A plot to fake Obama’s birth abroad accomplishes…more of the same. What for?
The Birther Conspiracy
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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Of course, the most ridiculous thing about the “conspiracy” is that as the son of an American citizen, Barack Obama is a “natural born” US citizen regardless of the place of his birth. John McCain, for example, was born in Panama, but nobody doubted his status as a “natural born” citizen.
There is NO such, implied innocuous, thing as corporate “centrism.”
At best it’s radical elitism, two names it’s media mouthpieces obediently pin on its detractors.
To Joseph:
Actually there was enough of a question about McCain’s citizenship status, that, among other things, “in April 2008, the U.S. Senate approved a non-binding resolution recognizing McCain’s status as a natural-born citizen.” http://tinyurl.com/4xtnf4x
The same article mentions the Obama birtherism evident also before the 2008 election. It is not clear if a matching senate resolution was not made for Obama because the “world’s greatest deliberative body” saw no controversy or rather, were hoping to assist one.
This is lame and out of date. Just speaking my mind Ted. When I read the title “The Birth Con” I thought it’d be about the birth control issue, but it’s not, it’s about a non-issue that’s already years out of date…….disappointment after a week or two of excellent cartoons……Please tell me someone paid you to do one on this topic.
Sometimes I like to dig up old issues to make a current point, in this case about how Obama is such a continuation of Bush-era policies.
Ted, specifically our bet was about Obama beating Romney. If Romney actually loses the nomination to Santorum, does the bet still stand?
@aggie I’d be up for a new bet.
Aggie,
Maybe Ted isn’t aware of it, but this comic IS related to the birth control issue currently eating up the airwaves.
In both cases, the “issue” is simply cover for the real grudge: In the matter of Obama’s birth, it isn’t permissible in “polite” society to be an out-and-out racist like back in the Jim Crow Era, so, unable to stand there and scream, “We can’t have one of THEM in the White House!” the “outrage” became over whether Obama was actually born in the United States.
The current issue isn’t about birth control. It’s about the, genuinely, pathological hate and fear so many politicians have of women. It isn’t “birth control,” it’s just “control.” And it sublimates even further into the simply unbelievable fanatical fear of gay people. These Republicans seem all messed up in the sex areas. It’s like they simply can’t grasp the concept of “sex” without immediately filling in words like “dirty, shameful, bad, wrong.”
Alex, completely agree. The issue isn’t birth control anymore than it is the idea that abortion is murder….it’s simply about controlling womens bodies. Face it, in much of the world and for much of human history, men had complete control over womens bodies, and now that this is waining, they’re scared. The only reason this crap comes up is because the GOP needs its wedge issue to divide people and make them vote on issues that don’t matter, because on the issues that matter, the Democrats are clearly a kinder, gentler varity of corporate fascists. The reason it has generally worked is because women have not coalesced as a voting demographic separate from their social class and their husbands.
Ted, my bet was based on Obama winning regardless of who wins the Republican nomination. Ultimately I’m not sure Romney has much more chance than Santorum, and I’m going to vote in the GOP primary here in MI because it appears to be a contest. I definitely was psyched about the possibility of getting a piece of artwork from yours….however with Romney imploding a bit, I think it’s fair to give you an out. If you want to keep the bet as is I’m happy with that..Obama wins regardless of GOP candidate
@aggie: bet is still on. Obama loses to the GOP nominee, sez I. Economy is determinant factor.
With regard to the «lamest sinister scheme ever», Ted, may I cite the familiar lines by Bobby Burns :
«The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley,»
Less familliar are the equally true :
«An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,
For promis’d joy!»
Henri
as far as Obama getting re elected, I think the polls are playing exactly like they did in 2008. What happened in 2008? McCain lost every single generic poll against ‘an unnamed dem. candidate’ but won all the head to head polls against Hillary or Obama, while the dem. nomination was still going on.
Think why….okay here’s why… during polling Hillary supporters would chose McCain over Obama to hurt Obama in the polls and Obama supporters did the same to Hillary. Once the dems chose one irrefutable unchangeable candidate, then McCain was loosing all the polls.
Right now Obama loose in all the polls against an unamed gop candidate, but wins in all the head to head polls (actually he even looses some of these). This is happening for the very same reasons. If your candidate is still in the running, you are going to pick Obama over any other candidate (except your guy) to make the other guys look bad. Once the gop picks one irrufutable unchangeable candidate…I think Obama will start to loose all the polls, like McCain did in 2008.
As further proof of my theory…the reason Romney wins some of the these Obama vs Romney polls is because there are so few supporters for the other candidates to skew the Obama vs Romney polls, but tons of Romney supporters to choose Obama over Santorum, Paul, and Gingrich.