Half of GOPers believe birther rumors; even Karl Rove thinks that's scary
By Ben ReiningaFebruary 17th, 2011, 5:15 pmComments (10)
Karl Rove, the Republican strategist, has weighed in on the recent flurry of birther activism (or whatever the hell it is). Unsurprisingly, he thinks they're stupid, and urges everyone in the GOP to encourage the birthers to shut up.
I say "unsurprisingly" because, despite his political views, Rove is obviously a pretty smart guy (he got Bush elected twice). From a strategic perspective, allowing a totally baseless rumor to get too high a profile risks making the entire Republican Party look like a bunch of 9/11-was-a-government-plot-style loonies.
Birthers — the group of people who continue to make the case that Barack Obama was not born in this country — somehow landed back in the spotlight after a recent poll suggested that fifty-one percent of people likely to vote Republican in the next election believe the President was not born in this country.
In what might be considered irony, that statistic inspired me to seek out my closest relation (a Polish grandmother? Dutch great-uncle?) who was not born inside this country, so I can start planning my escape.
Commentarium (10 Comments)
whenever I hear about birthers I lose faith in the human genome.
but I recall reading a study that said people are always more likely to believe whatever they already do, or whatever they want, _especially_ in the face of mounting evidence for the contrary.
The other half of the GOPers better get on the bandwagon too. United we stand and all that.
You forgot to put "" around "elected" in the second paragraph.
It doesn't matter who was born where. What matters is JOBS! What part of that don't the Republicans understand?
There may be one job open if it's discovered that somebody lied on their application.
I think birthers are too angry to listen to reason. But the job application line is hilarious.
Shut the fuck up Bill O'Riley and actually let people finish a sentence for once.
I gotta ask...
Let's just say that he was in fact born here in the U.S.
Then why is he so desperate to convince people that he wasn't?
Seriously, he could have had a copy of his birth certificate sent ot every household in america for less moneyu than he has spent defending his right to not prove he is an american citizen?
What's up with that?
You're an idiot.
Who conducted this survey?
Now you say something