That whole birther mentality really isn't a minority among conservatives after all, which is a pretty disturbing fact if you believe the latest polls. The Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind Project hosted the study, and its findings show that around 64% of republicans share the same mentality that comes from such gems as Orly Taitz and Donald Trump. It would be hilarious if it weren't so scary -- because that is an awful lot of republicans. The fair majority of these people "believe" (whether or not they truly do or pretend to is questionable) that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States -- or is at least not a "natural born U.S. citizen."
This is just sickening, guys, and it's shameful. How could the majority of such a large group believe such nonsense when there is adequate proof of otherwise. As far as wingnut conspiracy theories go, this one truly takes the cake so it's actually shocking to see such a huge percentage in support of it. To put this percentage into perspective for you, 64% of republicans is pretty much 36% of Americans.
Similarly, 37% of democrats (not the majority at least) believe that Bush stole the election by committing voter fraud in 2004 and 36% of democrats buy into various 9/11 conspiracies. That's also pretty shameful and embarrassing, guys. Come on, pull it together and use some logic!
Photo: Wikipedia/Obama's Birth Certificate
Chelsea Hoffman is a candidly opinionated crime analyst with a lifelong interest in criminology and activism. She also owns 'Girl Nerdology' and is the author of several fiction stories. Follow her on Twitter @TheRealChelseaH or email her privately through Chelsea Hoffman: Case to Case.
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Comments: 60
An excellent description of the vast majority of the Tea Party people I've dealt with. People I have no problem referring to as Teabagers, whether it offends the delicate sensiblities of some Gather members or not. Especially if those Gather members have posted any number of comments that might best be described as frightened, enraged, hate-filled rants impervious to reason, rationality or facts.
I have some sympathy for more-or-less reasonable Republicans and/or conservatives (most of the ones I either know personally have, like Colin Powell and Andrew Sullivan, supported Obama over the ridiculous clown-car of recent Republican candidates), but absolutely none for the Republican Party "leadership" responsible for what you've described.
I agree.
Tho I have a different opinion of what most Tea Party Members believe (and I am insulted thqat you still demand to knowingly use what you are aware is vulgar disgusting language),
This survey is mis-leading, and Ms Hoffman has nis-quoted, by implication what was actually said in it.
I have no opinion about how many "Tea Party members" (whatever that might mean) fit into the demographic I described, other than that whatever the number might be, it is too damned many.
As for your opinion of my language, I hope you know exactly how concerned I am about whether you approve of it or not.
I would have used the broader term " Ultraconservative, Bible Thumping, Evangelical, Rightwing, Extremist Teapublicans". It's a bit more descriptive, but not as challengable by members such as Jesse. Since it includes both the Evangelicals and the Extremist segments of the Tea Party, those who are also members of the TeleEvangelist Pat Roberts self annointed moral majority group.
Clearly those groups were none of the things they infer by their names. Nor is the "Tea Party" in any way reflective of the original American revolutionaries. And since "Teabaggers" was their own original choice, oblivious to its other application which those of us not aligned with their points of view find quite amusing, tough!
How psuedo tolerant, non-inclusive, and unco-operative of you.
/ˈad ˈhämənəm/
Adverb
(of an argument or reaction) Arising from or appealing to the emotions and not reason or logic.
Attacking an opponent's motives or character rather than the policy or position they maintain.
The actuial quote is "The most popular of these conspiracy theories is the belief that President Obama is hiding important information about his background and early life, which would include what’s often referred to “birtherism.”" .
HIDING info which includes birthers.
I beleive he has hidden his knowledge of Bill Ayers.
I have ZERO doubt he was born in Hawaii.
I believe he hashad many college records seaqled - I have no opinion about whether or not they include anything significant - but he certainly has it hidden - maybe to not admit he got a "C" in some class.
Your claim is proposterous, inane, and obtuse!
You are distorting what they said to promote your own agenda.
Shame on you.
Anyone can look up what was actually said by Dickensons.
It is not debatable.
This quote is in my article. It covers the primary birtherisms. While you were taking the time to type out an obviously emotional post -- you could have tried a little harder to read and comprehend what was written.
You also, clearly, misread the excerpt of the sourced article wrong. I'll leave you for a while to think about it.
*cough* (taken from this source)
That is grossly unfair, and a juvinile smear tactic - I have seen some on the right discpicably lumping people that prefer abortion in with serial killers and cannibals - it is unfair, untrue, and horrendously disingenuous to do so.
I did not mis-quote, nor mis-understand you.
I went directly to the actual source That you, and the source (bl;og) you referenced both mis-quoted contextually. The most popular of these conspiracy theories is the belief that President Obama is hiding important information about his background and early life, which would include what’s often referred to “birtherism.â€
*COUGH* The ACTUAL source
cya.
Let me preface the next remark by saying that I have always been up front about my love-hate relationship with the United States. There are many things (your Constitution, NASA, American arts and culture, the great charitable spirit of many Americans, I could go on and on) that I love about Americans. There are also many things (your history of being warlike, your obsession with guns, your overt racist streak, your arrogant exceptionalism, I could go on and on) that I hate about America. I have family and friends who are ex-pat Canadians living stateside, American citizens now, I have family that are American born, I have friends living in Canada who are American ex-pats.
But America has a significant portion of its population that is out and out crazy. Batshit, blithering, drooling, barking mad. We are talking about many tens of millions of Americans, maybe even 100 million people, who are not just insane but dangerously so. They find all kinds of ways to express their insanity. Lately it has been largely through the Teabagger movement.
These people are not well.
If so many people believe something, surely they cant ALL be wrong
I've often heard that ignorance is bliss, but you, well it's obvious that you wear a special type tin foil hat. I would bet that your's has directional antennas with spinning propellers.
And by the way, this was all sarcasm from the start...just sayin.
Then that play by Abercrombie about not being able to find Obama's birth certificate after declaring he'd release them. It was an obvious play to get the right wing wide eyeds to freak out and make fools of themselves. It worked.
I don't doubt for a second that Obama was born in Hawaii. I do believe he has intentionally used the false "Kenyan born" label when it was beneficial for financial or perhaps sympathetic reasons. I'd love to see Obama's college records. Not because I think he was born in Kenya. I just don't believe "any" of his his narratives and would love to see who he claimed to be back then and what his grades really were as opposed to being declared a genius with no proof. Not buying it...
""School grades don't prove genius, genius. ""
Neither does the ability to read a teleprompter genius.
(BTW: Which Republican politicians' college records have you seen?)
What has Obama done besides win elections and been given titles?
The teleprompter is fine when giving long speeches. Most people do it. However, Obama needed it to introduce Health and human services secretary Sebelius. That's pathetic.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/06/us/politics/06memo.html?_r=0
Do you have a problem with Reagan being white? Who gives a rat's ass about race other than you liberals who obsess over it?
((BTW: Which Republican politicians' college records have you seen?)
Bush's. He's the only republican since I have been old enough to vote.
Jeff H. Jan 19, 2013, 4:06pm EST
Intelligence is determined by accomplishments not titles. Obama doesn't have any accomplishments.
1. Your claims about intelligence is wrong. And this is why:
The definition of "intelligence" is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. -- note, that is is NOT the display of accomplishments.
Intelligence is also not "determined" (the word would actually be "measured," but whatever) by accomplishments.
2. It's really not that difficult to research the different accomplishments of President Barack Obama. These are his top 50 And this is a long comprehensive list of all of his accomplishments. You might want to also learn about some of his accomplishments when he was a senator and not a president.
He's the first black a lot of things. What the hell difference does race make anyways?I know lots of extraordinary intelligent black people in my field. They don't use their skin color as a crutch and never needed to. They don't point out their skin color when they are disagreed with and resent white people like you who do it for them. You aren'tt qualified to wash their shorts.
This comment of yours reveals that YOU are the one who is focusing on his race, and belittling it at the same time. In your comments you disregard the fact that he has several years of noteworthy accomplishments spanning several different chapters of his life, pretending that he has none while remaining willfully ignorant at the facts of the matter - -while pretending that the only reason anyone honors him at all is because of his race.
Congratulations, I think you've made your point loud and clear whether you actually meant to or not.
I looked at the top 50 accomplishments and most of them is signing bills that others wrote. It's not like he's was Clinton who actually pushed and wrote bills that got voted on and passed by congress. He just signed them.
Clinton was a leader and extremely intelligent. that's why the Obama team used race to defeat Hillary because they were afraid to do battle intellectually with the Clintons. Unintelligent people use race as a crutch.
As far as intelligence and accomplishments, the ability to apply knowledge and skills results in something accomplished. Think about it. Bush wasn't intelligent when he signed bills and neither is Obama. Wining elections didn't make Bush intelligent and it doesn't make Obama intelligent either.
""..while pretending that the only reason anyone honors him at all is because of his race. ""
Where did I say that? The race obsessers are cracking secret codes again?
I am ready to hear examples of how involved he was.
""Besides why would you think writing bills is something to focus on when it comes to a President's accomplishments?""
Actually that was in Chelsea's top 50 list of Obama accomplishments. I was surprised to see how weak the list was as well. I don't think signing bills is an accomplishment. There you go again R.F., agreeing with me by accident...
"I know lots of extraordinary intelligent black people in my field. They don't use their skin color as a crutch and never needed to. They don't point out their skin color when they are disagreed with and resent white people like you who do it for them. You aren'tt qualified to wash their shorts."
= "Some of my best friends are black!" Really? Name one.
Jeff H. Jan 19, 2013, 4:06pm EST
Bush's. He's the only republican since I have been old enough to vote.
Not surprising. I knew more about history and politics before you were born than you will likely learn in the rest of your life, kiddo.
For the record, all three of them have masters degrees and I only hold a bachelors degree. They too are older than me and I respect them for who they are as human beings and their ability to get things accomplished. One of them taught me just about everything I know about "REAL" management and design as opposed to the "theory" I was taught in college. I respect him about as much as I respect my father. Skin color has no bearing on how I judge people, unlike you who can't stop pointing it out.
""Not surprising. I knew more about history and politics before you were born than you will likely learn in the rest of your life, kiddo.""
Well you probably knew a hell of a lot more than me about everything before I was born captain obvious. As far as where we are now, you want government to take care of you and I don't. Google "needy".
Chelsea, I'm still on my cell phone and it took forever to get the first list. There was nothing there and I already know Obama's bio. I'll check the second two when I get a chance and respond. Maybe there is something there that will surprise me.
I saw nothing in the other 2 accomplishment posts. An amendment to a bill that didn't pass, bills that couldn't get ou of committee and attaching to bills that were small ball?
The fumy thing is that I was questioning his ability to govern. I wasn't questioning what bills were past after he was elected to office. What has he accomplished before politics? He's a bum that looks good and can speak English.
R.F. I was responding to your particular quote that you posted. I know, reality is tough to face and lying is so temping... Just deal...