Political Insanity and Journalistic Hypocrisy
This is how Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson begins his column about the so-called "birthers" -- the nut-jobs who think Barack Obama was not born in the United States and therefore is not legitimately our president:
"If there's been a more clinically insane political phenomenon in my lifetime than the 'birthers,' I've missed it."
This raises a question: Really?
Perhaps Mr. Robinson has "Newsheimer's" and has already forgotten about that other clinically insane political phenomenon, the one about how President Bush was behind the 9/11 attacks on America.
A few years ago, when insanity was in the air, I spoke to one lunatic face to face - a medical doctor no less - who not only believed that the federal government under President Bush put explosives in the World Trade Center Towers to blow them up, but was also convinced - ready for this? -- that no plane ever hit the Pentagon. It was all made up, he told me.
"Let me guess," I said to this moron, "Bush was behind it all."
"Oh, no," he said, "Bush was only the puppet."
"Acting at whose behest," I continued, hoping the doctor's head would explode before he could provide more proof that he was an idiot. "The people who wanted to get us into war for oil and money," he sputtered. Never mind that there were a lot easier ways to get us into war than to blow up two towering buildings and part of the Pentagon. But of course, to understand this, one would have to have a functioning mind, which as you can see, the doctor did not have.
This was Bush Derangement Syndrome in full bloom. The doctor hated W with an unhealthy passion. And that hatred made him truly believe - with every fiber in his body and every cell in what passed for his brain - that the neo-cons killed their own countrymen just so they could take us to war in order to fatten their bank accounts.
I bring this up not to encourage a contest over which of these two crazy ideas is crazier, the Obama thing or the Bush thing. I bring it up because there currently is an effort afoot by the Left to conflate nut-jobs on the fringe right with regular conservatives and regular Republicans. The longer the silly controversy stays alive, the better the chance, they figure, that moderates and independents will start to think that any politician with an "R" after his name is a maniac.
Here's how Eugene Robinson stokes that fire: "There are probably people out there who think the world is flat, and they're not worth writing about," he says. "The 'birthers' wouldn't be either unless you believe a poll released last week by Research 2000 revealing that an astounding 28% of Republicans actually think that Obama was not born in the United States and an additional 30% are 'not sure.' GOP officials need to order more tinfoil."
Oh yeah, the poll was commissioned by that model of trustworthiness, The Daily Kos, which makes everything in it suspect. But even if the real number is half what is reported, it is indeed troubling.
But when left-wing professors at major American Universities banded together to proclaim that 9/11 was "an inside job" did liberals like Eugene Robinson portray these paranoids as representative of the Democratic Party? No!
And make no mistake, it wasn't just a few nutty professors who believed W was behind the 9/11 terrorism. Robinson is making a point when he tells us that 28 percent of Republicans actually think Obama was born outside the U.S. -- a point that it's not only the fringe that's crazy. Okay. Then what should we make of this statistic: Back during the "W was behind 9/11" days, a poll by Scripps Howard/Ohio University found that more than a third of Americans suspected that federal officials helped in the 9/11 terrorist attacks -- or took no action to stop them ... so President Bush could take the country to war.
Wow! "More than a third" is more than "28 percent," right? Who does Eugene Robinson think these conspiratorial nuts are? Conservative Republicans?
No, Mr. Robinson, they're mostly (if not entirely) Bush-hating, left-wing Democrats like that crazy doctor I had the unfortunate experience of talking to. Gee, I don't remember Robinson - or any other liberal media bigwig -- ever writing that the Democratic Party "needs to order more tinfoil."
I hope this nutty "birther" movement burns itself out on its own stupidity --and the sooner the better. The longer it's out there the worse it is for ordinary Republicans who will be tarred with the nut-job brush. Be assured that elements of the mainstream media will see to that.
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For a “post-political” president who will unite the country, he seems to be doing the Clintonesque (Olinskyesque?) Republican-baiting specifically designed to leave Repubs frothing at the mouth. “Listening” to Republican ideas for the Stimulus Bill – then incorporating none of them. Placing into every bill a few provisions that Republicans – at least conservative ones – could obviously never accept, and then chiding them for being the “Party of No”. Discounting Tea Parties and those who attend them (remember the scatological teabaggers designation?). Stating that Republicans have no plan of their own within a couple of days of the release a Republican 12-Point Plan. Laughing at Birthers, while being unforthcoming with school records and other items presidents typically release. Aiming derision at those who believe a “Public Option” would lead eventually to rationing with hedging political double-speak (“This is simply not true. There is no rationing IN THIS BILL.”). Holding angry demonstrators up as Brooks-Brothers-wearing Astroturf Rent-A-Mobs.
If I wouldn’t know better, I would say that Obama wants to wave a red cape in front of the bull – a cape which has a white side that faces the spectators. The bull gets madder and madder, as the spectators assume the bull is simply deranged.
It’s working on me for one – Obama is making me paranoid. I fear a fascist takeover, a concern I never had under Carter or Clinton.
Bernie,
Thanks for the commentary. I agree that, if he has nothing to hide, then reveal the birth certificate already. When you do things that make you look guilty, even if you’re not, it still colors people’s perception.
And I’d look into possibly removing Google Ads from your site if I were you – there was one on your home page that asked people to “help Barbara Boxer congratulate Sonia Sotomayor” for her confirmation as Supreme Court justice. I removed them from my blog for a similar reason. They don’t accurately reflect the content of your site, they just pick key words and throw up ads relating to them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an “OFA” ad next.
Hi Bernie. I am a “Birther” – a newspaper notice published by who knows that has the wrong address listed is hardly documentation enough to prove citizenship. It is more likely laying the groundwork for receiving US benefits when combined with pseudo official COLB. I think the word of his grandmother (and others) that she was there in Kenya when he was born is more meaningful. Regarding the “Certification of Live Birth” (NOT “Certificate”), Obama’s Kenyan born sister also has one so it too is not enough to prove citizenship. The one document that CAN PROVE his citizenship is hidden from us, while several documents that could disprove citizenship (school records, passports, etc.) are also hidden from us. He’s never even cleared up the fact that TWO hospitals in Hawaii take credit for his birth, one on fundraising letters. The list of evidence FOR birthers far outweighs the “evidence” against – a meaningless document and an incorrect newspaper announcement.
I can accept that you are a “Birther Denier”, but what I would hope you would do is what you do so well – challenge the media on this. Would they EVER allow a Republican to get away with the same evasiveness on a constitutional requirement??
CNN Prez Joel Klein said the issue was dead when he first ordered Dobbs to stop reporting on it because he had it investigated and Obama’s birth records were conveniently destroyed but the state denies that – WHICH reporter said that, what was his source and isn’t it news that the State denies it? Annenberg outlet FactCheck.org continues to show the meaningless COLB as “proof” and yet the COLB is NOT proof, and yet no one calls them on that.
It is simply wrong to say that Birthers are insane unless there’s some evidence out there that we’ve missed – and yet no one can tell us what it is.
Thank you for your take-down of the lunatic ‘birthers’. I not only compare them to the 9/11 troofers, but to the Andrew Sullivan “Trig troofers” whose mantra goes like this: “I am not saying that Trig is not Sarah Palin’s biological son, I am only posing the question that others are asking that maybe Bristol is the child’s real mother”.
We are now more afraid of Oboma than we are of Osoma. He is the president of a country that is two thirds opposite of him. If all this wasn’t upsetting enough, now we hear one of his people say that doctos take their oath too seriously.
It feels like our Whitwhouse is having a nervous breakdown!
How many people against the healthcare take over cannot get to the Whitehouse? Lots! They can however get to their own state houses. We should call for a protest at the same hour on the same day at every state house in every state in this country. Two o’clock eastern standard time. That way even on the west coast it will still be at least 11.
Bernie you can get this done. You are so well connected.
They could never get past that visual.
I humbly apologize for putting on a post that you felt needed to be taken down.
I truly respect you.
My face book page has been shut down and I have been shut out of all facebooks. I’m always respectful. I wonder if thee are more people that this is happing to?
Good Job, Bernard!!
The mainstream liberal media are champions of one-eyed selective outrage.
They strain at a knat and swallow a bull elephant. They didn’t even blink
over Obama’s recent praise of the “tolerance and justice” of Islam. They ignored the Stanford study that said that the George Bush aid to Africa saved more lives than any other government action in world history!! BLACK lives.
THEY DON’T WANT TO BRING UP THE FACT THAT BARNEY FRANKS DEFENSE
OF FANNIE MAE AND CHUCK SCHUMERS DEFENSE OF CORRUPT WALL ST PROTECTED THE PEOPLE WHO DESTROYED OUR ECONOMY!! No outrage over
the utter illogic of Obama cutting our Missile defense at a time when we can’t
even defend our cities against vintage 1940s missile technology.
Both when I was married and when my children were born, my mother had announcements put in her local paper. We didn’t live there, we lived in another state. I’m not saying, necessarily, that I believe that he wasn’t born in the US, but a birth announcement in the newspaper proves nothing.
You are correct – an announcement can be placed by anyone without regard to location. I have done a good deal of research on this matter – and I hold that the main question is WHY would Obama pay attorneys a ton of money to fight lawsuits around the country, and to keep ALL his records sealed? Why if he had nothing to hide? Makes NO SENSE. I believe that his Occidental records would show that he was given financial aid as a foreign student; I believe he traveled to the Middle East in the 80s on a foreign passport (since the area he went to was closed to Americans). Further, I found 2 missionaries in Africa who told me that it is general knowledge Obama was born in Kenya, and warned me to be very careful because Obama was a dangerous man. I still have those emails – and I have seen the ‘certification’ – it proves NOTHING. so the question is – where is your birth certificate Obama?