Obama Conspiracy Theories conducted an informal poll a few weeks back, asking randomly selected people from my workplace where President George W. Bush was born. Most believed he was born in Texas, and over 80% got the answer wrong. Why is that?
It turns out that George W. Bush hushed up his real birthplace, as exposed in a 2002 article, Signs Say What Bush Won’t, in the New York Times. Oh my!
Says the Times:
Mr. Bush’s official White House biography, which can be found on the Web at whitehouse.gov/president/gwbbio, contains many facts about the president, among them the names of his pets, India, Spot and Barney. But in dealing with a rather basic fact, his birth, it leaves out that he was born in New Haven [Connecticut]. All it says is: ”President Bush was born July 6, 1946 and grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas.”
Bush’s dirty little secret: he’s a damn Yankee!
That’s “damned yankee”.
Regards,
David in Texas (who knew GWB was born in Connecticut).
He was born in Connecticut? Says who? Where’s the birth certificate?
Jeb said he was raised by wolves.
Were those wolves US citizens?
Excellent question. James?
He wasn’t born in Connecticut. I have the birth certificate showing that he wasn’t.
And yes, you are invited to laugh at me for pointing to a document that purports to be issued by the Republic of Kenya in 1946. The point of the above comment is to laugh.
The reason it is sparse on Bush’s birth is because it isn’t important. Birthers can distinguish between “keeping something private” and “concealing something.”
I don’t believe a word of it. He was born in Saudi Arabia, when his father was working for the CIA or OSS. It’s classified.
And Bush even passed Executive Order #13233 to cover that info up, Jules.
http://www.archives.gov/about/laws/appendix/13233.html
And as a proud New Englander, we apologize to the rest of the country.
At least he was busted in Maine for DUI:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/bushdui1.html
BTW, I lived a short time in Concord.
True story: today, when someone has a detached retina, a laser is used to spot weld it to the eyeball. The optics used to focus and aim the laser was developed by my step-father. Itek in Framingham recruited him, and we moved to Concord. Why Concord? My step-father had cousins there.
After registering for school, AO’s instrument division asked him back, so we moved again.
[insert wandering Jew jokes here]
It’s not important in some ways, but the Bushes do consider it important, in that they prefer to be seen as Texan.
I’m aware of how birthers are able to distinguish those things: conservatives are “keeping it private” while liberals are “concealing something.” Never mind that whatever it is they’re supposedly concealing is an ever-shifting list of unnecessary or non-existent information, as determined by the birthers.
It is like many Americans, they are American first no matter where they where born. Some people like to be recognized by where they grew up or by where they have decided to settle. I don’t know how many people who call themselves “a good old Texan” where born in Texas.
I wouldn’t use “distinguish” with birthers, but “categorize.” I do understand what you are saying.
There real purpose is misinformation and the desire to spread doubt, but none of what they search for is relevant. They don’t even seem to understand what they are looking for.
Consider Terry Lakin. He doesn’t know what he is looking for. He has claimed that he sought direction from his commanding officers about his concerns, but got none as the reason for his refusal to follow a legal order. He posts his birth certificate that doesn’t fit the original description he demand, then he shifts his argument.
There are simple logical principles that are lacking with them, and they don’t know what they are arguing for.
I don’t have any problem with Bush feeling that he’s Texan, though I personally don’t understand the desire to obscure his birthplace in his public bio. Still, it’s his choice.
As far as birthers, it’s not really about facts or arguments, anyway. One in particular got to the core of the issue when he told me he doesn’t believe what he sees in any news or other information source, but, in his words, “only what I believe in my heart.” All the bad arguments and fake facts are just a veneer. It’s an emotional response, not an intellectual decision. My guess is it mostly just has to do with being upset at their side losing, combined with the general fear and anxiety that certain demagogues have been happy to stoke.
Throw in an unhealthy dose of xenophobia.
Xenophobia such a polite word.
That is where their problem is, following their heart. It makes just as much sense as their bad arguments and fake facts. There problem isn’t that they are following their heart, but their refusal to listen to their heart. However, I would say that you are spot on.
But that is the problem with them – they have filled their hearts with fear & hate and that is what drives them. So, we’re not talking about their hearts in terms of love and compassion here. If we were, we wouldn’t have birthers, Tea Partiers and fundamentalists in the first place.
that’s right…
George W. Bush. : Place of Birth : Grace-New Haven Community Hospital,
Barack H. Obama: Place of Birth: In a Hawaii Hospital but I don’t know the name of it, do you guys know?
Yeah, I know. What you are looking for is right here.
How do you know Bush was born in Grace-New Haven Community Hospital?
Dr. C
There is an earlier NYT article about W’s “secret” birthplace:
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/24/nyregion/bush-s-birthplace-it-s-deep-in-the-heart-of-new-haven.html
Where is the similarly timed (just after the election) NYT article about Obama’s birth hospital? In the midst of eligibility lawsuits they did not find it interesting to report on his birthplace?!
Here you go: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/06/president-obama-story-kenya-to-white-house-part-one
From that article:
Given that President Obama never tried to mislead anyone about his birthplace, I don’t see what the news angle is about such stories “just after the election.” Just after the election, MOST folks would have thought the birthers would fade into the sunset, their point being made moot. The Times did write when it became clear that birtherism had persisted beyond all reason:
I believe he was born in Saudi Arabia. He never denied it.
Hatched, actually. And I heard it was the Maternity & Children’s Hospital in Jeddah. They refuse to acknowledge it so it must be true.
What’s the difference between Glenn Beck and a reptile?
One is hatched from eggs, eats insects, and sleeps under a rock.
The other is a reptile.
nc1: In case The Guardian wasn’t sufficient:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E04EFD6153EF935A35752C1A96E9C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/opinion/06kristof.html?scp=7&sq=%22Obama%22+AND+%22Hawaii%22&st=nyt
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/us/politics/05civil.html?scp=9&sq=%22Obama%22+AND+%22Hawaii%22&st=nyt
Only the Guardian article mentions the birth hospital.
Given the fact that this was not mentioned anywhere else at the time one has to wonder whether this article has been modified since the time it was originally published. This was the case with the Honolulu Advertiser article that mentioned Obama’s foreign birth. We also know that articles about his birth in the Queen’s hospital have been changed to Kapiolani.
The problem is simple – several months after the eligibility lawsuits were filed and even after the election, the birth hospital was not part of the common knowledge. I find it fascinating that the media ignored the verification of Obama’s birthplace given the fact that this was the first time in recent history that eligibility lawsuits had been filed against the nominee for the presidency.
JournOlist in action!?
Is there an official Obama biography claiming the birth in the Kapiolani hospital?
I looked at the Fight The Smears web site – you can only find the reference to being born in Hawaii – there is no mention of the birth hospital.
He was born at the Honolulu Sinai Hospital. His father was a Muslim, so he wanted a kosher kitchen.
The media ignores lotsa nutjobs with too much time on their hands. And?
I suggest you devote the rest of your life…24 hours everyday, to searching the world. Just search. Don’t eat. Don’t sleep. Don’t post lies and deception.
It is very strange that you continue to search for something when you don’t even know what you are looking for.
It is very strange that you continue to refer to baseless lawsuits, while refusing to acknowledge that none ever went to trial.
If a birther thinks there is smoke, there must be fire or is it just a stroke?
If there is smoke, a birther’s intestinal methane is being lighted.
Why should the media pay attention to some foolish people who file lawsuits based on hypotheticals and myths rather than on evidence?
The birthplace was well established by the Certificate of Live Birth…
“several months after the eligibility lawsuits were filed and even after the election, the birth hospital was not part of the common knowledge.”
the whole point of this thread is that there was no ‘common knowledge” of George W’s birthplace, let alone hospital.
What I wonder is why you fail to trust the American voters? The voters relied upon not only the ‘common knowledge’ that Obama was born in Hawaii, they also accepted the posted COLB. As we point out time and time again to you, the Constitution doesn’t require a President be born in a hospital, only that the President is a NBC. Obama being born in Hawaii is all that matters, and that is of course, common knowledge.