I'm writing this now because a couple of callers to Ringside Politics with a Punch doubted this, and one called me "naive" when I argued that Obama was demonstrably born here.
First, on the Kenyan birth certificate, check out David Weigel's take down.
The key points Weigel makes:
Then, on Obama's real birth certificate, and the birth announcement in the Honolulu Advertiser, check this story from FactCheck.org.- It records Barack Obama Sr’s age as “26.” Obama Sr was born in 1936; his son was born in 1961.
- Its publication date is February 17, 1964, but it purports be a document of the “Republic of Kenya.” Kenya did not become a Republic until December 12, 1964, a year after it won independence from Great Britain.
- It’s signed by “registrar E.F. Lavender.” Earth Friendly Lavender is a kind of detergent, and government officials who use vanity initials on official documents are, to put it mildly, rare.
- The kicker? The image is part of the extremely ill-informed conspiracy theory that Obama was born in Mombasa—conveniently, one of the more Muslim parts of the country.
Yes, it is not totally impossible the real birth certificate and the birth announcement are somehow fake, but it is also possible that George W. Bush was born in Saskatchewan. There is no valid reason to believe Obama was born anywhere other than Hawaii. There is no valid reason to keep talking about the subject.
2 comments:
In a recent Washington Examiner piece, you wrote: "Claiming, contrary to all evidence, that Obama is not an American citizen is not debate, but close-minded inanity — inanity possibly stemming from racism."
I respectfully disagree because there is as yet no "evidence" and therefore the most intellectually honest position is agnosticism.
The now infamous Hawaiian "Certification of Live Birth" says nothing concrete about either Obama's birthplace or his parentage.
Furthermore, Obama's Indonesian adoption raises serious issues about his American citizenship.
It is thus entirely possible that Obama is no more Constitutionally eligible to be President of the United States than Austrian-born Arnold Schwarzenegger (whose parents were ineligible to convey American citizenship to their future-bodybuilder child born on foreign soil).
(Barack Obama Sr. was a British citizen and Ann Duhham, under then-current American law, was too young to automatically convey citizenship to Barack Jr. if he was born on foreign soil.)
It is certainly neither "inane" nor "racist" to respect the Constitution's eligibility requirements for the Presidency ... and to sincerely inquire into Obama's eligibility.
Obama is the one mysteriously withholding the 'evidence' -- not the "birthers."
This issue is gaining momentum because it is becoming increasingly apparent that Obama lives in a (perhaps ghost-written) biographical dream world.
For example, Obama has told transparent lies about his parents. (E.g., his absurd public statement that his 1961 birth was inspired by the freedom march in Selma, Alabama, which occurred in 1965!)
The Constitutional case is exceptionally well stated in journalist Meredith Vieira's brother's piece here.
If Obama respected the Constitution he would put this issue to rest immediately by releasing his original birth certificate, regardless of what embarrassing material it might contain about his place of birth, his stated 'race,' or the name of his true father.
Hey I found your blog today linked from Human Events. I really like what I see. I'll be sure to regularly stop in.
I am a 26 year old grad student from Chicago and I have a humble little blog of my own (A Voice in the Wilderness) and here's my latest piece:
rjmoeller.com...et-it-obama/
Keep up the good work. Thanks and God bless!
-RJM
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