And Now, We Come To The Sanity Clause

I have to believe, all this nonsense about where President Obama was born would befuddle, even, the Marx Brothers.



From ABC News Today;

Poll: Half of 'Birthers' Call it 'Suspicion'; A Third Approve of Obama Anyway

Fourteen percent of Americans say without prompting that they think Barack Obama was born in another country, rising to one in five when those with no opinion are offered that as a possibility. But for many it's not a firm belief and some appear not to hold it against him.

Among those inclined to think Obama was born abroad, half also say that's their suspicion only, not a judgment based on solid evidence, the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll finds. And perhaps surprisingly, about a third of so-called "birthers" nonetheless approve of Obama's work in office and express a favorable opinion of him personally.

[snip]

THE QUESTION – This ABC/Post poll posed the question neutrally; first: "On another subject, where was Barack Obama born, as far as you know?" Sixty-eight percent said the United States (or a location within the country), 14 percent said another country and 19 percent had no opinion.

Steve M, over on No More Mister Nice Blog, isn't buying it;

No, I don't think that's the right explanation. The whole point of birtherism is that you can't possibly find out the truth because B. Hussein Osama is so EEEEEEEVIL!!! When anti-Obama birthers choose "suspicion only," they're not making an ambiguous statement about their beliefs; they're saying that the suppression of the truth is so great that history's greatest monsters would be jealous!

Of course, it's a ridiculous question anyway; what the hell "solid evidence" could there possibly be? But for some birthers the lack of solid evidence is solid evidence that B. Hussein is hiding ... something; others express this same feeling as a deeply held suspicion. It's just two different ways of describing the same invisible monsters under the bed.

It's over a year-and-a-half and these people ...

Oh, what's the use ...

Jesus Christ could come down, put his arm around Obama and vouch that he was born as, and remains, a United States citizen and the Birthers (aided, perhaps by a handful of Teabaggers) would boo and jeer the announcement.

DemFromCT, on Daily Kos says as much;

Yep. Republicans and conservatives always get mad at polls that make them look bad, but they look bad because of what they believe and not because they were polled.

Why is this news, again?

Why is this poll being taken?

The story returned to the news when the Hawaii legislature last week approved a bill authorizing the state Health Department to ignore repeated requests for information on Obama's birth records. The department's director had testified it was taking time and resources to respond "to these often convoluted inquiries." The bill's on the governor's desk.

This will be a Birther Meme by the beginning of the week.

Now, the state is in on it.

Help Me Mister Wizard!


Bonus Riffs

Alex Pareene: The Birthers: Who Are They and What Do They Want?

Alex Koppelman: Salon's handy-dandy guide to refuting the Birthers


Bonus Bonus

Maybe, they'll listen to the King

Suspicious Mind - Elvis Presley