Why the stories about Obama's birth certificate will never die

Salon ^ | December 5, 2008 | Alex Koppelman

[Aliska]

Dec. 5, 2008 | Barack Obama can't be president: He wasn't really born in Hawaii, and the certification of live birth his campaign released is a forgery. He was born in Kenya. Or maybe Indonesia. Or, wait, maybe he was born in Hawaii -- but that doesn't matter, since he was also a British citizen at birth because of his father, and you can't be a "natural-born citizen" in that case. (But then, maybe his "father" wasn't really his father; maybe his real dad was an obscure communist poet. Or Malcolm X.)

[Aliska]

OK, here's the other side of it. Please read the entire article at the link, and if you have points against it to make, please do so. I can see only a coupld things I might question based on things I've read and seen on the web. My mind is not made up either way.

I'm just the messenger here, so you don't have to post all your responses to me, but talk to each other.

[Aliska]

ping

[library user]

...but talk to each other.

"Stop it - I'm getting veclempt!"

[fr_freak]

Obama has the power to make all of this go away right now, but he won’t show his birth certificate. He is causing this problem, not the evil right-wingers.

[Mojave]

He was born in Kenya. Or maybe Indonesia. Or, wait, maybe he was born in Hawaii

What's his birth certificate say? Oh, yeah, that's right - he refuses to release it.

[LucyT]

Thank you, Aliska. Brown Deer, we’ve missed you, and your great posts.

Ping.

[ChildOfThe60s]

You might think these rumors would have died off after Obama produced proof in June that he was, in fact, born in Hawaii to an American citizen, his mother, Ann, or after Hawaii state officials confirmed in October that he was born there.

This is simple obfuscation. I, for one, am not accusing BO of anything other than refusing to present proof of birth. Which, despite the protests of this writer, he has not. Also, proof is not taking someone else's word for it. A Hawaii official can say anything he pleases. Doesn't make it so. A BC makes it so, which again, we have not seen.

[muawiyah]

Poor Alex Koppelman. He should have just left it at "....(the) controversy isn't going to go away....".

He added nothing, and negated anything positive in what he said when he went on to cite Factcheck.org ~ NO ONE, not even his closest cronies, trusts that site anymore.

Given any controversy whatsoever, if it has the capacity to make a different candidate President, it's going to be litigated ~ and that has been true ever since the Algore sought to litigate his way into the White House, first by sending in lawyers to stop Florida election clerks from counting absentee ballots received from military personnel serving overseas, and then by bring suit to count all disputed votes in his favor until he had a majority of the votes (in Florida).

It was a precedent ~ the Democrats created the precedent ~ now they'll have to live with it, and people like Alex Keppelman should take their complaint to the Algore, not to us.

[nufsed]

If the court doesn't uphold the constitution, I am having my birth certificate scanned onto my t-shirt with the words Natural Born. Just to wear on political occasions.

[Nitro]

Of course the MSM would never touch this story, but if there was any traction to the tale O'Reilly or Hannity would have brought it to the fore.

It should be addressed, but it is most likely a non-starter.

The consensus says, if he has one just show it and end the speculation, but .............

as we know the demonrats would love a big "Ta - Da" moment.

Besides, even if he aint..............

God save us from Joe "I wish I said that" Biden.

[Aliska]

Stop it - I'm getting veclempt!

LOL.

[plain talk]

but that doesn't matter, since he was also a British citizen at birth because of his father, and you can't be a "natural-born citizen" in that case.

I'm sick of this crap. IF he was born in Hawaii it doesn't matter where his parents were born or their citizenship - he would be natural born citizen. The question is was he really born in Hawaii?

[Mojave]

The consensus says, if he has one just show it and end the speculation

You gotta give the ink time to dry.

[BenLurkin]

But then, maybe his "father" wasn't really his father; maybe his real dad was an obscure communist poet. Or Malcolm X.)

What are tehy suggesting -- that Stanley was a slut?

[LucyT]

lol

That’s such a good idea, probably you can make a fortune selling them, too.

[outofstyle]

"There's no amount of evidence or data that will change somebody's mind," says Michael Shermer, .... "The more data you present a person, the more they doubt it ... Once you're committed, especially behaviorally committed or financially committed, the more impossible it becomes to change your mind."

This may be true in some cases. However, in this case there has not been much supporting data offered. I believe if the original birth certificate were presented and judged by most experts to be valid, and if a plausible explanation of Obama's status while in Indonesia was offered, the issue would be virtually dead. The author may be correct that there would remain some committed conspiritorialists like the 911 deniers. However, if the data are not presented, Obama's presidential legitimacy will always be in question.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

This story ain’t ever gunna go away...:0/

[LiberConservative]

It will never die for 2 reasons:
1. We won’t let it.
2. BO won’t settle it because he can’t.
Said it. Done.

[Aliska]

Obama has the power to make all of this go away right now

Not necessarily, because while I never questioned it until it came up on the web, how do I know what is true and not a forgery? I have NO proof he is not a NB citizen. Neither do I have ANY proof that he is not a NB citizen.

Did it not first come out on Kos? Isn't that a little odd? Still it doesn't prove anything.

[LucyT]

that Stanley was a slut?

That's been suggested several times. Did you see those nude photos of Stanley Ann?