By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor.
I guess I will defer to Pete Seeger’s lyrical talent to explain through verse the disappearance of our friends pejoratively referred to as “birthers”: that is, those who assert President Obama was born in Kenya and as such is ineligible for office due to not being a “natural born citizen” as required by the US Constitution.
Now that Mr. Obama is in the final year of his presidency, one would think that Birthers would be legions to storm forward and attack presidential hopeful Ted Cruz, who by his own admission and clearly established facts, was–are you ready for this–born outside the USA!
It begs of course the question…Where have all the Birthers gone?
For many recent years, there has been a great debate in some circles, often voraciously, speculating as to President Obama’s place of birth. The situation was not exactly diffused by what many regarded as the White House’s dismissiveness in proving his birthplace which of course led to the belief Mr. Obama had something to hide. But the opposite is true with Mr. Cruz.
The entire premise of the Birther’s position was that if it could be proven Obama was born in Kenya, then it was up to Congress or the Supreme Court to cast away his presidency. Surprisingly, despite Mr. Cruz’ admission and all other readily obtainable evidences available to the Birther’s need for evidence, no great numbers are sounding the clarion calls. They have seemingly disappeared while at the verge of their own victory: advocating that foreign born presidents are in contravention to the Constitution. Ted Cruz should be as fish swimming in a barrel.
Ted Cruz was born December 22, 1970 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to an American Citizen mother. He later emigrated to the United States. Sounds like a prima facie case for the Birthers! Yet, crickets is all we hear.
Where have all the Birthers Gone? Long time waiting.
There are many academics and legal professionals who draw a credible question as to what defines Natural Born Citizen as written in Article II Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution. In this case, we don’t need Sheriff Joe or various other investigators to determine the birth place of Mr. Cruz.
Could it be possible that much of this mantra of protecting the office of the president from foreign influences is, in actuality, due to domestic political agendas? Unthinkable! I would have thought the Birther movement might have been apolitical. Perhaps I am wrong.
Where are the these true believers? I want to see a conspiracy theory turn out to be fact. But if this is the case it surely is a setback for these folks in that one of their favorite Raisons d’être atrophied away with regard to Mr. Cruz. Sad that such things have come to an end.
Give me that old time conspiracy!
By Darren Smith
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
This is my take: The Republican Party’s Response to the Natural Born Citizen Clause: Cowardice, Hypocrisy and Perfidy
https://www.academia.edu/23179986/The_Republican_Partys_Response_to_the_Natural_Born_Citizen_Clause
Wlindsay
I assume you actually perused the referenced document.?
The diatribe of the author has a number of a priori statements which have their basis in erroneous universalisms.
The keystone to the argument is “Virtue” of which the author exhibits little and therefore obviates the assertions made.
To give credit where credit is due, it was a very interesting piece to read for recreation and exercise the synapses in the ” reasoning” regions. It was akin to a journey in a maze of most interesting turns only to find at the end…. a void.
I read the document highlighted by wlindsay….admitted, a fairly quick reading.
For that quick read, it looks like the author does not have a problem with Congress being bypassed via Executive Orders, in order to change legislation.
The author cites Republican objections to this end run, and those objections are strongest from GOP menbers of Congress.
But it is not just members of Congress, or Republicans who have a problem with this separation of powers issue.
This is a fairly basic question of constitutional law that will probably result in a Supreme Court decision…..maybe after President Obama is out of office.
I didn’t see any objections to the practice of changing legislation via Ex. Orders by the author…..just a complaint that their are objections.
The targets of the “birther issue” have been Obama and Cruz, primarily.
And this is considered a “fringe issue”. It is indeed raised almost exclusively by Republicans, a relatively small number of Republicans.
I’ve read the different comments here on the “natural born citizen” issue, and numerous articles elsewhere.
There are opinions on both sides as to what exactly is meant by “natural born citizen”, with some opinions more “constitution-based” than others.
I have my opinion on that “natural born citizen” phrase, and others have different opinions.
Some arguments are more persasive than others, but the I don’t think SCOTUS has ever issued a landmark decision on the issue of N.B. Citizen re eligibility to serve as president.
Given the debate(s) about that, and the “eligibilty doubts” that are out there, I think SCOTUS should put this to rest once at for all.
The author, in addition to seemingly approve of legislating from the White House, see no need for SCOTUS to take up this issue.
Evidently, because he KNOWS with certainty what that clause means, just as othere are certain in their ( opposite) conclusions.
The article cited does not make convincing arguments, in my view.
Tnash, why not quote my exact comment where I supposedly said what you claim I said?
Putting your own words in quotations then assigning them to me does not qualify, rather it is at best an attempt at deception.
po
Po….I explained why the name was slightly different, after unsubsribing to this blog.
I won’t bother explaining that to you again. You changed pseudo names completely WITHIN THE SAME THREAD here after making vague, unsubstantiated claims about my “erroneous facts”.
I challenged you, TWICE, to show where my the facts as I stated them were incorrect.
You did not produce ANYTHING challenging the facts I presented, then you make an accusation later using a completely different alias.
Just more of your game playing, adding in a new wrinkle.
tom, every comment by momdemon was followed by mention that it is actually I Po. as to why different names within same thread, easy, I previously posted from my desktop and am now posting from my cell phone. former allows me to change name, latter doesn’t.
As to our issue, you, friend, have offered a supposed quote of mine I never made.
At least acknowledge that…
this is Po
I have an interest in the columns, and sometimes exchanging views/ debating issues in the comments thread.
I have no interest in communicating with evasive trolls who like to play word games, will not answer direct and legitimate questions, and post 1,000-2,000 manifestos.
@smrstrauss
Sometimes I have to just report and let you, the reader, decide.
FWIW, yes I went to Washington D.C., and President Obama wouldn’t even speak to me! His “gate keepers” were quite rude, and asked if I was daft? They told me that Obama has never released any of his school papers, including ones from Kindergarten and Elementary school. And, that Obama had a firm policy of neither confirming, nor denying documents purporting to represent his school work. Sooo, I spent the rest of the day drinking Long Island Ice Teas in a hotel bar. I may have had an incidental sexual encounter with a bald, pudgy guy who said he was an ex-Navy SEAL who now works for Black Water Security. Frankly, I just don’t remember. I was too sloshed.
Then, I went to Hawaii, to see if I could confirm that these three works were really President Obama’s first grade papers. After much searching, I met a woman, let’s call her Jane Doe, who said that she was a class mate of Obama’s, but that she does not remember specific coloring exercises from circa 1968, and asked if I was daft. She did off that Obama was a notoriously bad speller, and was probably terrified of both hungry lions and venomous snakes. Sooo, I spent the rest of the day drinking Long Island Ice Teas in a hotel bar. I may have had an incidental sexual encounter with another bald, pudgy guy who said he was an ex-Navy SEAL who now works for Black Water Security. Frankly, I just don’t remember. I was too sloshed.
Finally, I went to Chicago, to see if either Bill Ayers or Rev. Jeremy Wright, could confirm that these were indeed Obama’s first grade papers. Rev. Wright seemed indignant and asked if I was daft. He kept asking me if I had a hidden camera on me, or did I know some guy named O’Keefe, or something like that. Bill Ayers told me, “Yes! Those are indeed Obama’s first grade papers, and that he had actually flown to Hawaii to help Obama recover his lost memories of Kenya, and to help him color them. But I thought he was just being sarcastic. Sooo, I spent the rest of the day drinking Long Island Ice Teas in a hotel bar. I may have had an incidental sexual encounter with yet another bald, pudgy guy who said he was an ex-Navy SEAL who now works for Black Water Security. Frankly, I just don’t remember. I was too sloshed.
But darn, those ex-Navy Seals sure do seem to get around! I wonder if maybe SEAL diving caps cause baldness??? Anyway, I digress. Sooo, what’s a Girl Reporter supposed to do after all that???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
strauss – I suggest you buy the book or check it out of your library (if you have a library card).
Squeeky Fromm said: “Here are the other two Obama school papers:”
Once again, Squeeky, that is not what REPORTERS do.
Re: “There is discussion by Mr. Cashill of a quantitative observation made by a Mr. Southwest of 759 similarities between Dreams and Fugitive Days. Of these 759 similarities, Mr. Cashill categorizes 180 as “striking similarities.” ”
And what makes Cashill qualified to make such an analysis? (And what makes him OBJECTIVE?)
@PaulCS
The liberals have a counterpart to “The American Thinker”. It’s called “The American Intimidator.” They eschew “thinking” and just do a lot of name calling, smearing, and other intimidatory activities. But, they feel really good about themselves, so there is that!
🙂
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
“Momdemon is evidently also “po”, from what I can make of it.
If that’s the case, I don’t plan on playing your games.
Your evasiveness and word games are bad enough….now you are evidently switching pseudo names in the same thread.
I don’t know that there is any rule against that…..but it’s another example of your gamesmanship.
So blind those who do not want to see…
Tom Nash, same thing happened to me as happened to you when you went using Tom Nash to your current pseudonym, posting from a different medium and it signs you in automatically. happened to you, happening to me, simple really.
additionally, I made sure to post subsequently that momdemom is po.
Squeeky – I thought theirs was the “Universal Feeler”?
“momdemon” I reviewed this thread and the c. 170 comments.
Other that your accusation that I misquoted you, I found no comments by a “momdemon”.
To repeat, I’ll try to respond to you if I know what the hell you are talking about.
A. Good to have Mr. Smith arguing that neither Obama nor Cruz are eligible!
B. Some have attempted to squash the notion that Soetoro wasn’t eligible, and therefore would be hypocritical in mentioning that Cruz may have eligibility issues.
“momdemon” ..I don’t know who you are or what you are referring to.
If you give me some specifics, I’ll try to respond to you.
Where did I misquote you, or label my words as a quote from you?
Paul C Shulte: American Thinker!
by the way that was from Po