As should actors, entertainers, writers, doctors, lawyers, union and corporate employees, government workers .... unless they agree with you. Although I am not a "birther," I do believe that everyone has the right to their opinions.
Slightly off topic, but he's actually a pretty good player, which is probably why this made news (top story on Yahoo, apparently). Not that it's saying much, but if he were on the Astros, he'd arguably be their best hitter, slightly better than Hunter Pence. He had a 0.900 OPS last year and has hit 25ish HRs each of the last 3 years.
I've been meaning to ask this for some time: First, to be 100% clear, I believe Obama was born in Hawaii and is a citizen of the United States. I believe that and I don't doubt it at all. They have his birth announcement from the Hawaii newspaper and they have the "short form" birth certificate or whatever it's called, as was pointed out by Anderson Cooper to the Texas Rep. So….what is the controversy, exactly? Do they not have his actual birth certificate? Does this make the short-form cert unofficial? Has the actual certificate itself been sealed or something? If the short-form cert is legit, then what is it the birthers claim is being hidden? I believe he is a citizen. I just don't understand the controversy itself. Can anyone explain it to me in non-partisan terms? I'd really appreciate it. Rep for a satisfactory answer(s). Or should I start another thread for this?
There is no controversy. Just a bunch of idiots who can't accept a black man as president. You don't have to rep me.
Even if this is the case, it has to be based on something, and I'm trying to understand what that something is. And I did say rep for "satisfactory" answers.
But that's the point. It isn't based on something. All of the somethings have been answered. There's only one conclusion to come too. I'm sorry if that makes people uncomfortable.
The original birth certificate exists (republican officials in Hawaii have affirmed that I believe), but a regular person is not allowed to see one belonging to somebody else. Obama hasn't released that, mostly because the certification of live birth is effectively a birth certificate in Hawaii and is all you need legally for anything. I think many birthers believe that because you can apply to get a certification of live birth after the fact, that it isn't enough to prove his citizenship, as documents could have been forged to get it. Also, they believe that because Obama is unwilling to release the actual birth certificate itself, he must be hiding something (see Scott's comments about hiding stuff), so the presumption should be that he was not born there. There are other theories that state that even though he was born in the U.S., he isn't a naturally born citizen because his father was Kenyan (or actually British) or because of his time in Indonesia. I may be wrong, it's been a while since this was in the news much.
+1. Thank you. Is there any rationale as to why he wouldn't release it or is it just to irritate the crazy faction of his opponents?
I am unfamiliar with what those "somethings" are, hence the question. When this was in the news, I figured it was baseless, and ultimately gave it little thought.
Good question. I haven't heard any actual reason for not releasing it other than the fact that there is no good reason to release it. I think the implication is that he wants to irritate the crazy faction of his opponents, or possibly allow them to de-legitimatize themselves.
He's not a hometown player. He was born in Florida. Chris Sampson and J.R. Towles are hometown players.
This story has to be one of the weakest to get on the Yahoo jump page, and thats not saying a whole lot..
Does the government check to make sure that people are U.S. citizens before declaring them the President of the United States?
It's based on nothing. Officials in the state of Hawaii, including the Republican governor, have vouched for the authenticity. It's even in a local newspapers. It strains credulity to think there is a conspiracy that would go back and change archived newspapers.
Oski, I really dont care if Obama is a US citizen or not. but, do you really think the US government is a credible source at this point? signed, Wikileaks.
