Birtherism Has Nothing to do with Race

Yesterday Barrack Obama FINALLY released his long form birth certificate and (probably) ended the controversy over Obama's being a natural born citizen. That said, I feel it is time to address the usual accusation levied by the Drive-By Media whenever Obama is criticized: "You're only saying that because he's black." Actually, no, that has absolutely nothing to do with it. It's sadder than sad that I have to keep tearing down that statement, but since Liberals are going to keep making the accusation I'm afraid I must. Obama being black had nothing to do with the questions about his lineage. His father being Kenyan kind of did, but that's a very important distinction. There was a legitimate cause, not just indiscriminately targeting a black man, to question Obama's status as a natural born citizen due to his father being a citizen of another nation.  If his father was from Germany, Greece, Canada, Ireland, etc, the same questions would have been asked. There were questions as to his place of birth and also to whether or not a person whose father was not a citizen qualified as a natural born citizen. Unfortunately the founders didn't help much with specification there.  As always, "you're racist" is the only argument Liberals seem to have available to silence critics, but it's not the reason Obama's birthplace was an issue!

First off, let's tackle the REAL reasons why certain Conservatives began questioning Obama's birth place: They are afraid of what Obama would do (in '08) and what he HAS done as President (in '11). Largely, the Birther movement was an attempt to get Obama out of office as quickly as possible.  Was it always a bad way to accomplish that goal?  Perhaps. But let's not confuse people wanting Obama to no longer be our President because of his policies with people wanting Obama to no longer be our President because of his race.

Liberals would have you believe that questions about a Presidential Candidate's birthplace are unique to Obama. As usual, history doesn't bear that out (1):

President Chester A. Arthur (R): Arthur was the child of a natural born US citizen (his mother) and a naturalized US citizen (his father who was born in Ireland).  Many Democrats claimed that Arthur was actually born in Canada, and/or claiming that his father's naturalized citizenship made President Arthur not a naturalized citizen.

Charles Evans Hughes (R):
Hughes served as Governor of New York, Secretary of State and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Also, in 1916, he ran for President against Woodrow Wilson.  It was argued that Hughes was not a citizen because his immigrant father was not a naturalized citizen when he was born, even though he was physically born in the United States.

Barry Goldwater (R):  The 1964 Republican Presidential nominee was born in Phoenix, AZ in 1909. At that point, Arizona was a U.S. Territory, not a state (it was admitted to the Union in 1912).

John McCain (R) Senator John McCain was indeed born to American parents, but born in Panama at Coco Solo Naval Base.  In 2008, questions were asked as to whether or not McCain was a "natural born citizen" because he was not physically born on American soil. The Senate passed a resolution stating McCain was a natural born citizen because he was born to two American citizens and born on an American base (which is accepted to be American soil).

These are four examples of other individuals whose natural-born citizenship was challenged.  There have only been seven total such serious challenges in history. There are but a few examples of this phenomenon, because only one office in the United States requires a person to be a natural born citizen: President of the United States. (It is De Facto Law but not De Jure Law that the Vice President, given that his purpose is to fill the Presidency if it is vacated, should also be a natural born citizen.)  Since only a relatively few people have run for that office, there are only a few examples.  Governors, Senators, Congressmen, and the like must be citizens but are not required to be natural born. They must be naturalized citizens, and in most cases it requires a certain number of years of citizenship. But only President requires a natural born citizen.

Was the issue of Obama's birthplace ever going to be a winner for Conservatives? Probably not, but it also had absolutely nothing to do with Obama's race. I've said it over and over again here: Conservatives don't oppose Obama because he's black. Conservatives oppose Obama because he's radically Liberal. Otherwise explain why Conservatives vehemently opposed John Kerry, Bill Clinton, Michael Dukakis, Walter Mondale and Jimmy Carter. Liberals always want to discount their opponents. Anyone who opposes Liberalism is always said to be either stupid, racist, heartless and evil, or some combination of the three. That's because Liberals don't want to debate ideas because there are no successes of Liberalism in practice in recorded history. Conservatism is packed with it. The Birther issue was no different.

Many of the Birthers are just nutty. Many of them probably believe the Moon landing was faked too. Others were simply looking to get Obama out of the White House as quickly as possible to protect the country from further damage to our freedom courtesy of Obama. The final group, which includes people like Sean Hannity, Donald Trump, and (far less famously) me, began to question the situation only a few months ago as Obama fought so very hard to make the questions go away rather than simply producing the long form birth certificate he produced yesterday. Not a bit of it had to do with race. Activist Liberals won't stop the ad homonym attacks of racism because they simply have no better argument to give.

To my fellow Conservatives who are tired of being called racist, it's a baloney argument. We all know it. They know it. To my Neighborhood Liberal friends who I know read this blog, would you please get on the people on your side of the aisle to drop the unnecessary attacks and debate ideas? I disagree with you but you're good hearted people. As yourself, do you really believe the Conservatives you know and are friends with are racist? I didn't think so. So I'm asking you, please go after the Activist Liberals you know and tell them to knock it off with the mudslinging!

Activist Liberals, I ask you the same question I ask regularly: What are you, afraid of a fair fight?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) Natural Born Citizen Clause