McClatchy-Tribune News Service –
The following editorial appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer:
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It’s settled. President Obama was born in Hawaii on Aug. 4, 1961. But some opponents who can’t find stronger arguments to make against Obama’s presidency still resort to claiming he’s not really an American.
They not only question his citizenship, but also insist he’s a Muslim despite Obama’s professed Christianity.
The red herring of Obama’s birthplace recently cropped up locally when the Commonwealth Court turned down a request to keep him off the April 24 Pennsylvania primary ballot. The court said it did not have jurisdiction over the matter brought by Lafayette Hill lawyer Philip Berg.
The U.S. Supreme Court, which does have jurisdiction, told Berg in 2008 that it would not hear his case nor would it listen to his subsequent challenges to Obama’s election. But some people don’t know when to quit.
Obama’s birth keeps coming up even though he released his short-form birth certificate during the 2008 presidential campaign. He released his more detailed birth certificate last April, and Hawaiian officials have verified its authenticity. Prominent Republicans have dismissed his birthplace as a nonissue. But the “birther” movement won’t go away.
Voters have far more important questions to answer about the president’s, and the eventual Republican nominee’s, qualifications. They shouldn’t be distracted by obviously false claims on settled matters.
And what voters will have to wade through to get the information they need in this election promises to only get worse.
As vicious and misleading as some of the advertising in the Republican primary has been, the general election will be even more brutal thanks to the dominance of the so-called super-PACs. Responsible to no one but their donors, they have the ability to spin half-truths into lies, further confusing voters.
Voters deserve better treatment, but they probably won’t get it. So, let’s stop with the birther campaign, and move on to real issues.
Yes we were screwed over when we allowed someone to run for the highest office in the land and not have to present proof of citizenship. Why did he spend mega bucks to hide a real certificate. We can all provide one, no biggie. Well for the President NOT to present one for months especially after all the flap. You’d think to squell this belief he’d had put it to rest easily. But NOOOOOO, because he didn’t have one till one was manufactured. What we see now as his birth certificate is not authentic. Because he was born in Kenya. What a disgrace for this nation when it finally comes out.
The real disgrace in America these days is people like you who are so a) ignorant and b) so obviously racist that you can’t let go of such a non issue such as this.
If he were white, and republican…oh, the outrage you would have expressed!!
Don’t pretend it’s not true. It’s people like you that have so corrupted the republican party into the racist bunch of neo-cons you see today.
You’re ruining America for the rest of us.
The “real disgrace” is that we cannot even a dispassionate discussion about this. The evidence has been presented and it is what it is. It is not racist to say something is amiss.
This is not a party issue nor have we corrupted any party.
Quit coloring the issue with your own biases and actually look at the evidence.
And we wonder why this nation is so divided.Evolution v. creationism ,Bible v. science,Birther v.proof and as proven by some of these comments it’s still white v. black.I am truly saddened by the lack of basic common sense.
Obama’s birth certificate has been proven to be a fake.
The only reason he is in the White House is the liberal left wing loons that took over the Democratic Party and the courts have put him there.
The votes were rigged by Accorn and Black Panthers.
The American People got tricked.
We are screwed until we can vote him out.
Ha! Who proved it a fake? Geez, even Trump seems to find that it settled the matter. Conspiracies abound, people. The only protection is aluminum foil.
You obviously haven’t looked at the evidence. You’re too afraid to.
Do you and Katie share a padded room? Talk to your doctor you both need more meds!
Birthers please get together and march on Washington with all your evidence. This is a conspiracy you are not paranoid, Im sure its not your medication talking. LOL
Obama’s Selective Service card is an obvious fake. His social security number indicates he was born in Connecticut. His long-form birth certificate was created on a computer with many layers of information instead of one that was copied. He may have been adopted by his mother’s second husband and would therefore be ineligible for the presidency. The list goes on and on. Even the Russians are ridiculing us for not having done due diligence on his background before accepting him as a candidate. If this had been George Bush, the media would have been all over it and there would have been no “Birther Movement Needs to Die” headlines.
Thanks, Katie, for proving my point.
I say the same about you.
You racist bitch.
Sorry, he was fairly elected, unlike your hero George W., and is a citizen.
Stop pretending that this isn’t about race.
Birthers, flat-earthers, and creationists. You can’t change their minds. You can’t reason with them. They have renounced critical thinking, judgement, and rationality.
Anonymous – I would suggest you take a look at your own closed mind. Quit with the name calling, actually take a look at evidence and then see if you can disprove it.
There is no evidence, so no need to disprove it. I make fun of such small minds because they will deny it to the death that Obama is legitimate. I don’t know if they think a black shouldn’t be in the WH, or fear his progressive policies, or think they need to get even for how they feel Bush was treated in office. Something is not right with those people. Birthers, I must admit, are part of our political landscape. But so are John Birchers, Islamophobes, and even communists. For all of these, you can’t reason with them. They have renounced critical thinking, judgement, and rationality.
First, it is far from settled. So is this the opening shot to deflect the issue heading into the election?
The evidence demonstrated by Arapio’s investigators is very compelling and is awaiting someone to refute it.
So far no one has.