36 thoughts on “Chris Matthews”

  1. The president strikes me as the type of person who would withhold what was being asked for just because he doesn’t like the way it was asked.

  2. “If it exists, why not put it out?”

    Why should he? What’s in it for Bambi?

    If his certified birth certificate proves he’s an native-born American citizen, he shuts up all those opponents and he’ll no longer be able to say his opponents are crazy (at least not on that subject).

    If it should prove he’s not eligible to be President, both he AND the Democrat Party have to deal with that blow-back.

    I’d be more interested in seeing his college grades – and his application for admission/student aid to the college he went to before Hahvahd (I forget its name).

    He’ll never let his grades see the light of day, though – it’s likely this so-called “smart” guy got lower grades that either George Bush or Sarah Palin.

  3. I’ve given my opinion elsewhere: his birth certificate gives his birth name as “Barry Dunham” and his father as “unknown”.

  4. Barbara Skolaut Says:

    “I’d be more interested in seeing his college grades – and his application for admission/student aid to the college he went to before Hahvahd (I forget its name).”

    I could be wrong but I think it was Columbia.

    I’d love to see his grades, too.

  5. The reason he isn’t releasing it is becasue it lists his race as white. The tradition of the time was to list the child’s race same as the Mothers.

  6. Barbara is correct.

    Also, he does it because he can get away with it. It’s pure Gen-X bulls–t to the core. Previous generations had something called “shame” which served as an internal control mechanism — the Boomer’s destroyed the concept for all but the very wealthy; Xer’s came-up without any exposure to this now alien concept.

  7. I hadn’t been able to watch the video before making my comment, but now I have — and am flabbergasted. Matthews brings on “Point,” a leftist, and “Counterpoint,” an extreme leftist, and declares at the outset that he (Matthews) is an enemy of the “birthers.” And yet he continues to ask the question of why the President doesn’t just release his birth certificate and put an end to this.

    Every response (not answer) to that question was bullshit. But at least they got three leftists to say that the real document should be released. I agree. If it’s kosher, great. I think that 20% would drop to 5%. But I’d like someone to take the document Obama presented, and try to get a job at the CIA….

  8. I’ve always believed that the controversy over Obama’s place of birth was a ridiculous argument over trivia. Let’s grant the birthers the point and assume Obama was born in Kenya. So what?

    Obama by my notion is an American citizen no matter where he was born because his mother is unquestionably an American citizen. Apparently the only reason the place of Obama’s birth is at issue is because of some weird law or regulation concerning the mother being outside the territory of the U.S. beyond a certain time limit. WTF? Why should that make any difference to Obama’s claim to citizenship?

    On the other hand there is probably something Obama doesn’t want to be revealed about his birth documentation. The only reason I think the birthers might be on to something is my examination of the document that has been released so far. See this link…

    http://msgboard.snopes.com/politics/graphics/birth.jpg

    Note that the mothers “RACE” is listed as “CAUCASIAN” and the father’s “RACE” is listed as “AFRICAN”. It strikes me as supremely odd that a birth certificate from 1961 America would use the terminology of “african” to describe a person’s race. That’s the sort of custom that popped up during the 1980’s or later. Which makes me very suspicious of the document presented to the public by the Hawaii authorities.

  9. Yeah really, he was born in 1961, two years before me. If I don’t get to be a member of Generation X, neither does Obama. (I know the impulse is to just give that pretty black man everything he wants, but resist.)

    More seriously, I think M Puckett is right: the birth certificate probably has him down as “Caucasian” or “white” because his mother was, and I’m not sure but I don’t think Hawaii did that “one drop” thing.

    Another possibility is it lists his real name, and it is’t the cool, foreign-sounding “Barack” but something really wimpy like “Bartholomew” or “Barnabas.” Or else he’s named after one of his white relatives. So square, man!

  10. “Apparently the only reason the place of Obama’s birth is at issue is because of some weird law or regulation concerning the mother being outside the territory of the U.S. beyond a certain time limit.”

    Yup. Apparently the United States’ Constitution (which Obama swore to uphold and protect) is “some weird law or regulation.”

    “No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President…”

    Weird? I don’t know. Regulation? Nope. It’s the charter of the government of the United States. If Obama has violated it, everything he has done is null and void.

    It’s really, really simple to prove that he’s eligible. And there is no excuse whatsoever to not do so.

  11. Obama is not a Gen Xer, he is a boomer.

    Yeah, he’s a “boomer” who in every way acts exactly like a Generation Xer.

    If I don’t get to be a member of Generation X…

    Who says you don’t? I mean, you’re practically made of cynicism, Andrea. You don’t get more X than that. 🙂

  12. It’s really, really simple to prove that he’s eligible. And there is no excuse whatsoever to not do so.

    This has been done. The state of Hawaii determined that he was born in Hawaii. They have a birth certificate, the poobah who’s in charge of such things says it’s real, and as far as I can tell, that’s good enough constitutionally. Now, it may turn out that the state of Hawaii will at some future day rescind that claim, in which case Barack Obama, or whatever his name turns out to be, will be in a bit of trouble.

    I think M Puckett’s take is interesting and has a good chance of being correct. Still doesn’t explain his refusal to show his academic records.

    Finally, I’ve been both in and out of Generation X, since I was born in 1969. My impression is that the people who talk up Generation X tend to include me, while the people who think Gen X is a bunch of slackers tend to establish a cutoff date comfortably after my birth. Currently, I’m a free agent and anyone who wants to be the Most Awesome Generation is welcome to negotiate with my agent on the matter.

  13. I would probably refuse this request as president simply to not dignify it. Honestly, who give a sh*t? I don’t care if the guy is American, Kenyan, Symbionese, or Martian. What I care about is whether he is a liar, a socialist, prudent with my cash, prudent with the lives of our soldiers, etc. And in that case, I think the writing is on the wall. In a society with the level of freedom of speech that we have, especially with the internet your flaws will be exposed if you put yourself in the public eye, at least to the who want to see them. That has happened spectacularly with Obama; I think the birther thing is and always was a somewhat ridiculous distraction. Why focus on the one part of the Constitution where there’s a doubt the guy has trampled all over it? I mean, demanding the birth certificate of a president? That’s almost Miranda-level masturbation material for law nerds.

  14. My bet is that the birth certificate lists his faith as “Muslim”. That was his father’s faith. He’d want that suppressed during the election.

    As for where he was physically located when born and whether that prevents him Constitutionally from being president, I don’t think it matters. What matters, I would think, is the citizenship of his parents:

    If his mother and father were US citizens, and they were on vacation in France when he was born, he would be an American Citizen.

    I don’t know the law regarding American citizenship of one parent is an American citizen and one is not, nor if it matters which one was not. One would think that it’s mother-centered: if she’s a US citizen, then he would be.But I don’t know if that’s actual law.

  15. I’m considered a GenX’r, and I don’t appreciate boomers like Titus trying to force their crap on us. He’s all yours, buddy. Deal with it.

  16. “My bet is that the birth certificate lists his faith as ‘Muslim'”

    Do birth certificates issued in Hawaii in 1961 even have a space for “Faith”? That strikes me as highly unlikely.

  17. I don’t care if the guy is American, Kenyan, Symbionese, or Martian.

    Only a person born as a US citizen can become president.

  18. McGehee Says:

    Do birth certificates issued in Hawaii in 1961 even have a space for “Faith”? That strikes me as highly unlikely.

    You might be right. Mine doesn’t (I thought it did.).

  19. You young whipper snapper; you don’t even know the difference between GenX and Boomers. Again I say, Obama is a Boomer, whether you are or not.

    BTW, on topic, I agree with the suggestions that the birth certificate probably list his real name, “Barry”, perhaps his mom’s surname, and particularly his mom’s race. All of those things would be a bit embarrassing for the first “real” black President that wrote a book about the greatness of his father, and isn’t really a Muslim.

  20. Leland, what is it about Obama’s attitude that makes you think he’s a Boomer? Everything about this nihilistic, latch-key, broken home child in the WH screams Xer/Nomad gen not just to me, but folks who study these things.

  21. His age, first of all. And yes, the nihilistic I’d say is more indicative of Boomers than GenX. I know Boomers like to claim GenXrs as nihilistic, but that’s so much projection. And what’s this about latch-key? And if broken home defines GenXr’s, then how come I’m one? I’m definitely not a Boomer, and I’m not a Millenial.

    I’m sorry, but your definitions don’t work for me. But then I mostly follow the years than characteristics. Boomers tend to encompass births up to 1964. Finally, anyone sporting “Hope and Change” as a slogan (and for that matter, using a slogan) sounds like a Boomer to me.

  22. The Constitution leaves it to the Electors to determine who is the President. The Supreme court has no original jursidiction over such matters. I don’t believe the Supreme Court would even grant certiori to any plaintiff who brought a case questioning the Obamas’s fitness to be President; even if he was only 32 years and born in Zimbabwe to Russian parents. The electoral college already met, determined he was fit, and voted. Case closed.

  23. The last of the Boomer generation, an Idealist generation in Strauss and Howe terms, were born in 1960. (I’m a Class of ’60 Boomer.) What stands out about Idealists is that we are philosophers. It’s not that we tend to be more ideological – it’s that we spend a greater amount of time consciously sculpting our ideology.

    Obama’s not a philosopher. He’s a gangster – just like the worst of Reactives. He’s all about extorting stuff from people. He taught ACORN activists how to extort. The Obamacare and cap-and-trade extorition schemes are among the administration’s top crusades.

  24. Jard, the complication facing the birthers in court is simply that regardless of what the Constitution may set forth as the qualifications for President, Congress hasn’t established a mechanism for enforcing those qualifications. If they had, there would thus be a path by which someone could claim standing to challenge Obama’s qualifications.

    Even if Congress were to establish such a mechanism now, it wouldn’t apply to Obama’s 2008 election because he’s already in office; it is unlikely it could be made to apply to Obama at all for the very reason that he is already President and must be deemed (heh) qualified under the rules in place when he first took office.

    Maybe if he were defeated in 2012 and tried to run again in 2016, but that’s purely hypothetical at this point.

  25. I was born four months after Obama, and I’ve always considered myself a Boomer — by accident of birthdate alone, but that’s the whole point of the original designation. It was media idiots who started to sell the idea that everyone born over the course of slightly less than 20 years were some kind of ideological monolith.

    An easy mistake for media idiots to make, since that’s pretty much what their workplaces are.

  26. There’s been some speculation that the birth certificate might show Uncle Frank the Commie Rat to be Daddy Frank the Commie Rat. I suspect that it will show Darth Soros to be the father.

  27. I actually agree with McGehee. By lumping of the boom in births, Obama is a boomer. If you want to stereotype him to a group of people, then you can call him anything you want and brand others the same. I think generationally, his age is appealing to boomers, but certainly Obama tries in actions to appeal to GenXr’s and Millenials. Deep down though, he’s simply a statists. Boomers, GenXrs and Millenials, all who frequent this blog, will have issues with being labeled statists (except for Gerrib).

  28. They have a birth certificate, the poobah who’s in charge of such things says it’s real, and as far as I can tell, that’s good enough constitutionally. Now, it may turn out that the state of Hawaii will at some future day rescind that claim, in which case Barack Obama, or whatever his name turns out to be, will be in a bit of trouble.

    HA politicians are working to cover for their leader. They do not have a birth certificate. Having a COLB is by itself proof of that since a COLB is only issued when there is no B.C. Poobah is lying (what a surprise!)

    Obama will not be in trouble if the facts ever come out because he has already gotten past the only penalty, which would have prevented him from becoming president. Instead, the progressives will use the info to say it’s not really a requirement… not really. He’s a citizen by virtue of wanting to be. The fact that his mother was not old enough at the time to confer citizenship is unimportant to the progressive mind.

    How many days after his mother flew from Kenya nine months pregnant on a plane in the sixties when they didn’t allow woman in late pregnancy to fly was Barack supposedly born?

Comments are closed.