “brownshirts” (do they work for UPS?) showing up to beat up innocent tea baggers intent on only quietly asking questions at townhall meetings……this is one sick party
6 Tommy Boy // Aug 9, 2009 at 1:40 pm
http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2009/08/birthers-in-virginia.html
“Only 53% of Virginians planning to vote in this fall’s election for Governor think that Barack Obama was born in the United States, while 24% think he was not, and 24% are unsure.”
http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2009/08/obama-in-virginia.html
“Barack Obama’s approval rating in Virginia is down to 42% among likely voters for this fall’s election, while 51% disapprove of him. That’s a strong decline from a positive 48/46 spread a month ago. And only 14% of voters in the likely electorate say a visit from him will make them more likely to vote for Creigh Deeds, while 37% say it will make them less likely to do so.”
7 Tommy Boy // Aug 9, 2009 at 1:43 pm
It’s hard to see from the data that I have just linked from a swing state how exactly these “birthers” are hurting the party.
1. McDonnell leads Deeds by a mile by making the race about Obama.
2. Obama is very unpopular right now in a state he won with 52% of the vote.
3. Sarah Palin is twice as popular with her base as Obama is with his base.
http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/08/the_invisible_primary_85.php
“According to a Public Policy Polling survey (automated, via telephone), Virginians say they’d react better to Sarah Palin campaigning for a candidate in their state than to President Obama doing the same.”
8 Tommy Boy // Aug 9, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Here’s the data from another state won by Barack Obama:
http://twitter.com/ppppolls/status/3133977742
“plenty of birthers in nc too: so far 65 say Obama born in US, 53 say no, 38 not sure. 133 says Hawaii is part of US, 9 say no, 11 not sure”
PPP will be polling Colorado or Arizona next week. So we’ll get a good view of whether the birthers are as successful with their efforts outside of Southern swing states such as North Carolina and Virginia (where Obama is very unpopular as you can see from the data that I have linked to above regarding Virginia).
9 ottovbvs // Aug 9, 2009 at 2:08 pm
tommy-boy // Aug 9, 2009 at 1:43 pm
“According to a Public Policy Polling survey (automated, via telephone), Virginians say they’d react better to Sarah Palin campaigning for a candidate in their state than to President Obama doing the same.”
………I hope she does campaign in the state for the Republican candidate I really do……has the GOP candidate invited her since she’s soooooo popular …….I’m sure he resides as much faith in this poll as you obviously do
10 ottovbvs // Aug 9, 2009 at 2:13 pm
1 ireign // Aug 9, 2009 at 10:10 am
9 tommy-boy // Aug 9, 2009 at 1:45 pm
……….Interesting dichotomy between to kool aiders……irreign want’s to kill this story whereas tommy-boy quoting a very iffy poll by the sound of it wants full speed ahead……I’m sure you’ll get your wish tommy and I couldn’t be happier……the sooner the GOP is totally identified with idiocy the sooner the defeats can happen and recovery begin.
11 Tommy Boy // Aug 9, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Otto,
Is now PPP(D) biased and in the tank for Republicans just as Rasmussen? PPP(D) only was the most accurate state-by-state pollster in the 2008 general election, just as Rasmussen was one of the most accurate pollsters for the general election nationally.
How many polls are irrelevant to you guys now? Do you ever cite any data to provide support for your proposition? Take a look at the poll and learn something.
12 barker13 // Aug 9, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Re: Ireign // Aug 9, 2009 at 10:10 am –
“If Frum were truly committed to rebuilding the Republican party and winning elections…”
He’s NOT.
(*SIGH*)
Ireign. Com’on. We ALL know “who” Frum is and “what” Frum is all about.
We apparently enjoy debating with each other (well, I do at least) so we “tolerate” Frum. By and large Frum and his “contributors” simply provide the binding to the “book” which is NM.com. We – the posters – are the “story” itself.
“Frum has clearly tried to put his own interests…”
Duh! (*GRIN*) I mean… what else is new…??? Com’on… you and I might rub each other the wrong way at times… heck, all of us have been known to “get in each others faces” to one extent or another over time… but Frum CONSISTENTLY gives off that smarmy weasel vibe; you can almost imagine the limp, slightly sweaty handshake, that Los Angeles “they smile in your face, the back stabbers” vibe.
(*SHRUG*)
BILL
13 Tommy Boy // Aug 9, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Otto,
McDonnell has welcomed her to campaign but the data suggests that she’s not needed. McDonnell is defeating Deeds by a mile because he’s effectively running against Barack Obama according to the pundits. It’s a smart move for McDonnell to make Deeds have to defend someone who is very unpopular in the state of Virginia. Obama isn’t going to show up for Deeds anywhere outside of Northern Virginia, a region that Deeds should already have nailed down.
14 ottovbvs // Aug 9, 2009 at 4:06 pm
tommy-boy // Aug 9, 2009 at 2:14 pm
“Is now PPP(D) biased and in the tank for Republicans just as Rasmussen? PPP(D) only was the most accurate state-by-state pollster in the 2008 general election, just as Rasmussen was one of the most accurate pollsters for the general election nationally.”
………Did I say the poll was biassed? All I did was question the methodology of automated phone polls which I think is highly suspect conceptually but you’re completely free to believe them. I simply don’t know enough about this race or this poll to get into a detailed argument about it so you can demonstrate how clever you are and I don’t think it’s worth the effort to correct these deficiencies……Sorry……..As for Rassmussen he is considered somewhat suspect by both the folks at Pollster and Nate Silver which sends up some red flags for me and speaking from memory I seem to remember in the run up to November he consistently had Obama underperforming people like Gallup, CBS, WSJ and then miraculously in the last ten days he closed the gap which perhaps indicates something
15 ottovbvs // Aug 9, 2009 at 4:08 pm
tommy-boy // Aug 9, 2009 at 2:18 pm
“McDonnell is defeating Deeds by a mile because he’s effectively running against Barack Obama according to the pundits. ”
………..which pundits would they be?…..no prizes for guessing
16 Tommy Boy // Aug 9, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Nate Silver? Let me educate you about what he said about Rasmussen:
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/tracking-poll-primer.html
“In summation, none of these tracking polls are perfect, although Rasmussen — with its large sample size and high pollster rating — would probably be the one I’d want with me on a desert island. Conversely, the only one of the trackers that I consider obviously dubious is Zogby.”
17 Tommy Boy // Aug 9, 2009 at 5:31 pm
“………..which pundits would they be?…..no prizes for guessing”
See the other thread for the links I have provided to support my assertion that McDonnell is making the race about Barack Obama.
18 Geoff C // Aug 9, 2009 at 5:36 pm
ireign // Aug 9, 2009 at 10:10 am
“Please stop giving this story more attention than this deserves. ”
I think this is exactly the attention that it deserves. Crackpot theories need to be publicly denounced by Republican politicians and pundits. Everyone thinks this stuff is crazy but the GOP insiders don’t deny it for some reason. Look at Limbaugh, its the same thing and its time conservatives put a lid on their crazy fringe theories, the way that they are publicly denounced on the left.
19 ottovbvs // Aug 9, 2009 at 6:04 pm
tommy-boy // Aug 9, 2009 at 5:31 pm
“………..which pundits would they be?…..no prizes for guessing”
See the other thread for the links I have provided to support my assertion that McDonnell is making the race about Barack Obama
…….They are all from conservative pundits or journalists quoting Republican sources…….I don’t dispute the Republicans are framing it that way and very offten the media goes along they framed was it NY 20 that way until they lost then it was nothing to do with national issues……You’re welcome to proselytize just don’t expect the rest of us to believe it
20 MajMike // Aug 9, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Y’know, Idon’t know if Obama was born in the US or not but why the coverup? Just produce a birth certificate with a state seal ( y’know like the one I have to provide to the Dept. of Motor Vehicles when I get a driver’s license in a new state). To an old vet, this smells ‘fishey’ to me. ….perhaps I should report it?
21 midcon // Aug 9, 2009 at 10:22 pm
yeah, major mike and as an ex-marine you would think that you understood that there is no law that requires politicians to provide such evidence. And it appears that you have never movde to another state and had to get a driver’s licence or you would know that in most states (maybe all, I did not bother to check) all you need is a valid licence from your old state. Your status as a vet smells “fishey” to me.
22 Koso // Aug 10, 2009 at 8:54 am
I have just returned from a 3 month travel through Africa and you know what they call the Republican part. A third world country! Yes, we have become a thrid world country because we will do anything to win a election or destroy one. They do it becuase government is the only sure way to riches. What is our reason?
23 ottovbvs // Aug 10, 2009 at 8:59 am
……..Of course you don’t need a birth certificate when you get a driving license in a new state…..I’ve had five different state licenses and not produced a certificate yet…..I did to get a passport though…..Perhaps Obama hasn’t got a passport …….and there is a birth certificate out there…..the fruitcakes just don’t accept it……because they are not interested in accepting anything….at the end of the day it’s a mixture of racism and political partisanship……I hope they keep it up it makes the GOP look like a bunch of alien abductionists.
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