This is the latest in a series on the use of the race card for political gain:
This is a follow up to two prior posts on the attempt by the mainstream media and left-blogosphere to frame the issue of Obama’s constitutional qualification to be President as rooted in racism. Obama is being challenged, the argument goes, only because he is not white.
As I pointed out, however, the race card as to Obama’s constitutional qualification does not hold up because there is a long history of white presidential candidates and presidents being challenged, including allegations of a concealed birth in a foreign country:
- They Will Not Let The “Birther” Issue Drop Against That White Republican President
- Your race card narrative does not fit, so you must acquit
Nonetheless, the meme goes on day after day in the mainstream media, without so much as a peek at history.
Tonight it’s Fareed Zakaria’s turn to declare (emphasis mine):
Then there is the ‘birther’ issue. I regard this as coded racism, frankly. I don’t think there’s any other word for it.
For goodness’ sake, George Stephanopoulos displayed Obama’s Certificate of Live Birth on network TV and this rumor still doesn’t die. Put it this way: If the President was a white man named John Smith with the other background issues being the same – foreign student father, mother in Hawaii, etc. – would there be any of these dark insinuations? Trump should be ashamed of himself. But then, I suppose, he wouldn’t be Donald Trump.
To a very, very limited extent Zakaria is right. We have no evidence that a white man named John Smith would have his citizenship or birthplace challenged.
But we do have evidence that white men with the following names would not be so lucky:
Chester A. Arthur
Barry Goldwater
John McCain
George Romney
Lowell Weicker, Jr.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr.
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Related Posts:
If Gov. Neil Abercrombie Really Wanted The Records …
They Just Can’t Let Go Of The Birthplace And Religion Issues
The Bizarre “Birther” Intellectual Dance
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Comments
You forgot to add GWB to your list. probably GHB as well.
I remember specifically he had to present his birth certificate, at the time I loathed GWB, and was hoping he weren't born here so he would be disqualified (yea I know…). He had to present his birth certificate, which he promptly did, case closed.
(I would take GWB over the fraud any day now.)
And Zakaria really is an idiot and exposes himself as one when he makes false statements that can proven to be false. I used to subcribe to News-Weak because I used to love reading his work, now I listen or read his work (which is very rare now a days), and I think what an ignorant buffoon.
Tim:
There was a short-lived attempt after the 2000 elections to suggest that Bush and Cheney could not take office since (it was alleged) they both came from Texas. I am not an expert on the Constitution, but a lawsuit claimed the President and Vice-President must be from different states.
@Recovering – there is a Constitutional Article making that a requirement for the two serving in those offices (I believe it is the same as the "natural born citizen" Article and clause); I would have to go and check to see which one. The Founders writing the US Constitution were cognizant that a state could appear to be taking over the executive branch is my understanding of the reasoning. It's been a while, so my memory is fuzzy; but you are correct.
However, it is just one of many things that the MSM will overlook or misreport to protect their ObaMessiah. They are completely incapable of vetting this man, and they cloak their media malpractice in the holy mantle of raaaaacism.
We should remember Zakaria is an aggrieved member of a minority- that of zed surnames. He probably empathizes with Obama's minority standing as a putative thinker who induces zeds.
Even if Georgie did wave an official copy of BO/BS's Certification of Live Birth, it is still not good enough for a passport or to register for Kindergarten. For that one needs a Certificate of Life Birth or commonly known as a Long Form Birth Certificate. It also doesn't answer the question of BO/BS being a Natural Born Citizen.
You also forgot about Ike…
1952: General's Birth Certificate Filed
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jbMwAAAAIBAJ&sjid;=RU4DAAAAIBAJ&dq;=local%20births%201952&pg;=6769,300677
Ike needed birth certificate to run for president
http://www.sonorannews.com/archives/2010/100922/frontpage_Ike.html
would there be any of these dark insinuations?
Oh, for shame, Mr Zakaria.
There's also a new ridiculous meme, propagated today by the AP and by Allahpundit at Hot Air, that somehow it would be impossible or illegal for Mr. Obama to provide a photocopy of the real birth certificate.
There's never a statute cited, and of course, all it means is that the actual document can't be removed. No one's asking for the original. We can't legally hold the Constitution in our hands but we can see a picture of it, and indeed, others have posted pictures of their long-form HI birth certificates online.
Zakaria has found in Obama perhaps the only possible President who shares his zealous desire for a "Post-American Century" and is working on getting there as fast as he can.
And that John McCain fellow with his story of being born in Panama which caused the Senate to actually have to vote on the fact that being born on US territory is ok.
Why treat this on its merits? It has none and is meant not to have any because it does not have any. It's more counter-measures meant to confuse the torpedo's acquisition sensor. Let the mouthpiece "Zakaria" spew, it's his job, he's not wanting to talk truth much less try to find it. He's throwing up counter-measures to confuse pursuit. Thrust home on the initiatives and damn the counter-measures. They are chaff. Drive through them to the target.
I don't hear it mentioned much, but the issue is more than just Obama's birth certificate and natural born citizen status. It's also the fact that all of Obama's records have been locked up. There are no transcripts from any schools that he ever attended and as far as I know there are no passports. No examples of school work like essays. Has anyone ever seen anything written in his own hand?
I don't know much about American citizenship law and so I'm on the fence about his citizenship and qualifications to be president, but I do find the disappearance of all of these other materials disturbing.
Has this ever happened before? Has a person running for president ever not produced any of these materials?
I think this is a dumb issue and I sometimes wonder if the democrats aren't ginning this up to deflect what a piss poor job obama is actually doing. Any criticism will be filtered through the media lense of "Those crazy republicans don't believe obama is a citizen or want healthcare" Not a good look.
"I don't hear it mentioned much, but the issue is more than just Obama's birth certificate and natural born citizen status. It's also the fact that all of Obama's records have been locked up. There are no transcripts from any schools that he ever attended and as far as I know there are no passports. No examples of school work like essays. Has anyone ever seen anything written in his own hand?"
Yes, on target! Fire at will.
Also Eisenhower. If the well known reason for the natural born Citizen requirement was to prevent foreign influence (see John Jay's letter to G. Washington about it's insertion in 1787, and A. Hamilton's Federalist #68 (1788)), then how is it remotely possible that one born British could be eligible? Obama was born to a citizen of the British colony of Kenya, and admits that his father, and he, was subject to the British Nationality Act of 1948, making Obama 2 a British Subject at birth. He is ineligible, even if born on the Oval Office desk, delivered by JFK.
Our prodigious President believes he is playing rope-a-dope with his opponents. One can only hope that he is as successful as John Kerry was in regards to releasing his military records.
@jk1…..Believe me, the American people know what a piss poor job Obama is doing, regardless of what tricks the Democrats play. They don't want it to look like it, but Obama is doomed for a second term. Hide and watch!
Well, the problem, as I see it, is not a matter of birth per se, but it is because any questions about him are immediately called racist and 'birther-inspired."
What questions?
Well, for example:
Why has no one ever came forward from Obama's past saying they knew him, attended school with him, was his friend, etc??
Who were some of the girls he dated? Will none of them come forward?
Is there any footage of the graduation ceremonies?
Have any of the professors come forward?
Isn't it odd that no one is bragging that they knew him or taught him or lived with him?
When did he meet Michele and how?
Who was the best man at their wedding? Who were the groomsmen?
Are there photos ? You'd think, wouldn't you?
Since he is such a “great” orator, why doesn't anyone in his college classes remember him?
Why won't he allow Columbia to release his records?
Why was Obama's law license inactivated in 2002?
Why was Michelle's law license inactivated by Court Order?
Questions, questions, questions.
But if you dare to ask, you are a ~r a c i s t~
Got news for you, we're all racists now.
Take good care,
Sandy
I think that Obama thinks he benefits politically from the "Birther" kerfuffle and will milk for everything it's worth. The "controversy" is making a lot of people look silly and allowing BO and his confederates to point at the fools the deflect serious questions about his ability to lead and his actual goals.
@Recovering & DINORightMarie: there is no Constitutional requirement that the President and Vice President come different states. There is a requirement (Amendment XII) that an elector may not vote for candidates who both come from the same state as himself.
Of course, if he were a white guy named John Smith, he wouldn't have been elected given his lack of accomplishments, experience and good ideas. But, because he is black, the bar was lowered affirmative action style.
If Obama were a white guy named John Smith with the same background and resume, he wouldn't be President today. And everyone knows that.
Race Card FAIL.
Shelly has nailed it……maybe the Obamanation was born in Hawaii, maybe not, but the issue here is that he has spent millions in lawyer fees to keep SOMETHING out of the public's view.
Aside from his college records, there is something on his birth certificate that he is hiding.
There is no requirement that the president and vice president come from different states. But if Cheney hadn't suddenly decided to move his official residence back to Wyoming then the 30-odd Texas electors couldn't have voted for both him and Bush. If the margin of victory had been greater then half of them could vote for Bush and John Smith, while the other half could vote for John Smith and Cheney. But with the margin as tight as it was, they would all have had to vote for Bush to get him in, which would have meant that they couldn't have voted for Cheney, leaving him with less than a majority of the vote. Lieberman wouldn't have had a majority either, so it would have gone to the Senate, which would still have been chaired by Algore, who would have had a casting vote.
Simple – he's hiding the fact that BO Sr isn't his father.
The notion that this is racism is absurd. The ONLY reason barack Obama is President is because he is black. If he was white, Hillary would have buried him in the primary.
If Obama was white, even Joe "Plugs" Biden's performance would have buried Mr. Clean and Articulate in the primary.
You left out Charles Evans Hughes (Republican candidate in 1916). His parents were British immigrants who were not naturalized till after he was born. Some people argued that he was not a natural-born citizen. (I've seen an article from the Chicago Legal News of 1916 on the claim.)