O tempora, o mores, what a day, what a day, right? This morning's tilt-a-whirl news conference, in which President Barack Obama decided to release his long form birth certificate, to satiate some pure-bred American nutters in thrall to the President's most disingenuous -- or paranoid -- opponents, was an event I never thought would come, because I just figured that the White House had the eminent good sense to know that conspiracists should not be negotiated with - just like terrorists.
But here we are today. The President of the United States has brandished documentation that only proved that there was never a compelling reason to brandish it in the first place, seeing as it only proved what he and every relevant official and the documents that were publicly available had already confirmed: that Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, a pure citizen of these United States.
Chances are it was a confluence of dumb events that brought the White House to this point. A nearly-enacted law in Arizona that wouldn't have been satisfied with the clear proof already available. A campaign season on the horizon. Ed Henry's idiotic questions, posed a day after his own network decided to actually debunk the nonsense once and for all. Franklin Graham's paranoid assertions going unchallenged on a Sunday Morning political show. I think I understand Obama's mindset when he said this:
"We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We have better stuff to do. I have got better stuff to do. We have got big problems to solve...We are not going to be able to do it if we are distracted, we are not going to be able to do it if we spend time vilifying each other ... if we just make stuff up and pretend that facts are not facts, we are not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by side shows and carnival barkers.
Of course, lately, the biggest barker in this barmy carny show has been Donald Trump. Admittedly, he's been the gift that keeps on giving -- the guy who's been telling America that he's going to stick it to China, even while his clothing line is manufactured there. He literally doesn't say much of anything. He rarely even tries: his campaign rhetoric is typically confined to empty bromides and tautological assertions of his great value. But if there's an issue Trump had exerted effort to put into the public square, it's this idiotic birtherism. And today, he claims to be "honored" by the fact that the nation was dragged into this trench.
Well, turnabout is fair play. And if members of the press actually want to end the sideshow, they have a choice: they can be the audience member, or they can be the critic. They can treat the carny barker as an object of ridicule, or better yet, start treating him as if he were a serious candidate. Either way works for me. But they have to quit the circus. They have to stop dancing Trump's dance, and stop performing to his beck and call.
Greg Sargent suggests a great place to start:
George Stepanopoulos reminds us that he recently asked Trump in an interview if he'd release his tax returns if Obama released the birth certificate Trump has been demanding. Trump responded:
"Maybe I'm going to do the tax returns when Obama does his birth certificate. I may tie my tax returns. I'd love to give my tax returns. I may tie my tax returns into Obama's birth certificate."
Story continues below
I've asked a Trump spokesperson whether he will now release his tax returns in light of this morning's development
The question of whether Trump will follow through no this suggestion goes directly to the heart of whether Trump's presidential flirtation has been a big fraud all along. Those who say it's a ruse argue that Trump will never run for president, because he'd have to reveal that his net worth is far less than he's claimed. Trump, who bristles at this suggestion, sought to dispel such talk by suggesting to Stephanopoulos that he'd release his tax returns if Obama released his birth certificate -- apparently thinking he was secure in the knowledge that Obama would never do this. Now Trump's bluff has been called.
Show us the money, Donald. Show us your grades. Show us the invoices from your crack team of birthernaut investigators that haven't delivered proof, that Obama was born elsewhere or of their existence. Show me a guy from your old neighborhood who even remembers you were around.
And memo to Juli Weiner at Vanity Fair and Justin Elliott at Salon: put those media criticism doodles you got from Trump up on eBay. Let's see what the real world value of Donald Trump's opinion is.
I'll leave you with the thoughts of The Onion's Baratunde Thurston, who basically just went off today when he heard what was happening. Of Trump's birther binge, Thurston says, "It's embarrassing to the entire nation that we would sit and let this happen. We have all been debased by this incident. By this charlatan, by this con man, by this mere promoter of himself."
"No one has ever asked [Trump] to prove anything," Thurston points out. That should change!
[WATCH]
0 votes
InnovativeYogis.com
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Carthac United States. Apr 28 2011 03:59. Posts 1343
I really hope a lot more people see and understand this video. He gives a tremendously detailed explanation how racism still exists in this country
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palak United States. Apr 28 2011 04:13. Posts 4601
I didn't read any of this b/c I'm lazy. I'm just going to say that Donald Trump needs to fucking shut up and go away. This whole psuedo run for presidency is annoying as hell. He likely won't run, if he does he won't win the primary, if he does he won't beat obama in the election. If he does all of that and gets elected president he will likely ruin the country and I'm moving to Canada.
dont tap the glass...im about ready to take a fucking hammer to the aquarium
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qwerty67890 New Zealand. Apr 28 2011 04:45. Posts 14026
good video, this is exactly what Obama should have said about the whole situation.
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egood United States. Apr 28 2011 05:02. Posts 1883
lol republicans would have a field day if obama called trump a racist.
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Carthac United States. Apr 28 2011 05:57. Posts 1343
On April 28 2011 04:02 egood wrote:
lol republicans would have a field day if obama called trump a racist.
It would really show their true ignorance if they denied him being one
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terrybunny19240 United States. Apr 28 2011 11:12. Posts 13829
Trump is a joke, no one should take him seriously.
The fact that anyone is talking about him as being even remotely fit to be the leader of a country with the size and power of the USA is disgusting and whoever is responsible should have their last remaining IQ points bitchslapped out of their head.
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YoMeR United States. Apr 28 2011 12:19. Posts 12438
lol republicans.
if trump becomes president at least he won't front and actually start taking oil from other countries. cuz well. fuck the brown people right? ; /
there are plenty of things obama has done wrong and it is legit to criticize him for them, but what trump and the birthers are doing is insane and disgusting. The fact that things got so far is depressing. Trump should be shunned and so should all birthers
On April 28 2011 02:59 Carthac wrote:
I really hope a lot more people see and understand this video. He gives a tremendously detailed explanation how racism still exists in this country
Totally agree
InnovativeYogis.com
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Surprise United States. Apr 28 2011 12:35. Posts 275
On April 28 2011 04:02 egood wrote:
lol republicans would have a field day if obama called trump a racist.
It would really show their true ignorance if they denied him being one
This and that.
Don't forget that the majority of republicans are racists cunts. And yes I said majority.
NeillyJQ: I really wanted to prove to myself I could beat NL200, I did over a small sample, and believe Ill be crushing there in the future.
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DaEm0niCuS United States. Apr 28 2011 15:43. Posts 3292
Who cares? Do you really expect racism to simply disappear overnight? Travel to a poor country, compare your problems to theirs and watch yourself laugh at the bullshit you once found consequential.
Donald trump has always been a douche, old news.
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DaEm0niCuS United States. Apr 28 2011 15:45. Posts 3292
Racism and sexism is so minor in America it's a joke, everyone in this country is extremely lucky. Even a black muslim with no arms.
Female also.
Last edit: 28/04/2011 16:04
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RaiNKhAN United States. Apr 28 2011 16:39. Posts 4080
lol thats nothing. play hon for 2 hours and ull see how many times ppl use the word nigger
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palak United States. Apr 28 2011 18:28. Posts 4601
dont tap the glass...im about ready to take a fucking hammer to the aquarium
Last edit: 28/04/2011 18:29
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blackjacki2 United States. Apr 28 2011 18:34. Posts 2582
Why is Trump a racist?
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egood United States. Apr 28 2011 18:57. Posts 1883
Anyway, is it really that big of a deal? Even if he wasn't born in the US I still wouldn't give a fuck.
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Carthac United States. Apr 28 2011 20:28. Posts 1343
On April 28 2011 17:34 blackjacki2 wrote:
Why is Trump a racist?
It comes down to not committing overt racists acts like groups like the KKK do. The term is coined "covert racism," and a lot more people commit it than you would think. Covert racism can be both intentional and unintentional. The thing about covert racism and why it is typically the preferred method of those that are racist, is that it is often deniable and easily disguised.
Intentional covert racism is that like Donald Trump committed. He accused Obama of not being an American citizen, on the basis that he does not look like the typical American, aka white. There were several copies all over the internet, and yet people like Trump chose not to believe it because they did not like him, so they did not want him to be "American."
Has there ever been a president that has been, not asked, DEMANDED, to show his birth certificate to the American people? No. This is a blatant example of intentional covert racism, and it is truly disgusting.
On April 28 2011 17:34 blackjacki2 wrote:
Why is Trump a racist?
It comes down to not committing overt racists acts like groups like the KKK do. The term is coined "covert racism," and a lot more people commit it than you would think. Covert racism can be both intentional and unintentional. The thing about covert racism and why it is typically the preferred method of those that are racist, is that it is often deniable and easily disguised.
Intentional covert racism is that like Donald Trump committed. He accused Obama of not being an American citizen, on the basis that he does not look like the typical American, aka white. There were several copies all over the internet, and yet people like Trump chose not to believe it because they did not like him, so they did not want him to be "American."
Has there ever been a president that has been, not asked, DEMANDED, to show his birth certificate to the American people? No. This is a blatant example of intentional covert racism, and it is truly disgusting.
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United States. Apr 28 2011 16:39. Posts 4080
