Is President Obama an American born on American soil?

[charliechaplinfan]

Not wanting to ruffle to many feathers but finding my interest drawn by an article in my paper today, an English policeman turned private detective is trying to get to the bottom of whether Obama was born in Hawaii, which would make him eligible for the Presidency or whether he was born in Kenya, which would mean he is not. This detective thinks he was born in the latter, many others belive that too, I think this group is called the birthers. Annoyingly, it doesn't really go into too much details apart from the absence of a birth certificate and a picture of Obama's mother in a bikini in the Summer she gave birth to Obama, that's to prove she wasn't expecting him at the time.

Well, you'll be better informed than I am. Is this a storm in a tea cup? Is it a case of some people being bad losers and wanting to destroy the Presidency, whatever the cost to America?

[ken123]

IMHO is an attempt to discredit & delitimize Mr. Obama's Presidency.

[movieman1957]

Alison:

I think I read the same article. It is an interesting situation. I can't imagine that some proof of eligibility would not have to accompany filing to run for the office. If he did I am not sure why any of this has come up. If he didn't then I can't understand how it got past the first level. (It took a congressional ruling to allow John McCain to run as he was born on a military base in Panama.) I wouldn't be a bit surprised that the people who started this didn't have any more notion then to get him out of office. Others have reached for improbable lengths to have some kind of ruling on his eligibility. The longer this has gone on I think some feel that there is some validity to the issue.

The one curious thing that these people continue to bring up is that the President won't release his actual birth certificate. This would make everyone shut up and go home. I have heard the Certification of Live Birth posted isn't the official document anyway. The Dept of Health in Hawaii cannot release the real one without the President's approval. He is not giving it. I am not sure what other document would establish anyone's place of birth.

Lord knows there are plenty of other things to be concerned about. However, the Constitutional ramifications if he is not eligible will be historic and unpredictable. One thing for sure is that even if he were found to not be eligible the country would survive it.

Very few people in the press are covering anything to do with this.

[charliechaplinfan]

I'm not at all surprised that my Saturday paper has coverage of it. The paper has a great magazine but the paper is becoming more and more right wing. It did raise the issue of the live birth certificate.

If John McCain had to get special dispensation, I can't imagine the Democrats would field a candidate who was ineligible, they had a strong candidate in Hillary Clinton. If I were Obama I would release the birth certificate and let them all shut up, although there would be the odd one who would claim it was a fake.

Here anyone can apply for a birth certificate, it doesn't have to be your own, you just need to know what district they were born in and pay the fee.

[Ollie]

I'm really concerned about skin colors of US presidents. We just watched clips from 2012, the latest in the disaster-of-all-disaster films, and once again, we've got a president 'of color' - Danny Glover. From a retired LA cop, now prez? Oh well... fine... better than his ex-partner at least!

Darn. I like segments of DEEP IMPACT, but did you see what happened to the world when Morgan Freeman was president?!! I mean - on one hand, the fragments DID wipe out Wash DC. That's never all bad, right? I believe some politicians and lobbyists still survived - I've been wanting to complain to Morgan about that - WHY WHY WHY?!! Heck... but we lost Téa Leoni AND Vanessa Redgrave?!! Jeepers... I like both of them!

Now, in 2012, it's Prez Danny Glover when Planet Earth undergoes a solar storm.

To be fair, it's not completely clear that he campaigned on this platform. And he does survive an terrible shift of the Earth's crust (it was miraculously just under his feet - wow! what's the chance, eh?!!)... then some giant nuclear USS carrier was swept up by a tsumani, and sent crashing all the way from the Atlantic onto Prez Glover's punkin' head. Wow! What's the chance of THAT?!! Talk about yer bad days...

So, from now on, I don't really care about skin-colors of US presidents, but I tell ya - we REALLY need to look into this thing. Morgan Freeman. Danny Glover. Who's next?!! Earth is being destroyed film after film - can the electorate REALLY risk these calamities?!!

[klondike]

If John McCain had to get special dispensation . .

He didn't; the military base he was born on was in the U.S. Canal Zone, which (until the late 70's) was a United States possession, like Guam or Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

[charliechaplinfan]

I was surprised that someone born on a US military base would have to obtain permission, thanks for clearing that up.

I suppose the rule about being born on American soil rules Arnold Schwarznegger out of becoming President

[klondike]

I suppose the rule about being born on American soil rules Arnold Schwarznegger out of becoming President

Probably; but if Maria doesn't stop her crusade of flagrantly committing petty crime right in front of the entire California press corps, Arnold might lose his job of being President of 1/5 of us!

[charliechaplinfan]

You've got me again, I'm completely oblivious to what Maria is doing. Has California gone bust? Have I dreamt that up?

[movieman1957]

Maria seems to get herself in trouble by breaking minor traffic laws. She apologizes but doesn't take the lesson from it. She is talking on her cell phone while driving or parking in place where she shouldn't or failing to feed the parking meter. (There may be more.) And that is what I can remember and I'm not really paying attention. Ah, the press.

California is nearly broke. Naturally, they want to raise taxes. Heaven forbid they should cut something out of the budget. While my state is not in the same financial distress they tend to think the same way.

[klondike]

Speaking of your state, Chris, were you aware that Maryland was chosen #1 on a list of America's Smartest States (compiled by professional demographers), and was in the top 10 on both the lists for America's Healthiest, and Happiest?
Vermont took top honors on America's Healthiest States list, and ranked #3 for Smartest (right after Washington); sadly (n.p.i.), we came in at 15th on the Happiest scale . . maybe we're too busy waiting on tourists to smell enough flowers, or watch the sun set . .

[movieman1957]

I knew we were among the smartest and had one of the wealthiest counties in the country (Montgomery) but I didn't know about the healthiest ( my county has had higher cancer incidents than most others) much less the happiest. Those folks must be on the Eastern Shore or in the mountains.

We're happiest when the legislature is not in session. They are only in about 90 days.

[charliechaplinfan]

Well as the wife of the Governor she should be more careful, not commit traffic violations as if she has right to commit them. Can Arnie not control his own wife?