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The GOP and the Birther Trap
Opinion Journal ^ | April 14, 2011 | Peter Wehner

Posted on 04/14/2011 3:57:11 AM PDT by Jim Noble

Thanks to Donald Trump—real-estate mogul, reality-TV star, and possible candidate for the Republican presidential nomination—a fringe conspiracy theory is now front and center in American politics: the claim that President Barack Obama might not be a natural-born American citizen.

By focusing on Mr. Obama's birth certificate, Mr. Trump has garnered a lot of attention and some support. According to the latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, among Republicans he is now tied with Mike Huckabee as the most popular prospective GOP presidential nominee. If responsible Republicans don't speak out immediately against Mr. Trump's gambit, it will do substantial damage both to their party and to American politics...

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: certifigate; gop; kenyan; naturalborncitizen; obots
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You need a subscription to read the whole thing, but that's not why I'm posting. By paragraph 2, this Bush insider already raises the specter of "responsible Republicans", and the "damage" that will happen if this question (by Trump) is not immediately shut down.

Wehner joins Rove and all of the usual suspects in an histrionic wail about all the damage that will follow such questioning, and how "irresponsible" it is.

The fact that all of these people are so afraid is the most convincing evidence that there's something to all of this. WHY ARE THEY SO AFRAID? WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF, EXACTLY? AND WHY ARE "RESPONSIBLE REPUBLICANS" LEADING THE CHARGE???

1 posted on 04/14/2011 3:57:13 AM PDT by Jim Noble
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The elites against the people. Nothing more, nothing less.


2 posted on 04/14/2011 4:02:01 AM PDT by Cololeo
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To: Jim Noble

HILLARY CLINTON STARTED THE WHOLE THING SO SHE IS THE LEADING NUT JOB WHY DONT WE HEAR THAT?


3 posted on 04/14/2011 4:06:01 AM PDT by ballplayer
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To: Jim Noble

“WHY ARE THEY SO AFRAID? WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF, EXACTLY? AND WHY ARE “RESPONSIBLE REPUBLICANS” LEADING THE CHARGE??”

Because they want to shove Mittens down our throats, IMO.

A couple months ago, some pol-pundit “prophesied” that the GOP nominee would be a “dark horse who came out of nowhere”.

FWIW.


4 posted on 04/14/2011 4:06:37 AM PDT by Salamander (Insolence.....I has it.)
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To: Jim Noble

Responsible Republicans need to re-frame it as “why does this man work so hard to hide his past?”


5 posted on 04/14/2011 4:07:05 AM PDT by gusopol3
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To: Jim Noble
Well this Republican insider is mischaracterizing Trump's statements.

Trump has only said that something fishy is going on in regard to Obama's birth certificate-- and that is undeniable to anyone who is paying attention (even Chris Matthews). Trump has NOT said that Obama was born abroad-- because he, like most of us, simply don't know the truth.

I am like Trump here. I wanted to dismiss the "birthers," but facts are stubborn things. Something is rotten in the State of Hawaii.

6 posted on 04/14/2011 4:08:02 AM PDT by Lysandru
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To: Jim Noble

Obama’s failure to prove his eligibity is what helped Trump when he grabbed the issue and ran with it because other possible candidates ignored it until he started running with it.

The question should not be why is Trump running with it, the question should be why did Boehner and the Republican controlled Congress drop the ball and allow for Trump to pick it up?

You know, we voted in 2010 and we won Congress. Boehner could call for hearings on this just like the democrats ordered hearings on McCain’s eligibility (for having been born in Panama on a US Military base). I don’t think we can blame the American people or Republicans for their doubts that the President of the United States is legit.

There is a way for this to be a non-issue in 2012. And that’s to verify Obama’s eligibility right now. I mean, that’s not asking for much. It’s only been 3 years. Why wait? Look! This would not have been an issue and Trump would not be as high in the polls that he is now if:

#1) It were taken care of before Obama became President

or

#2) It were taken care of once the Republicans gained control of Congress.

or

#3) Sarah Palin or some other republican had taken the serious issue and run with it.

The longer Boehner takes to bring up this issue, the more dug in Trump gets on this and other issues as a candidate.

My preference would be to solve this issue now, suck the air out of trump’s balloon and nominate a conservative to run against Obama or Biden on the other issues.

But this is not a Trump issue. This is a Constitutional issue (even if all records are fine and legit). Obama’s failure to prove his eligibility opens doors for people like Arnold. Heck, George Soros could be eligible now. Why? Because the new precedence is “American until proven otherwise”.

This is a Constitutional issue. And Donald Trump knws that the US Constitution trumps all political ideology. Because without the Constitution nothing else matters.


7 posted on 04/14/2011 4:10:21 AM PDT by tsowellfan (http://www.cafenetamerica.com)
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To: Jim Noble
If responsible Republicans don't speak out immediately against Mr. Trump's gambit, it will do substantial damage both to their party and to American politics...

If Republicans were responsible they would have long ago spoken out in defense of the Constitution by pointing out the fact in 2007 BO/BS was not eligible to be President since he is not a natural born citizen per Article 2 Section 1 of the Constitution.
8 posted on 04/14/2011 4:10:33 AM PDT by Defend Liberty
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To: Cololeo
The elites against the people

Well, no doubt (I mean, obviously) - but what are the elites gaining a) from having Obama in the White House and b) from protecting all his bio information?

9 posted on 04/14/2011 4:10:49 AM PDT by Jim Noble (The Constitution is overthrown. The Revolution is betrayed.)
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To: Lysandru
I am like Trump here. I wanted to dismiss the "birthers," but facts are stubborn things. Something is rotten in the State of Hawaii.

I don't doubt that Obama was born in Hawaii. However, I am interested in why all the secrecy exists about his birth certificate, his social security number, his college attendance and on and on and on.
10 posted on 04/14/2011 4:11:31 AM PDT by Misplaced Texan (July 4, 2009 - the first day of the 2nd Revolution!)
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To: gusopol3

Barry was adopted by Lolo Soetoro
became an Indonesian citizen
most likely obtained an Indonesian passport
which allowed his travels to Pakistan and beyond.
Possibly entered college in the US as a foreign student.
And I’m pretty sure he was a D student....prove I’m wrong!


11 posted on 04/14/2011 4:13:02 AM PDT by Fred911 (YOU GET WHAT YOU ACCEPT)
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To: Jim Noble

I thought O’Reilly vouched for Obama the other night, shouldn’t that put the whole thing to rest? /sarc


12 posted on 04/14/2011 4:13:13 AM PDT by Scythian
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To: gusopol3

They need to point to the case of Roger Calero who was a resident alien on some ballots and not others as a socialist party candidate. The states already have the power to declare candidates ineligible for their ballots. States declare candidates ineligible in literally every election they just don’t do it with the two major parties.

However proving Obama ineligible after taking office is a long way from removing him. I seriously doubt he would be removed before the election. It won’t make any difference to his core voters anyway.


13 posted on 04/14/2011 4:16:06 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: Jim Noble
"WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF, EXACTLY? "
They are afraid of us focusing our energy on a non issue. If you want to bring this guy down, "Project Gunwalker" is the way to do it....see tagline
14 posted on 04/14/2011 4:16:14 AM PDT by joe fonebone (Project Gunwalker, this will make watergate look like the warm up band......)
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To: Misplaced Texan

Now maybe this link below and all the stories are wrong but there are a lot of stories that are true and the BIGGEST true story is Obama has yet to prove his eligibilty to be President. Why?

“New analysis of Democrat Party’s official 2008 Certification of Nominations for Obama reveals that reasons for his sudden trip to Hawaii in October, 2008 were to visit more than just his sick grandmother. Hawaiian election laws, media accounts and post-dated documents reveal he may have attended a private hearing with the Hawaiian Chief Elections Officer regarding his disqualification from the Hawaiian ballot due to lack of certified Constitutional eligibility....

http://thedailypen.blogspot.com/2011/01/o-con-had-legal-help-from-non-partisan.html


15 posted on 04/14/2011 4:17:03 AM PDT by tsowellfan (http://www.cafenetamerica.com)
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To: Jim Noble
"The fact that all of these people are so afraid is the most convincing evidence that there's something to all of this."

I suspect they are "afraid" because if it turns out to be true, then pretty much the whole political establishment will have been shown to be either incompetent of dishonest.

It is incredible to me that no legitimate verification mechanism was not already in existence, or that not even ONE state attorney general, commissioner of elections, etc. has spoken up and/or taken action.

16 posted on 04/14/2011 4:17:06 AM PDT by Wonder Warthog
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To: Jim Noble

Destroy the rule of law and the Constitution. Change our society from a rule of law to a rule of people.


17 posted on 04/14/2011 4:18:21 AM PDT by Cololeo
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To: Jim Noble
rove and any other leader of the repubicrats has as much sway with me as nancy pelosi or harry reid do... which is less than NONE. I only despise the repubic leadership slightly less than ALL dims. huck will never see my vote or the vote of anyone else with a higher IQ than a darter snail.

LLS

18 posted on 04/14/2011 4:18:21 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (WOLVERINES!!!)
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To: joe fonebone
They are afraid of us focusing our energy on a non issue

To most Americans the US Constitution is the mother of all issues. Without that nothing else matters.

That's what all the enthusiasm is about NOT about Trump. But give it time and he will grow on the supporters.

19 posted on 04/14/2011 4:19:21 AM PDT by tsowellfan (http://www.cafenetamerica.com)
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To: Jim Noble

They are going to trot Jeb out and are scared of Trump.


20 posted on 04/14/2011 4:21:13 AM PDT by screaminsunshine (Shut up and eat your Beans!)
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