A copy of Barack Obama's birth certificate, supplied by the Obama for President campaign, has failed to convince conspiracy theorists who believe that Obama is not a US citizen.
(Chicago Tribune/MCT/NEWSCOM/FILE)Photos (1 of 1)
Freemasons to ‘Birthers’: rise of D.C. conspiracy theories
Once firmly in the fringe, political conspiracy theories have become more mainstream in the past few decades, say some.
By Alexandra Marks | Staff writer/ August 4, 2009 edition
New York
Political conspiracy theories – like the so-called “birther” allegation that President Obama is not a legitimate US citizen – are as old as the nation.
In the late 1700s, it was rumored that the Freemasons were actually a Satanic cult and George Washington was a member who was elevated to the presidency so they could control the country. Such views were generally held by a few fringe groups and were viewed by the mainstream culture as a bit nutty.
But in the past few decades, conspiracy theories have tended to become a part of mainstream political culture, say political analysts. They point to Lou Dobbs’s promotion of the “birther” controversy on CNN, and to the Research 2000 survey that found 28 percent of Republicans think Mr. Obama was not born in the US and another 30 percent “aren’t sure,” despite overwhelming evidence that he was born in Hawaii.
The rising popularity of political conspiracy theories can be tied to a variety of factors, say analysts, from the growing distrust in government since Watergate and Vietnam to the expansion of the national security apparatus to the rise of the infotainment cable news culture.
Conspiracy theories are also thriving on the Internet, where people can choose what to read and what to ignore.
“The Internet perpetuates these things because of the ease with which you can look up all of this so-called ‘evidence’ on the web - no matter how far flung the idea is - and build whatever worldview you want while ignoring other evidence,” says James LaPlant, who teaches a class on political conspiracy theories at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Ga.
Professor Plant has called Mr. Dobbs’s decision to continue covering the “birther” movement “highly irresponsible,” because it legitimizes a debunked conspiracy theory. Many media and political analysts have also criticized Dobbs for keeping the controversy alive by continuing to ask Obama to release a “long form” birth certificate.
Several media and fact-check organizations, including researchers at CNN, have determined that the short “Certificate of Live Birth” produced by the Obama campaign in 2008 is legitimate. In a leaked e-mail, CNN president Jonathan Klein wrote that CNN researchers had determined that a “long form” certificate no longer exists because Hawaiian authorities destroyed their paper records in 2001, and declared the story “dead.”
Dobbs has fought back, calling concern about his coverage “left wing” and “thin gruel,” particularly because critics have charged the birther movement with having undertones of racial paranoia. Dobbs says that if Obama would simply release the “long form” certificate, the controversy would go away.
CNN has not responded to calls and e-mails asking for comment. Media Matters, a media watchdog group, has released an ad calling for CNN to stop Dobbs from promoting the controversy.
It’s vital for mainstream media outlets to debunk political conspiracy theories, says LaPlant.
“When somebody is committed to the belief that we did not go to the moon, that JFK was murdered by a Lyndon Johnson and a Mafia/Cuba consortium, you just can’t reason with them,” he says. “This is what we’re running into now with the idea that Barack Obama was born in Kenya.”
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Comments
2. m | 08.04.09
captain steve
If President Obama provides the birth certificate, he will set a precedent that allows crack pot groups like the birthers to think they can tell the president what do do. Why didn’t GW sit down with Cindy Sheehan and answer her questions about the truth of our invasion of Iraq? For the same reason Obama won’t bow down to you and your fellow racists hacks!
If O’Reilley, Limbaugh and eve Coulter think this “birther” group are crazy….maybe you should rethink the whole thing.
3. Steve Rogers | 08.04.09
Why is it a conspiracy that people want the president to release the information that would qualify him for the office? The internet doesn’t just make it easy to have access to information, but it makes it hard for media sources to control what we see and allows us to have our own opinions.
4. Jason | 08.04.09
He was voted in fair and square. That’s democracy and the American way, get use to it. Now lick your wounds and find someone better than Sarah Palin in 2012.
5. Think Again | 08.04.09
Considering what George Bush, Cheney, and other trolls - so called citizen of USA did to our country, no one can criticize about a president who stands for ordinary people over oil companies and defense contractors.
You become a citizen by what you do for you country.
7. Leonard | 08.04.09
This “birther” allegation holds as much water as 911 was an inside job, the moon landings were fake, Roosevelt let Pearl Harbor be attacked on purpose, Aliens built the pyramids, etc. Idiots.
BTW “Think Again” you think this current Administration stand for ordinary people any more than the previous one? Reality hits people like you the hardest.
8. Mark | 08.04.09
Dick Cheney is from Mars and is ready to launch an attack soon. Did you see Mars Attacks? He looks exactly like those nasty little creatures. Actually who cares where anybody was born? Not one of our presidents has ever represented any but the most rich, powerful and morally corrupted sectors of our population. When push comes to shove they always push the working class over the cliff as Obama did with the bankster bailouts. Now we are broke and have a Kenyan president. But does it matter? I doubt it? McCrazy would have done the same thing after grandstand protestations. He is married to a billionaire. We are screwed.
9. Tris | 08.04.09
have you seen pics of the kenyan birth certificate that surfaced the other day?? looks WAYYYY more legitimate, not only does it provite far more details including signatures(more of a photo of a document on a table, versus a scan), where as the picture at top of this article looks like it was made in microsoft paint in 10 minutes.
Seriously, this is pathetic. I hope people don’t buy this drivel(this source in particular, there’s legitimate arguments from all sides though).
10. laura | 08.04.09
Obama is doing wonderful things for our country. If all the poeple who are now criticising him would have stood up and fought for what was right during the Bush years maybe we wouldnt have thousands of dead american soldiers in the Iraq war!!!!!
11. AMAlex | 08.04.09
So people are unhappy and they will continue to look for someone to blame and something to focus on other than their own short comings. This controversery stirs up more distrust among these short sighted individuals. Please, if you want to know facts, do your own research, but don’t fall for the dramatics of unhappy conservatives who need to keep focus away from their own questionable motives.
12. Grill | 08.04.09
So why won’t Obama release his long form birth certificate. McCain did. It would put this to bed. What on that birth certificate is Obama afraid of?
13. Sam | 08.04.09
So Mr black political columnist - did you notice that your ‘genuine’ certificate says the father is in hawaii???
What - did you think he sent his american wife to Kenya to have the child, and then went off to some far away village to inform the authorities in that village about the birth???
What proof do we have you are black or a columnist or even sane?
14. Sad | 08.04.09
Sad! Sad! Sad! 48M Americans don’t have health insurance, insurance companies like Oxford are committing frauds to try to not provide benefits to people that are paying for it, Wall Street people just committed giant fraud and people lost ton of money, billion of dollars are being spent in Iraq… and the issue is this BS about Obama birth certificate? You’re kidding right? What is wrong with Americans?
15. Rich | 08.05.09
Try reading the article with comprehension:
‘a “long form” certificate no longer exists because Hawaiian authorities destroyed their paper records in 2001′
Hence, Obama can’t release the long form of his birth certificate because it was destroyed by Hawaiian officials. The certificate of live birth should be more than sufficient since it has been authenticated through Hawaiian officials. What’s more, I don’t really understand why these people are upset over an authenticated birth certificate and weren’t upset over the fiasco that was the 2000 election. It seems like legitimacy is not really at issue here.
16. Suite Judy | 08.05.09
Sad, The issue of the Birth Certificate is a constitutional issue. This makes it even more weighty than the problems of lack of health insurance, wall street fraud, and the iraq/afghanistan wars. While those are problems that must be dealt with, and weigh heavily on americans hearts and wallets, to have fraud perpetrated on our country in the election of our president, would undermine the trust we have had in our electors. And with a president as popular as this one, it could be a tragedy beyond comprehension.
17. Bob | 08.05.09
60% of Republicans are unsure or convinced that Obama is covering up a 48 year old fraud regarding his birthplace. These are the same people who are still convinced that there are WMD’s in Iraq, and that Bush was a good leader for America. Makes one question all the other convictions held by Republicans and conservatives regarding religion, science, the environment, etc.
18. Jill Herendeen | 08.05.09
It’s not what’s wrong with (most) Americans…it’s what’s wrong with the mass media. These “controversies” are offered as distractions from the all-too-real problems which might be discussed otherwise. The wealthy people who own the presses rightly fear that, given enough discussion, REAL issues might actually lead to reform, which would tend to benefit those of us who are not wealthy enough to own CBS, NBC, ABC, and the major newspapers.
19. Tired & Losing Patience | 08.05.09
I agree with Lou Dobbs on this one. Just show a birth certificate and all the conspiracy (and media coverage) goes away. As President you were entrusted to address serious matters and voter concerns. Why the needless distraction, unless it serves a larger purpose or agenda we don’t know about?
21. Antonio | 08.05.09
I’m still wondering what he has to hide. If he was really born in Hawaii, he just could show the long form birth certificate and silence the birthers like me. That would be his golden opportunity to make the opposition look like a bunch of bafoons, but he keeps on hiding it.
22. Flea | 08.05.09
It it too bad that media could, but does not, lay the matter to rest by publishing the fact that it doesn’t matter where Obama was born, Hawaii or Kenya. His mother was a US citizen who resided within the US for more than five years. Therefore, regardless of his place of birth, President Obama is a US citizen. Instead, in order to prolong the debate and increase viewership -presumably, they insist on publishing these silly “birther” concerns as if they are legitimate.
23. Andrew | 08.05.09
From Captain Steve:
“I don’t trust ANY politician and almost no one in the media. I still want answers. Obummer, put up or get out!!!! All he has to do is make the following official public statement”
Do you realize the contradiction in here?? Even if Obama came out with (more) proof you would still not believe him… Enough with the accusations built on paranoid (and false) pretenses.
24. Mr. Tom | 08.05.09
The paper the birth is recorded on does not appear to be the type used 44 years ago. It would be a nice comparison to witness the birth certificates of others born in the same hospital during the same month as Obama.
25. kc | 08.05.09
I, too, recently requested my birth certificate from the hospital in which I was born. They had also gotten rid of the originals, and I was sent a copy from a digital scan, and guess what? It appears to be the shorter form. Does this mean that I, too, was born in Kenya?
26. Roy-David Woodward | 08.05.09
Are you serious about George and our Presidents not being Masons of high degree? And being against Jewish controls which were and are intact massively today? Do you still think your retorts against “Conspiracy Theories” will hide the facts? You really do think Americans are a sleep and afraid of your genius. Read Children of The Matrix and give me a call after you blush and gulp at names,dates and places…and photos. Sorry, you just lost.
27. stillangryaboutswiftboating | 08.05.09
The birthers succeed when they agitate real Americans. Their goal is to show the shallowness of America’s faith in states rights. They smear the Hawaiian government with impunity. They plot to use the news cycles for gibberish instead of essential debate over financial rescue programs and healthcare matters. They were so successful as swiftboaters they still believe they will be triumphant over the democrats again. They probably will, but I think they will spend about 40 years in the wilderness before it happens again.
28. kws | 08.05.09
“Obama is doing wonderful things for our country.” By making George W Bush look like a spendthrift?? What drugs are you on, laura?
29. undrgrndgirl | 08.10.09
@steve, what part of “hawai’i destroyed their paper records in 2001″ do you not understand??? if you are over age 20, in all likelihood YOUR original records, including the medical records pertaining to YOUR birth, have also been destroyed…
30. Karen | 08.10.09
Seriously? Clinton’s in Kenya to perpetuate the Obama myth? Is she going to be scrouging through the hospital basement setting fire to the archives?
I’m really hoping that was a facetious remark.
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1. Captain Steve | 08.04.09
It’s no surprise that Hillary Clinton is in Kenya today to reinforce the cover-up.
I don’t trust ANY politician and almost no one in the media. I still want answers. Obummer, put up or get out!!!! All he has to do is make the following official public statement,
“I Barack Obama authorize the State of Hawaii to release and make public all of my records on file.”
That’s it. Issue over. But he won’t because he’s a fraud!! Obama knows that millions of citizens want to see it yet he continues to hide it. What/why is he hiding? and most disturbingly, why don’t BHO’s supporters want to know the whole truth, especially since there’s a reward of $100,000 for proof that Obama is a “natural born” citizen of the United States.
OBAMA, STOP HIDING. SHOW US THE LONG FORM BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND YOUR OTHER RECORDS!!!!!