Cultivate bemusement

Obama laughs over birth certificate controversy

When President Obama released his birth certificate to the world on April 27, 2011 (a date that will live in history), he said that he had watched the birther story “with bemusement.” Obama himself has minions to keep tabs on the birthers: political aides to see if there’s anything of substance to respond to, and the Secret Service to keep tabs on any birthers who show symptoms of rabies. He doesn’t think about birthers much any more, according to a speech he made to the National Action Network convention in New York City yesterday. Speaking about Voter ID laws, the President quipped [11:12 in the video]:

imageAnd just to be clear, I know where my birth certificate is, but a lot of people don’t. [crowd laughs] A lot of people don’t. [Obama chuckles] I think it’s still up on a web site somewhere. [Obama chuckles and shakes his head] You remember that? That was crazy. [crowd laughs] That was some crazy stuff. [crowd and Obama laughs] I haven’t thought about that in a while. [Obama shakes his head and laughs]

Business Insider has an article: “Obama Laughs About ‘Crazy’ Birth Certificate Questions.” [I had a problem with Firefox locking up on that page, and had to use the Chrome browser.] A lively discussion appears there with a number of below average birthers participating. The discussion reveals a subculture of birthers who are even more clueless than the ones we deal with most frequently, saying things like:

  • Harrison Bounel is Michelle Obama’s cousin.
  • The Acton and Dystel bio appeared on the inside flap of Obama’s book.
  • No legitimate PDF document has layers.

The better-informed (relatively speaking) birthers at Birther Report are trying to read hidden significance into the remarks through the analysis of Obama’s microexpressions. One said:

I think Mike would agree, at 21:09 he twitches the right side of his mouth and face like I’ve never seen him do before.

Some contextually challenged folks think that Obama is acknowledging in the video that a lot of people don’t know where the President’s birth certificate, but he’s saying that a lot of people don’t know where their birth certificate is. See “Obama Admits People Don’t Know Where His Birth Certificate Is” at The Daily Dose of Conservatism web site. A commenter there thinks the video has been scrubbed 🙄

Other birthers are whining because Obama insulted them. See “Here Is Obama’s Latest Insult To Birth Certificate Skeptics” at Western Journalism.

About Dr. Conspiracy

I'm not a real doctor, but I have a master's degree.
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52 Responses to Cultivate bemusement

  1. donna says:

    obama’s speech today included:

    “Just to be clear I know where my birth certificate is,” he joked of the conspiracy theories about his place of birth that gained traction during the last presidential election. “I think it’s still up on a website somewhere. do you remember that? That was crazy. I haven’t thought about that in a while.”

    http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/president-obama-talks-voter-rights-rev-al-sharpton-national-action-network-convention-blog-entry-1.1753835

  2. Bonsall Obot says:

    Birfer spin:
    “I haven’t thought about that in a while” means “I think about it ALL THE TIME”

  3. donna says:

    his speech about his birth certificate:

    Barack Obama Laughs Over Birth Certificate – ” That Was Crazy Stuff ” – National Action Network

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT92UV4ogx4

  4. Black Lion says:

    The birthers are going crazy about this one…..

    Obama Laughs About ‘Crazy’ Birth Certificate Questions

    President Barack Obama reminisced about the conspiracy theories surrounding his birth certificate during a speech at the National Action Network convention in New York City Friday afternoon. Obama referenced the doubts about his citizenship that led him to release a copy of his birth certificate in 2011, while criticizing voter I.D. laws that require people to present documentation like passports and birth certificates to vote.

    Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-laughs-about-crazy-birth-certificate-questions-2014-4#ixzz2ydPiYbLC

  5. Arthur says:

    Black Lion: he birthers are going crazy about this one…..

    Yeah, according to birther logic, if you laugh at birthers or make fun of their claims, it’s not because you think they’re stupid, it’s because you’re terrified.

  6. Majority Will says:

    Black Lion: The birthers are going crazy about this one…..

    That’s not unusual behavior for un-American and psychotic bigots.

  7. RanTalbott says:

    Black Lion: The birthers are going crazy about this one

    Literally: BR has two stories on the topic. One is a link to the Business Insider story, under the title “Feeling The Heat: Obama Laughs About ‘Crazy’ Birth Certificate Questions”. The other is “Video: Obama Whines About Birth Certificate; Felony Sitting On White House Website”

    Lots of hilarious comments by birfers, trying to convince each other that they can see “tells” in Obama’s mannerisms that show he’s terrified of the “earth-shatteringshocking” revelations that are coming Any Day Now™.

  8. Andrew Vrba, PmG says:

    Yup. Checked BR, and they have multiple stories about Obama laughing at their expense. They literally live on Bizarro world! “He said he’s not worried! Therefore he is obviously worried!”
    You can always tell, when a particular event rattles birtherdom.

  9. Thinker says:

    I think it’s hilarious that President Obama doesn’t seem to realize that birthers still exist. There are few feelings that are as powerful and unpleasant as unrequited hate.

  10. bgansel9 says:

    Thinker: I think it’s hilarious that President Obama doesn’t seem to realize that birthers still exist. There are few feelings that are as powerful and unpleasant as unrequited hate.

    He’s certainly not shaking in his boots. LOL

  11. Yoda says:

    First time, ever, I am concerned about birthers. Each day their desperation grows. Each day their hatred grows. And each day they grow more impatient for something to happen that is never going to happen.

    Nothing will ever change their beliefs. When they are massively disappointed by Zullo and Arpaio, there is a good chance that some of them will act out violently. Although they have shown no ability to organize, sometimes that is worse when it comes to violence. People see a mob coming. A single person often goes unnoticed until it is too late.

  12. No, but he was shaking his head a lot.

    bgansel9: He’s certainly not shaking in his boots.

  13. This article has been updated with the full version of the President’s remarks about his birth certificate.

  14. Thinker says:

    Judging from twitter, it looks like most of the websites that have picked up this story so far are conservative. They are framing it as Obama opportunistically reviving birtherism to stoke race-based outrage in his supporters.

    Pretty twisted.

  15. Added to the Article:

    Some contextually challenged folks think that Obama is acknowledging in the video that a lot of people don’t know where the President’s birth certificate, but he’s saying that a lot of people don’t know where their birth certificate is. See “Obama Admits People Don’t Know Where His Birth Certificate Is” at The Daily Dose of Conservatism web site. A commenter there thinks the video has been scrubbed 🙄

  16. CarlOrcas says:

    Dr. Conspiracy:
    No, but he was shaking his head a lot.

    I particularly like all the folks who have apparently scoured the video, second by second, so they can identify every twitch and motion of his. They’re sure they reveal all the inner turmoil and torment trying to get out when, in fact, it just demonstrates that they are all simply batshit crazy.

  17. justlw says:

    “bemusement” ≠ “amusement”

  18. justlw says:

    “cemusement” is not a word. “demusement” ought to be. “e-musement” has been very popular in recent human history, although it is now vulnerable to the Heartbleed bug, which has caused much bemusement.

    “eff-musement” should not be discussed on a family blog such as this, in favor of “‘gee!’-musement.”

  19. donna says:

    Thinker: I think it’s hilarious that President Obama doesn’t seem to realize that birthers still exist.

    let’s see, shall we devote our time on “wars”/unrest in the rest of the world, domestic policies here, etc OR the birthers?

    birthers say, the birthers along with other faux scandals like the IRS and benghazi

  20. justlw says:

    Very disingenuous of our so-called “president,” since we know that in reality, every move he has made since he took office, starting with the first executive order that sent all archivists to the FEMA camps, has been centered on covering up his clever plot that is bulletproof although built on a house of cards, and is obvious to anyone smart enough to wield a keyboard in his mom’s basement, while simultaneously fooling every journalist, politician, and intelligence organization on the entire planet. Oh, and BENGHAZI.

  21. aarrgghh says:

    and here we go again …

    stickywillie: “barry’ll sure be thinkin’ about the fraudulent birth certificate on May 26th, when Sheriff Joe announces the results of his cold case posse….May 26th is his latest projection for the release. 6 weeks, 2 days.”

  22. Bonsall Obot says:

    Ah, yes… Memorial Day… that’ll certainly get tons of news coverage.

  23. alg says:

    What fun! Birthers hate it when the object of their enmity makes fun of them and the audience laughs hysterically along. There is nothing more sadly pathetic, yet terrifically humorous, than a birther whose wet dreams of Obama being frog marched out of the White House have failed to materialize.

  24. Bonsall Obot says:

    alg:

    What fun!Birthers hate it when the object of their enmity makes fun of them and the audience laughs hysterically along

    Dimwitted people and conspiracy theorists (but I repeat myself) often seem to resent being made fun of, but I’ve never seen anything like the fury with which Birfers react to ridicule. They want and need so desperately to be taken seriously, and they simply can’t fathom why normal people won’t indulge their delusions.

  25. BillTheCat says:

    Yeh NRO framed it as “Obama Revives Birther Issue To Rally Supporters”

    Rally them to laugh heartily, sure.

  26. bgansel9 says:

    Thinker: Judging from twitter, it looks like most of the websites that have picked up this story so far are conservative. They are framing it as Obama opportunistically reviving birtherism to stoke race-based outrage in his supporters.

    Really? My reaction was a hearty laugh.

  27. bgansel9 says:

    BillTheCat:
    Yeh NRO framed it as “Obama Revives Birther Issue To Rally Supporters”

    Rally them to laugh heartily, sure.

    I swear I did not read your comment before I posted much the same.

  28. bgansel9 says:

    Bonsall Obot: Dimwitted people and conspiracy theorists (but I repeat myself) often seem to resent being made fun of, but I’ve never seen anything like the fury with which Birfers react to ridicule. They want and need so desperately to be taken seriously, and they simply can’t fathom why normal people won’t indulge their delusions.

    Off topic note on the conspiracy theorist better known as Alex Jones – I was reading up on the Bundy ranch in Nevada yesterday and Alex Jones thought he found a constitutional article which disallows the federal government from owning any property that does not contain forts and/or maritime equipment (the Enclave Clause). He failed to realize that the Enclave Clause does not require ALL federally owned lands to fall under such a directive. He also failed to realize that the Constitution of the State of Nevada has disclaimed all unappropriated land and ceded it to the federal government forever. LOL Yes, I laugh at them constantly.

  29. Rickey says:

    bgansel9: Off topic note on the conspiracy theorist better known as Alex Jones – I was reading up on the Bundy ranch in Nevada yesterday and Alex Jones thought he found a constitutional article which disallows the federal government from owning any property that does not contain forts and/or maritime equipment (the Enclave Clause). He failed to realize that the Enclave Clause does not require ALL federally owned lands to fall under such a directive. He also failed to realize that the Constitution of the State of Nevada has disclaimed all unappropriated land and ceded it to the federal government forever. LOL Yes, I laugh at them constantly.

    So he believes that the Federal government doesn’t own our national parks? Maybe I should go stake my claim on the Federal Building in New York City.

  30. bgansel9 says:

    Rickey: So he believes that the Federal government doesn’t own our national parks? Maybe I should go stake my claim on the Federal Building in New York City.

    Apparently he believes most federal land ownership is unconstitutional.

  31. RanTalbott says:

    Rickey: Maybe I should go stake my claim on the Federal Building in New York City.

    Probably not the best time to do that, considering the state that some of the birfers are working themselves into: remember Oklahoma City.

    It’s nice to not have a mortgage, but the liability insurance premiums would kill you.

  32. Majority Will says:

    Bonsall Obot: Dimwitted people and conspiracy theorists (but I repeat myself) often seem to resent being made fun of, but I’ve never seen anything like the fury with which Birfers react to ridicule. They want and need so desperately to be taken seriously, and they simply can’t fathom why normal people won’t indulge their delusions.

    The truth hurts. Pun intended.

  33. Whatever4 says:

    bgansel9: Off topic note on the conspiracy theorist better known as Alex Jones – I was reading up on the Bundy ranch in Nevada yesterday and Alex Jones thought he found a constitutional article which disallows the federal government from owning any property that does not contain forts and/or maritime equipment (the Enclave Clause). He failed to realize that the Enclave Clause does not require ALL federally owned lands to fall under such a directive. He also failed to realize that the Constitution of the State of Nevada has disclaimed all unappropriated land and ceded it to the federal government forever. LOL Yes, I laugh at them constantly.

    THAT’S where people are finding it! I wondered. I’ve come across the Enclave Clause quite a bit in the past day or so. They should keep reading the US Constitution. The Article IV Property Clause clears it up nicely.

  34. Lupin says:

    The sewer that is BR’s comments (or the Washington Times’) is even more nauseating than usual, IMHO.

    Because it is a well-known fact that overprivileged blacks have been secretly running and undermining the country at the same time since the Constitution was signed, or something like that.

  35. Kate says:

    Of course, Orly Taitz thinks President Obama was sending a message to the courts regarding her 5 “cases” because everything is always about her?! He’s obviously trying to intimidate the judges to rule in his favor, according to Taitz, despite his not being named as a defendant in all of them. Between this and her fender bender, she has her few followers believing it’s all about her and praying for her against the evil aka Obama.

    Poor, delusional Orly. What will she do when President Obama leaves the White House in 2017? How will she attract the attention of the media?

  36. RanTalbott says:

    Kate: How will she attract the attention of the media?

    Maybe she could buy a Lexus dealership with the winnings from her accident suit, and sponsor the all-night movie show. Then she’d be on camera every day.

    Heck, she could even make it a “multi-service center”. Just imagine Orly in a white coat on her car lot: “Are you the victim of a car accident that smashed up your mouth? Come on down to Appealing Dentistry and Lexus Sales of West Covina. We’ll fix your teeth, fix your car, and file a RICO suit against the treasonous socialist illegal driver who hit you”.

    Of course, she’d probably die of apoplexy after a few months from trying to squeeze her commercials down to 60 seconds each…

  37. Majority Will says:

    RanTalbott: Maybe she could buy a Lexus dealership with the winnings from her accident suit, and sponsor the all-night movie show. Then she’d be on camera every day.

    Heck, she could even make it a “multi-service center”. Just imagine Orly in a white coat on her car lot: “Are you the victim of a car accident that smashed up your mouth? Come on down to Appealing Dentistry and Lexus Sales of West Covina. We’ll fix your teeth, fix your car, and file a RICO suit against the treasonous socialist illegal driver who hit you”.

    Of course, she’d probably die of apoplexy after a few months from trying to squeeze her commercials down to 60 seconds each…

    “LET ME FIX YOUR CAR’S FEEE-NEEESH!!”

  38. Keith says:

    RanTalbott: Maybe she could buy a Lexus dealership with the winnings from her accident suit, and sponsor the all-night movie show.

    A few Phoenicians around here may remember Aquanetta. After a short career in B-movies, she married a Phoenix car dealer and they sponsored the late night movie there for years. She was in all the ads.

  39. Notorial Dissent says:

    Bonsall Obot: Dimwitted people and conspiracy theorists (but I repeat myself) often seem to resent being made fun of, but I’ve never seen anything like the fury with which Birfers react to ridicule. They want and need so desperately to be taken seriously, and they simply can’t fathom why normal people won’t indulge their delusions.

  40. bgansel9 says:

    Kate: Poor, delusional Orly. What will she do when President Obama leaves the White House in 2017? How will she attract the attention of the media?

    I fully expect that when Hillary Clinton is elected president, Orly will go looking for evidence that Hillary wasn’t actually born in Chicago, Illinois,but was instead whisked into the country from over the Canadian border on a freighter ship across the great lakes as a baby, destined to be the first woman American president. 😛

  41. ArthurWankspittle says:

    Poor, delusional Orly. What will she do when President Obama leaves the White House in 2017?How will she attract the attention of the media?

    Bond Villain.

  42. faceman says:

    I read some of the comments on the Business Insider article. Those people are beyond delusional. Heck, even Conservative Fact Check has given up on the birther issue. Of course, that might have less to do with Obama and more to do with Ted Cruz being eligible in 2016.

  43. Unbemused says:

    According to the dictionary:

    bemuse |biˈmyo͞oz|
    verb [ with obj. ] (usu. as adj. bemused)
    puzzle, confuse, or bewilder

    What’s confusing? The birfers say the all the internet stuff is fake. Birfers aren’t bewildering. They’re obvious. I think he picked the wrong word to sound smart!

    [What is puzzling is why birthers believe the crazy stories they believe, reject critical thinking, and are oblivious to the evidence against them. Bemusement is preferable to stereotyping. Doc.]

  44. Unbemused says:

    (or they say he’s not eligible too) don’t forget that one. Ha!

  45. Dave B. says:

    I vote for pre-musement and re-musement. Not to mention she-musement.

    justlw:
    “cemusement” is not a word.“demusement” ought to be.“e-musement” has been very popular in recent human history, although it is now vulnerable to the Heartbleed bug, which has caused much bemusement.

    “eff-musement” should not be discussed on a family blog such as this, in favor of “‘gee!’-musement.”

  46. Andrew Vrba, PmG says:

    I prefer exmusement. The X makes it sound cool!

  47. Unbemused says:

    Unbemused: [What is puzzling is why birthers believe the crazy stories they believe, reject critical thinking, and are oblivious to the evidence against them. Bemusement is preferable to stereotyping. Doc.]

    No surprise there, Doc. We all know that birthers are lazy and shiftless when it comes to like critical thinking and stuff.

  48. The Magic M says:

    Andrew Vrba, PmG: I prefer exmusement. The X makes it sound cool!

    Arrrmusement is for pirates.
    Teamusement is for tea-baggers.
    Whymusement = the constant bewilderment over why birthers are unable to use the most basic functions of their brains (elementary logic).

  49. aarrgghh says:

    peemusement: when a critical mass of mirth culminates in a bladder breakdown.

  50. Rickey says:

    Keith: A few Phoenicians around here may remember Aquanetta. After a short career in B-movies, she married a Phoenix car dealer and they sponsored the late night movie there for years. She was in all the ads.

    I remember her. She was married to Jack Ross. I saw her in his ads when I lived in Glendale in the late 70s.

  51. CarlOrcas says:

    Rickey: I remember her. She was married to Jack Ross. I saw her in his ads when I lived in Glendale in the late 70s.

    Yes, they did the commercials for the dealership. I’m trying to recall the opening……it was something like “Star of stage, screen and television…….” with some really bad dubbed in applause and then to them to pitch their dealership.

    He died last year and Acquanetta died about ten years ago. I forget when they got divorced.

    Whew…..now I’m going to have nightmares.

  52. Rickey says:

    Acquanetta was an interesting person. When she started modeling in New York she was mistaken as a woman from South America, so she pretended to be from Venezuela. She actually was a Native American born in Wyoming. She had a lot of roles as exotic native women, and she appeared with Johnny Weissmuller in a Tarzan film.

    http://www.bmovienation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/acquanetta_041.jpg

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