The Birther Movement Won't Go Away, and for Good Reason

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs got it right when he bluntly said that the legions who are adamant that President Obama is an illegal alien and should be dumped from the White House will never go away. Not only won't they go away but in recent weeks they've gained even more steam, and they've gained it, ironically, with the unintended help of birther opponents. Every newspaper, magazine, talk show host that damns the birthers as a bunch of wacky, paranoid, Obama-haters stirs the pot even more. They do it simply by acknowledging the issue with a column or a show. The birthers revel in that, and they should because there's a canny, calculated,and politically cynical motive behind their Obama birth certificate agitation.

The clamor for Obama to produce his original birth document gained a noisy following long before the final presidential vote tally was in last November. It started the instant that he declared his presidential candidacy in February 2007. Take your pick: He was too black. He was not patriotic enough. He was too liberal, too effete, too untested. He was a Muslim, terrorist fellow traveler, and a closet black radical. The shock of an Obama in the White House was simply too much for many to bear. Obama defied the stereotypical textbook look and definition of what an American president was supposed to look like, and be like; namely a wooden image middle-aged, or older, white male.

Obama inadvertently gave ammunition to the incipient birthers during a campaign stop in late July 2007 when he quipped that he did not look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills. Obama got torched for saying the obvious and that was that his candidacy was different. Obama later admitted that it was a racial reference. The off the cuff remark simply reinforced the point that he and his candidacy marked a turning point in U.S. presidential politics and by extension race relations.

The Obama birth certificate hounders kicked their rumor mongering campaign against him into even higher gear when some mainstream papers found the birth certificate controversy good copy and grist to get the tongues wagging. The birthers spotted the opening and crudely cloaked themselves in the mantle of public spirited citizens and legal experts with no personal, political, let alone racial, ax to grind with Obama. Their sole goal they claimed was to insure electoral truth and accuracy, to make sure that all the legal requirements for holding a presidential office are met, and to head off a constitutional crisis. They even promised that they would put the matter to rest if Obama simply produced the original.

That was a lie. The birthers with an open boost from GOP ultra conservatives led by House Rep John Campbell and other House members who are pushing a bill that requires all future presidential candidates to produce their original birth certificates. That, of course, would apply to Obama as well when he presumably runs for reelection in 2012. The real value of the Birther movement is that it's a tailored back door movement that can be used to destabilize, or at the least keep the Obama administration off balance on policy initiatives he's pushing on health care, the economy, and a softer foreign policy outreach. They are fierce opponents of them.

Since Obama's inauguration dozens of YouTube clips have been churned out on the controversy, legions of websites continue to recycle the rumor line about his certificate, and a mountain size stack of articles rehash the issue of whether the birth certificate that Hawaii produced is legit. More than two dozen lawsuits or petitions have been filed in various state courts contesting Obama's U.S. citizenship (one of them was filed by political gadfly Alan Keyes). The Supreme's Court's refusal to demand that Obama pony up his birth certificate has done absolutely nothing to take any steam out of the movement. If anything, it probably added some vapor to it, by convincing more that the Courts or in cahoots with the Obama White House to keep the real "truth" about his imagined foreign birth secret from the American people.

The worst thing about the controversy over Obama's birth certificate is not that CNN's Lou Dobbs has latched onto the issue for ratings and to make mischief against Obama. Or that others in the media have even dignified the controversy by treating it as if it's a legitimate issue. The worst thing is that none have connected the dots and seen the birthers as the shock troops to torpedo Obama's political agenda. Their hope is that by sowing enough conspiracy paranoia about him they can do just that.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His weekly radio show, "The Hutchinson Report" can be heard on weekly in Los Angeles at 9:30 AM Fridays on KTYM Radio 1460 AM and live streamed nationally on ktym.com

Comments

[larry278]

WTF, the Birthers weren't around to see how the "traitor to his class" epithet played out during FDR's 4 terms. Loud, obnoxious, churl like, entities feign astonishment when they are ignored for nearly 16 years. They never see why they have become a nation's laughing stock.

[JRsNana]

Would one of the birthers on this thread PLEASE explain to me the difference between a "Birth Certificate" and a "Certificate of Live Birth"?

[LindaCat]

This article also reviews the 4 different types of birth certificate used at the time of birth in Hawaii.

http://www.examiner.com/x-7715-Portland-Civil-Rights-Examiner~y2009m7d29-Barak-Obama-must-release-Original-1961-Hawaii-Certificate-of-Live-Birth

It also reviews the 'certificate' incorrectly presented as an 'original' or 'hospital generated' - in reality it was printed out from a computer based database and does not differentiate between the 4 types of birth certificate available. Only one of the 4 can be used to establish 'Natural Born', the others make a claim that will require additional independent investigation to resolve.

[JRsNana]

Oh, and the answer to the question is that there is NO DIFFERENCE between a Birth Certificate and a Certificate of Live Birth.

[CanisLatrans]

"Birther" conspiracy allows certain people to gripe about Obama without having to use the "N-word" and openly reveal themselves for what they are-- racists. Would we be having this firestorm of controversy if McCain had won? Probably not, and there's even more stacked in the deck against him by being born openly in the Panama Canal Zone, whech never even qualified for statehood, much less achieved it like Hawaii.

I say let these people howl and hoot openly. Let these nutcases hijack the entire Republican Party and turn it into a laughingstock of tinfoil mad hatters. The GOP actively cultivated the South with Nixon's Southern Strategy and now they are reaping the benefits: a pack of voting constituents who are screeching loons that distrust education and embrace conspiracy theories to explain anything they don't like. A match made in heaven.

[LindaCat]

We all agree as to the wrongheadedness of differentiating between persons due to skin color or heritage. Likewise why should we differentiate between name-callers on the basis of the name that they call? After all the attitude, mentality and demeanor is the same.

[tm68]

Thank you- agree completely.

[PennP]

The mistake is calling them wacky, crazy, fringe, etc. They don't respect the other side, so the other side's opinion of them is meaningless. If we drop the kid gloves and start calling the guiding force behind this by its true name, racism, Dobbs and Beck and Limbaugh and their minions might just become a little uncomfortable.

Then again, I believe we're seeing a meltdown of lunatic self-righteousness in people who see themselves as saving the "real" America from Obama et al., so it could just empower the fruitcakes to even more extremism.

[den1953]

If the Republican base runs with this issue that is a good thing distract them long enough to pass all the important bills the Democrats want by the time the Republican trolls figure out they have been fooled the country will be a better place!

[mdlw]

The republicans failed to vet their own. Check these videos out, Mr. Hutchinson. Here's a real birther story. Do it for the troops.

http://palindeception.blogspot.com/2009/07/for-your-viewing-pleasure.html

[gs425]

You want to blame anyone for this....blame the Democrats and Hillary follower Phil Berg. This is just another 'unintended consequence' from the left. Now deal with it.

[Digeeedad]

Racists and bigots coming unglued and brazenly out of the woodwork and people proudly bragging about their weapons and munitions caches, in preparation for "taking it to the streets" is an "unintended consequence" from the left"????

Meaning what???, that by the Democrats having a winning Presidential candidate who happens to be African American that the left opened Pandora's Box?????

[outnow]

It would seem like Obama must either produce the original of his birth certificate (not Certificate of Live Birth), or, suffer consequences.

Where an important legal issue is involved in litigation, I know of few lawyers who would be content to accept a self-serving document such as a certificate prepared by a state official after examining other original documents such as the birth certificate. The best evidence is the original birth certificate which is also a medical record.

Which hospital was Obama born in? Who was the attending physician? Who was listed as the father?

I suspect that since the state of Hawaii has the original birth certificate, just as they claim they do, and since there were two announcements of Obama's birth printed in the local newspapers at the time, no reasonable person could dispute the place and date of birth.

It would be brilliant political move for Obama to feed out rope to the "birthers" until they are foaming at the mouth and then reveal the birth certificate. I would not wait too long to reveal the birth certificate since non-disclosure implies that Obama has something to hide.

[AFAN]

He's already suffer because the birthers are playing the race card.

[AFAN]

You are only doing because his race.

[DinkSinger]

A lawyer might demand the original of other types of documents, but not a birth certificate, because the laws require that certified copies be allowed as evidence. Here is the law of the State of Hawaii:

"§338-13 Certified copies. (a) Subject to the requirements of sections 338-16, 338-17, and 338-18, the department of health shall, upon request, furnish to any applicant a certified copy of any certificate, or the contents of any certificate, or any part thereof.
(b) Copies of the contents of any certificate on file in the department, certified by the department shall be considered for all purposes the same as the original, subject to the requirements of sections 338-16, 338-17, and 338-18.
(c) Copies may be made by photography, dry copy reproduction, typing, computer printout or other process approved by the director of health. [L 1949, c 327, §17; RL 1955, §57-16; am L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §19; HRS §338-13; am L 1978, c 49, §1]"

You may not like it, but that is the law. The document that President Obama has produced "shall be considered for all purposes the same as the original" (sections 338-16 and 338-17 deal with certificates that were filed late -- Obama's wasn't; section 338-18 specifies who can request a certified copy).

[JRsNana]

Please explain to me the difference between a Birth Certificate and a Certificate of Live Birth? I just looked at my birth certificate (issued in the 1950s) and my grandson's birth certificate (issued in 2006) and they BOTH say Certificate of Live Birth. My certificate does not mention the hospital, the attending physician or any of the other information birthers seem to require. They seem to require more information than they themselves can provide, for themselves. Why is that? The hospital sent notification to the newspaper in Hawaii for the announcement of his birth. Why would they do that if he wasn't actually born there?

[JRsNana]

And the difference between a Birth Certificate and a Certificate of Live Birth is....?

[JeffmChicago]

"The worst thing is that none have connected the dots and seen the birthers as the shock troops to torpedo Obama's political agenda. Their hope is that by sowing enough conspiracy paranoia about him they can do just that."

Earl you are so right. I connected the dots a long time ago and watched in amazement that it snowballed into what it is now. Incredible, isn't it? But as you and I know that being black in America we're not at all that amazed by what is happening to Obama. We're just sick to death that it's actually happening to the POTUS.

F'en @ssholes the entire lot of'em!!!

[S1m0n]

I beleive that we can all see the birthers as "the shock troops to torpedo Obama's Political agenda". That's not secret, it's blindingly obvious.

They're trying to swift boat him, but I think they'll much less success. They'll succeed with the fringe that was bound to fear and hate Obama anyway, and they'll fail with everyone else.

The people who want a reason to hate the president will find this reason effective. They're the only ones who will. The nation has moved on, and Obama is a far more effective politician and a far more likeable man than John Kerry was. Both of those factors will add up to a firewall.

[gs425]

They'll succeed with the fringe that was bound to fear and hate Obama anyway...

you mean the Democrats and Phil Berg....you know him and the Dums started this whole thing don't you?

[slg]

So it's true. Ann Coulter, Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh are secretly employed by the Democratic Party. Downright karlrovian. I suspected it all along.

[Digeeedad]

Mr. Hutchinson... you ALWAYS write terrific and thought provoking columns. I'm sure it has not been lost on you however that as compared to many of the other columnists, even here on liberal Huff Post, your columns generally receive fewer responses/replies, sadly in all likelyhood because of one of the vary descriptions you gave of Obama's perceived traits "He was too black".

As a white male this probable fact and the truth of what you wrote here disturbs me greatly! Ed Schultz, on his radio program, finally said what really needed to be said "The true bottom line in all of this complete opposition to anything President Obama tries to accomplish, is that the conservative base and the GOP that caters to them simply cannot tolerate and accept that a Black man is the President of our Nation"!

That group refuses to accept this reality and led by the Hannity, Limbaugh, Beck and all their bigoted confederates, they will never cease to use any means possible to remove the Obamas from the White House! One of Hannity's website forum MODERATORS wrote "The Obamas are forever POLLUTING the White House"!

[Digeeedad]

A person would have to either be intentionally ignoring the signs, or perhaps of a mindset in agreement with the "Birthers" and now the "Deathers" etc etc etc not to see as you suggest a pattern or connected dots in the growing intensity of right wing conservative attacks and hatred of the Obamas. The intensity of that hatred cannot simply be attributed to disagreements with Obama's programs and policies.

The frightening thing for me is that there has been an incremental progression in Limbaugh's, Hannity's and Beck's and others attacks on President Obama. Initially they and their followers were attacking him on policies and now even GOP politicians are co-signing charges of non-citizenship, racism, Marxist ideologies and seemingly whatever it takes to fan the flames of hate, towards the removal of Obama. They seem intent on not being able to tolerate his being in the White House for even ONE term of office!

Their rallying cries have gone from "Obama's policies and agenda must be stopped and he must fail" to simply "Obama must be stopped"! This should disturb and frighten every sensible American, as President Obama is being portrayed as the "evil black boogeyman intent on destroying our nation"! It most definitely appears that Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, and their associates actually WANT to see race and culture wars in our nation as they fan the flames of hatred, intolerance, racisim and fear through their non-stop and ever increasing propaganda!

[Digeeedad]

Hannity's radio talk show callers are now consistently parroting a common sentiment.. "We want our country back Sean"!

What they most obviously mean is that just as was expected of children in past eras, they want minorities or non-whites to go back to the "children (and minorities) should be seen but not heard" rules. AND... also just as certainly "there should NEVER be a Black man in the White House or a Latina on the Supreme Court... for gosh sakes"!

Well that's NOT going to be the case EVER AGAIN and many are in a complete panic filled frenzy!

These are dangerous and volatile times and for Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, and many GOP legislators to be adding fuel to the potential fires is bordering on treasonous and seditious behavior!

[noaxe397]

Thank you, Mr Hutchinson.I hope Dems and liberals pay attention.

I am concerned about how the birthers will try to use the issue to deligitimize the president. Galling is that that Dems are not able to neutralize the "mainstream birthers," the elected congressmen and senators who want it both ways. They want to appear rational and say "of course the president is a US citizen," then turn around and say "why can't we just see his birth certificate and clear it all up once and for all?" Of course, there is nothing new with a conservative wanting it both ways on an issue.

The question I ask in an attempt to netralize local birthers is: Why did no one ask to see or have produced the BC of any other recent president, only this one? Their typical reply is "Because there is a question surrounding his birth." To which I reply "No, there isn't, just because you say so."

I think the REAL strategy of the birthers is to create a fake constitutional crisis in 2012 when Obama seeks re-election and THAT is the reason for the birther bill in Congress.

Too many liberals, especially here on HufPo, think snarky, snide comments are all that's needed when dealing with these crackpots.
Maybe they are too young to remember a lone congressman in 1996 named Bob Barr who said he was opening up an impeachment inquiry on Bill Clinton.

The liberals laughed then, too.

[dayala]

good post...und­erestimati­ng these, yes, "whacko crackpots" is dangerous.

as has been pointed out the other side needs to start pushing back against this bigoted, racist hate-talk
and call it what it is...blatant overt racism.

I wish everytime some calls Obama black or AA, someone would immeditaley shoot back "President Obama is half black, half white."

[barackobama4prez]

Truth. We'll just have to see if they can divide the nation. If they do, it's not Barack's fault. No more than we can deny we were implicit in the things done in our name under George Bush, can they deny they deserve whatever they get when their chickens come to roost.

The GOP will be culpable and accountable for the lies they tell. And if Democrats or Independents believe them, then it's their fault. If the GOP GAINS on this issue, then they have to take some of Barack's voters away. If they are able to do that, is it really Barack's fault? He is working hard to get this shiit fixed. I'm not 100% pleased with all his decisions so far, but the birther movement is just psycho talk and anyone who believes it never believed in Barack in the first place.

[Vickster]

Allow me to state the obvious. Barack Obama's mother was an American citizen. That makes him a natural-born citizen regardless of where the birth took place.

[ariveria]

so one would think then again there are birthes.

if you look at their websites they claim BOTH parents need to be american citizens. actually in some cases that both parents have to be natural born american citizensalso .

what has been rarely reported is their lawsuits call to overturn the definition of natural born american citizen which has been basically the same since 1794. this definition has been upheld in supreme court cases. they are calling for those decisions to be overturned.

talk about wanting activist judges who make laws from the bench.

[DesertDogAlpha]

But you cannot be President of the USA even if BOTH your parents were American citizens, if not born in US territory. I have a daughter born in Europe and she's wonderful but she can never be President.

[PunKinPai]

Hawaii is a foreign country?

[kagenin]

Actually, you are completely wrong.

Your daughter is still, technically, a natural-born US citizen, by virtue of the fact that her parents are also natural-born citizens.

[gabass]

Well, I guess at the end of the day they either fantasize about the Moon Landing being a sham conducted on a sound state in Burbank. Or this. Sadly, no matter what we do or how we do it, there will always be a significant portion of our society that is ready and willing to believe anything. Especially, if it is idiocy.

[Yermammy]

You're the type of individual who was shamed at an early age to NOT think outside the box. Life is full of rumor, myth and fact. You, I can surmise run with the first two and occasionally might visit the last. This particular issue is just a distraction from people still in extreme denial that a black man is actually running the country(!). But there are many truths out there that we're not supposed to talk about (i.e. the truly aggressive war and war crimes that occurred during the Bush years- for example). Through extensive peer pressure and propaganda, you now will not question anything lest you be seen as an upstart and one has to be brave for that title. So, like a pack animal, you quietly chew your cud and accept what is given you.
I was back in the world for two years when I learned the truth about the Gulf of Tonkin and knew that Uncle Sam had lied to me. Don't get too comfortable, Jersey. LIfe holds many wonders.