For those of us who believe our media reveal deep-seated truths about our society, President Obama's response Wednesday to the allegations he wasn't born in America cracked open a treasure trove of bitter, tough-to-face lessons.
Obama handled the press conference itself deftly, placing most of the blame on the need for such an announcement squarely on the shoulders of the news media. Opening his speech with a jab at the TV network's preemption of regular programming, he urged the country to focus on more substantive issues and avoid the "carnival barkers" pushing paranoid conspiracy theories.
(It's worth noting the Poynter Institute and the Pew Research Center have shown that birther stories were about 4 percent of the news mix in major media during the week of April 11, when Obama suggested they swamped budget coverage. A week later, the coverage doubled to 8 percent. H/T to Poynter's Julie Moos.)
No mention of the man who kickstarted this conversation, Donald Trump. And no mention of the poll numbers cited by NBC News showing an increasing number of Republicans falling for the chatter. Rather than blame potential voters, instead he dumped scorn on an institution he knows conservatives hate, too. The news media.
He's also thrown a gauntlet to journalists, telling them in front of the world -- if this conspiracy keeps spreading, it will be because of your coverage.
Who would have suspected, basking in the world-changing spirit of electing America's first black president back in 2008, that three years later he would be holding a national address to refute continually debunked allegations he was not born in the U.S.?
It's an odd dance. The president must pretend the spread of birther talk is mostly about the news media, though some people are falling for it. And the media pretends the persistence of this issue has little to do with their willingness to give Donald Trump airtime, regardless of how stupid his lies are.
And now that Trump has proven he can push America's uneasiness with its biracial president to the brink of polite conversation, he's ready to take another tack -- implying the leader of the free world is America's biggest affirmative-action hire.
Days earlier, Trump began another line of attack on Obama, wondering about his academic record and how he got into Ivy League colleges. On Wednesday, he doubled down on that talk, congratulating himself for playing "such a big role in hopefully, hopefully getting rid of this (birther) issue."
No mention of Trump's insistence on CNN Monday night that Obama's birth certificate was missing or that the president spent millions of dollars to hide it or that his grandmother said he was born in Kenya before correcting herself -- all long-discredited tropes of the birther conspiracy he has replayed in recent weeks.
Having failed to prove the president isn't "one of us" Americans, he is now seeking to invalidate his accomplishments; often the Plan B for bigots looking to prove people of color really haven't achieved anything.
To serve his ego or his career, Trump seems willing to crack open the worst elements of prejudice and bigotry, covered with the thinnest veneer of politeness. No real politician could try this high wire act without risking a fate similar to recently undeclared presidential candidate Haley Barbour, and it's telling that even the GOP's most extreme voices (Palin, Bachmann, et. al) are only tepidly backing The Donald's play.
Continuing on this path only ensures further distraction, pushing GOP voters toward the fantasy of Trump's dishonest allegations.
At a time when the economy is still limping along and Congress is tied in knots, the best and brightest Republicans should be climbing all over each other for a shot at the president who has to take responsibility for it all.
That Trump is the loudest voice on the right instead, is a gift that keeps on giving for Democrats.
Wonder if the real conspiracy is that Trump really wants to Democrats to win in 2012?
Follow Eric Deggans on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Deggans
Will Bunch: Racism on Ivy League Campus and by Alum Donald Trump Cut From Same Ugly Cloth
Trump has gained in polls as potential pres candidate? What? How could this be without considering the right want to claim he's not qualified or has the education to be pres, but then no one is questioning Trump's creditials...It only lead to the notion of racism/or very deep directed hate! Come on...if so concerned why didn't the same people bring this up when was in chicago and making his push to be pres? Had BO been more right of central/rep pres we wouldn t be having this particular conversation and all the inquiries of his proof!
Chester A. Arthur (1829–1886), 21st president of the U.S., was alleged to have been born in Canada.
Charles Evans Hughes (1862–1948), nominee for President in 1916, was questioned because his father had not yet naturalized at the time of his birth and was still a British citizen.
Barry Goldwater (1909–1998), nominee for President in 1964, was born in Phoenix in what was then the Arizona Territory of the U.S., i.e., before it was a state.
George Romney (1907–1995), candidate for President in 1968, was born in Mexico. His son, Mitt Romney, is currently a Republican candidate for President.
Lowell Weicker (born 1931), candidate President in 1980, was born in Paris, France.
John McCain (born 1936), nominee for President in 2008, was born in the Panama Canal Zone when the PCZ and its related military facilities were not regarded as U.S. territory.
When McCain refused to release his birth certificate, I don't recall either Donald Trump or anyone at Fox questioning his citizenship. The entire made up controversy regarding President Obama's status has nothing to do with law and everything to do with the fact that the crazies just can't accept the fact that a semi-African-American was elected. They will continue to try and delegitimize him in every way possible.
Today on the air someone asked when our President will "release the college transcripts". I literally cringed. We HAVE to elevate the level of discourse as you pointed out here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR0octnF52w&feature=youtu.be
She presumably covered her butt from future criminal prosecution and could only be held to an ethics violation for dereliction of duty.
Go back to your you tube buddies and ask
If he would have just released it when the Clintons requested it,
there would be none of this current R crap.
It wasn't as cut and dry as that. It's actually illegal for Hawaii residents to posses a copy of the long form of their BC... the birthers have known this from the outset. He didn't have his long form, and like the good prez he is, he didn't use his position to circumvent the law.
By the way, the Clintons NEVER questioned the President's citizenship, nor did they ever ask for his birth certificate. Think about it...if that had happened, do you really think Hillary would have been named Secretary of State? Seriously?? You should check your facts instead of following the discriminatory right-wing rhetoric and talking points.
No way you can wash away the foul stench of racism in this entire birth certificate mess by blaming the victim.
http://tinyurl.com/3gc73cl
Do a search on boycott Trump and you will find many more.