Obama and the Birthers

[TheGame]

Originally Posted by Professor S

Exactly, but this nutter birther group is. Why do you think the media is/was spending so much more time on a subject that makes the Republicans look bad? It's because the Republican party itself wants to look like morons or is it that the media wants to concentrate on the handful that believe in the tooth fairy BECAUSE it makes the Republicans look bad?

No, it gets a lot of play because of things like the 'birther bill', and because a good amount of republican party representatives refuse to deny that this subject is legit.

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by TheGame

No, it gets a lot of play because of things like the 'birther bill', and because a good amount of republican party representatives refuse to deny that this subject is legit.

There is no stronger denial than a representative's VOTE.

A unanimous vote by the U.S. House last night has brought new attention to Rep. Bill Posey's attempt to require presidential candidates to submit their birth certificates to prove they are really U.S. citizens. But Posey is not backing down.

As part of a lingering and, many feel, stupefying controversy over whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States, the House passed a resolution 378-0 celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hawaiian statehood and also recognizing it as Obama's birthplace. Posey, R-Rockledge, joined the majority as did co-sponsors of his bill.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/0..._n_246300.html

Even those that SPONSORED the "birther bill" affirmed Pres. Obama's citizenship.

EDIT: Portions removed due to "snippiness". I'm working on it

[TheGame]

I see where you're coming from prof, even in the video I posted the congressman seemed embarrased about it but still admitted that he thinks that Obama is a US citezen. The 10 republicans in the houise supporting the birther bill in the first place, mixed with the public reaction to it is why it got media play though.

If 10 elected official democrats supported a bill that said that all US presidents need blood tests to prove that they don't have any ailen DNA strands before becoming president, while big mouth democrats were coming to town halls saying that Bush is from mars.. and there was a house democrat saying openly that they can't swear on a stack of bibles that Bush isn't from mars.. it'd get coverage too.

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by TheGame

I see where you're coming from prof, even in the video I posted the congressman seemed embarrased about it but still admitted that he thinks that Obama is a US citezen. The 10 republicans in the houise supporting the birther bill in the first place, mixed with the public reaction to it is why it got media play though.

Perhaps, but back to the main point, I don't think that gives reason to believe the entire party shares those views, especially when most came out against these ideas in one way or another.

[agreed]If 10 elected official democrats supported a bill that said that all US presidents need blood tests to prove that they don't have any ailen DNA strands before becoming president, while big mouth democrats were coming to town halls saying that Bush is from mars.. and there was a house democrat saying openly that they can't swear on a stack of bibles that Bush isn't from mars.. it'd get coverage too.

I'll agree thats it makes it newsworthy, but thats an off-shoot of our main discussion on media concentration: Can you reasonably make assumptions about the entire party's views on birthers from the few fringe members? Remember you did make those assumptions in an earlier post I quoted and bolded, and think I've shown that you can't, especially given the evidence I've posted that the party has been pretty clear in their rejection of the whole mess.

Here is more evidence:

“Chairman Steele believes that this is an unnecessary distraction and believes that the president is a U.S. citizen. Chairman Steele wants to move beyond this conversation and continue discussing the real and immediate concerns that face American families like the economy and health care. Americans are concerned with President Obama’s health care plan, a failed stimulus package and a ballooning deficit. Chairman Steele has many other issues to take up with the president that have to do with policy, not a birth certificate.”

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/re...is-us-citizen/

The sad part is that I didn't find this on any major news source. I don't think the media considers Republicans against the birthers to be newsworthy. So Republicans for birthers=news, and those that speak out against it are largely ignored, probably helping you to lead to your initial conclusion.

And you have referred to video, I'll do so myself showing how most republicans view the birther mess:



And even the left has admitted this is a fringe issue (although I think they overstate/misunderstand the racial element)



By the way, for every piece of news relating the fringiness of this whole mess, there are about 10 trying to pin it on the entire republican party, and almost all of them saying birther=racist (I'll admit I think that for a small part of the birthers (who are a tiny group themselves) thats the real reason) including Chris Matthews who I think is more responsible for this rediculous coverage than anyone else outside of Lou freaking Dobbs. Wow, he completely fell apart as a journalist during and after the election.

[TheGame]

I'll agree with you, that it shouldn't be something that represents the whole republican party.

Its just from what I've seen, it didn't get any serious attention in media until after the birther bill came out. Some legitamate people who happend to all be republicans added strong feul to the fire.

But yeah, now (for the most part) they're trying to disassociate themselves from the Birther movement. I don't think any of them really think Obama was born in Kenya, they've just done something that gives the media a reason to pick on them.

[Professor S]

I think some less than objective polling did some damage as well. There was one poll that stated that "over 50% of Republicans believe the birthers" and it turns out the questions that were asked didn't have much at all to do with the issue, but were mainly general questions about nationality and eligibility.