Saturday, July 25, 2009

Obama and the Birthers -Republicans Opening the Door to the Lunatic Fringe To Undermine Obama or Worse?

Today's Topics

The lunatic fringe Conspiracy Theory "birthers " going mainstream
Republicans, conservatives and some notables in the Media seriously question the election of Barack Obama as being the will of the people
Is Obama the Manchurian Candidate working for Islam, or the New World Order
Has Obama been able to hypnotize Americans into believing in him and his policies

Anyway the Republicans and some in the U.S. Mainstream Media finding it difficult in opposing specific policies of the Obama administration appears to be adopting fringe "conspiracy theories" such as that of the "Birthers" in order to stir up distrust of President Obama. The basic premise of the Birthers is that Obama was not born in the United States and is therefore not a legitimate president but rather a fraud and a usurper of the presidency. The Birthers believe that if Obama is not the legitimate president of the United States he therefore should be removed from office through whatever legal means necessary. If Obama is not replaced legally then some other means should be used to remove him from office in a similar manner for instance as President Zelaya of Honduras was removed from office by a Coup.

If Obama is not removed then according to the "Birthers" and others who see Obama as not a real-American as a foreigner with a hidden agenda to dramatically change the United States to make it into a "Socialist, Communist, Collectivist , fascist dictatorship " and therefore should be removed from office by any means necessary. Does this mean that the Republicans and conservatives and their enablers would be just as happy if there were to be coup or some sort of non-violent mass insurrection or even a violent insurrection. This sounds a bit extreme but Obama's opponents and Republican leaders and the media are adding fuel to stir up the right wing extremists to demand some form of action.

But for instance Liz Cheney has said that" one of the reasons you see people so concerned about this, I think this issue is, people are uncomfortable with having for the first time ever, I think, a president who seems so reluctant to defend the nation overseas ..."- so she is insinuating not just that Obama may not have conclusive proof of being an American citizen but that his actions appear to that of someone who is anti-American and possibly working on behalf of foreign interests such as Islamic nations or for The New World Order etc.

By feeding into such doubts about Obama the Republicans and conservatives are hoping to turn the Obama presidency into a lame duck presidency or to force the Obama administration to waste its time and energy into fighting over such a smear campaign. Liz Cheney and others are encouraging the belief that Obama would not be formulating policies or making the speeches he has in foreign countries if he were a "Real America". So it is this notion that Obama in deeds and actions is an alien presence working against America's interests.

By giving credence to the Birthers it also opens the door for other Conspiracy theories involving Obama which were considered part of the thinking of the lunatic fringe but now they can go mainstream with their "conspiracy theories" for example Obama is not just not a " real American" but is rather a Manchurian candidate working with foreign nations or groups as a "secret Muslim",as an infiltrator for the New World Order.

So the Republicans are quite willing to give credence to such conspiracy theories which in many cases are really just the result of racism, Nativism and Xenophobia. As Pat Buchanan for instance has said America was built by White Men not African-Americans or Hispanics or Asians or Middle Easterners in America. At the core of these attitudes is that there is asegment of the American population who are unable to accept that a Black man manged to get elected as President of the United States.

CNN's Rick Sanchez Takes On "Obama Birthers" In Congress
July 22,2009



Dr. Maddow Slays CNN's Right-Wing Hate-Merchant Dobb's Birther BS
July 22,2009
(Via http://www.mediamatters.org ) Maddow responds to Dobbs' advancement of "birther" conspiracies.




Liz Cheney
Liz Cheney speaks out in defense of birthers movement and Alex Jones
July 22,2009



Liz Cheney Defends Birthers On Larry King (VIDEO) Rachel Weiner, Huffington Post July 22,2009

The Obama "birther" movement has sucked in a few Republican congressmen. But Tuesday night the conspiracy theorists who think our president isn't a citizen got a major boost from none other than Elizabeth Cheney, former State Department official and vice-presidential daughter.

Birthers took hits on television earlier in the day, after a YouTube video of one such extremist confronting Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) at a public event. CNN's Rick Sanchez spent a whole segment debunking the fantasy, and MSNBC's Chris Matthews confronted a congressman sponsoring a bill that "would require future presidential candidates to provide a copy of their original birth certificate."

Cheney was apparently unmoved. Appearing on "Larry King," she dismissed the Castle video and suggested that people have reason to question Obama's national loyalty.

"I think the Democrats have got more crazies than the Republicans do," Cheney said. "But setting that aside, one of the reasons you see people so concerned about this, I think this issue is, people are uncomfortable with having for the first time ever, I think, a president who seems so reluctant to defend the nation overseas ..."


Charles Pierce Slams Mainstream Media For Promoting Liz Cheney, Obama 'Birthers' Movement by Nicholas Graham,
July 24 at Huffington Post




and so it goes,
GORD.

No comments: