Howard Fineman: Playing With Fire - Will the Birthers Help or Hurt Obama?

Newsweek ^ | July 28, 2009 | Howard Fineman

[cripplecreek]

Dogs that do bark tend to bite as well.

[cynwoody]

They believe the federal government is an illegitimate conspiracy to "take up the guns," to tax income that should be beyond reach, to open the borders to illegal immigrants, to—and this is an old notion that still has resonance—"mix the races."

Couldn't resist playing the race card, could you, Howie, you libtard scum.

[xzins]

They wouldn’t respond about the birthers if there weren’t a reason to respond.

They can kill the birther movement in an instant by showing the original birth certificate.

[jcmfreedom]

I choose not to sit back and watch for the next 3 1/2 years. Obama and his thugs are dangerous to the very fiber of this country. I’m going to be in the face of every politician, every person who backs this corrupt system. Those 35-44 czars are going to undercut every elected person in Congress. Where did the money go in the first bail out? Who is watching Acorn and the 361 branches of it?

[comebacknewt]

I've gone back and forth on the Birther issue. The piece of evidence that makes me think he probably was born in Hawaii is the birth announcement in the newspaper.

Can anyone explain that one away for me?

Regardless, I think it is obvious that Obama has something he is trying to hide in those documents. I sure would love to know what it is and think he should release the long form birth certificate and passport immediately.

[Sir Beowolf]

It will help the O, Because it can not be proved.
Massive blockage on the COLB even by the One.
Even if was in the States, Was it checked....White Male?

[Brad from Tennessee]

I was listening the Don Imus the other morning. He had Jeff Greenfield of CBS on. Greenfield was going on about the Birthers. Imus asked him, “Where's the birth certificate?” Greenfield said, “It's been posted.” Imus said,”Will you mail me a copy of it?” Greenfield changed the subject.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

There's nothing wrong with Americans going after Obama's birth certificate and simultaneously helping conservative Republicans try to halt Obama's socialist policies.

I don't really care if the media or Dems call us wackos or birthers. You need to remember that these people are going to hate us no matter what, which is why they're trying to split the Republicans away from the movement by having them denounce us. This is the same tactic they did to Rush - hoping that Republicans denounce Limbaugh to alienate conservatives away.

[MadIsh32]

Exactly!

Look, the White House could not dream of a better scenario

You know why Karl Rove wanted to run against Howard Dean in 2004? Because all of his supporters were CRAZY and appeared CRAZY

The birthers have been labeled, fair or unfair, as crazy racists by 95 percent of this country

What is the Rahm WH trying to do? Keep the distraction playing over and over and over. They’ll ride this thing till 2012 if they can

[Sir Beowolf]

Lindsey from South Carolina

[struggle]

To all those who think this article is worthless:

1. It’s a major media source.
2. You think the average joe will trust the gov’t over people nowadays?

[joejm65]

Explain away the birth notice? The people who assume the birth notice is some kind of evidence that supports Nobie being born in Hawaii are assuming that Zero was actually born on 8/4. Zero himself made a reference to being alive during the Bay of Pigs, which happened (I believe) in April of the year he was born. To me, the birth announcement never proved anything.

[MadIsh32]

The prove to me where he actually was born, and what day that was.

Not his step grandmother’s alleged testimony

[Tribune7]

It is very clear the White House and the media want to keep playing this up

The thing to do is to say

You know, it is really weird how Obama is fighting the release of records that would clear it up, college aid applications and such, but it is certainly not our priority to remove him from office.

Why, we think he's natural born it just really strange how he fights to keep Occidental or Hawaii from releasing information.

Hey, didn't Illinois release stuff about that Ryan guy and knock him out of the senate race? I mean Obama didn't object to that. How come he's not letting Occidental release information?

We think he's natural born, really we do, we just think he's being really weird and a bad leader and setting a bad example about fighting the release of information that would clear up this silliness.

I mean why fight it?

But our priorities aren't to remove him from office on the claim of him not being natural born -- I mean I'm sure there is a logical explanation for him not releasing his records and all -- but to keep him from destroying our military and health care system and the economy.

We just think it's strange he's fighting the release of records.

[buccaneer81]

enough of the birthers...reminds me of all the fuss about a girl who scratched a B on her face.

Really? Was $1 million in legal fees spent in an attempt to discredit her?

[mel]

I wish all citizens would read your post

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

You really believe it's good strategy for the Zero Administration to call a huge majority of the nation kooks and wackos?

Do you realize how many Obama supporters are now having 2nd thoughts? This is a huge PR blow for them because now people are talking about it thanks to the lapdog media fanning the flames.

I don't care if the media/Dems call us names. They're not going to support us anyway.

Do you want to save the Republic or not???

[MHGinTN]

I’m of the opinion that the announcement copies are fraudulent and may actually be plaed into the microfiche where the Nordyke twins were listed in 1961. Only a valid newspaper from that day for either of the papers will expose such a fraud now. But if you look carefully at the images of the announcements, neither is pristine the way above and below several lines other listings appear.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

The piece of evidence that makes me think he probably was born in Hawaii is the birth announcement in the newspaper.

Anyone can call in a birth announcement. Doesn't prove anything.

[muddler]

Dang, I agree with every single thing about you.

Except this.