Dave Wilton - 05 August 2012 03:59 AM

I can’t underestimate how big the birther phenomenon is in the US.

There really ought to be some sort of cry or shout, like ”Beaver!”, one could make when catching someone in an overnegation ...  or is it?

About a year ago as I recall, CNN took a stab at estimating the birther phenomenon.  They came up with about 21% of self-identified Republicans who agreed with a statement that President Obama was not born in the U.S.  I found this a shockingly large number but it’s been said that similar crackpot notions like “Elivs Presley is still alive” consistently get around 20% in samples of U.S. adults.

P.S.  The phrasing of the poll question made it unclear whether the respondents know Hawaii was part of the U.S. in 1962.

The phrasing of the poll question made it unclear whether the respondents know Hawaii was part of the U.S. in 1962.

Statehood is irrelevant to the question of citizenship. (Hawaii became a state in 1959.) The rule is you must be a “natural-born citizen” (or citizen at the time of the establishment of the U.S., but that’s not relevant anymore), not “born within the borders of a US state.” People born in territories, and Hawaii has been a territory since 1898, are natural-born citizens. Otherwise, Barry Goldwater, born in the Arizona Territory, would not have been eligible to run for president in 1964.

Coincidentally, John McCain, who not only ran against Obama but who also holds Goldwater’s old Senate seat, was also born in a US territory, the Panama Canal Zone. Although McCain also qualifies as a natural-born citizen because both his parents were US citizens.

Statehood is irrelevant to the question of citizenship. (Hawaii became a state in 1959.)

I didn’t mean to imply it was actually relevant.  I’m just saying that for many people who answer poll questions, and who cast votes for that matter, reality is irrelevant.

Statehood is irrelevant to the question of citizenship

The poll question was about whether he was born in the US, not citizenship.

EDIT: Maybe they should have asked, “what country do you think Obama was born in?”

A quick google search turns up a CNN poll from 2 years ago.  The question was “Do you think Barack Obama was definitely born in the United States, probably born in the United States, probably born in another country, or definitely born in another country?”

July 2010 poll result - read it and weep. The only good news here is that the sample was self-identified “adults”, rather than registered voters or likely voters.  Still, I’d like to see a similar poll on whether Elvis is still alive.