# Donald Trump is now a birther **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 17, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044 "2011-03-17T17:38:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 38
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/741 "2011-04-23T02:06:36Z")
Dear SA, Hey buddy! I was wondering if you’re willing to admit you were wrong yet? I understand if you aren’t. Because your fear of admitting you’re wrong is stronger than your sense of integrity. Love, Lobohan ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/742 "2011-04-23T02:12:13Z")
Not a bit of it, old thing. Not being wrong there’s no reason to admit it, now, is there? Cheers, SA ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/743 "2011-04-23T02:13:52Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Not a bit of it, old thing. Not being wrong there’s no reason to admit it, now, is there? > > Cheers, > SA Hold up old chap, I’m just adding delusional to your list of character traits. Regardless, Lobohan ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/744 "2011-04-23T02:19:17Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Also, I think you’d be well served to look up the definition of “moron”… Lessee… moron… moron… Ahh, there it is, right next to **Starker’s** picture! ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/745 "2011-04-23T02:21:17Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Lessee… moron… moron… Ahh, there it is, right next to **Starker’s** picture! Is that the Hindenburg crashing in the background of that pic? Jesus-fuck, how old is he? ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/746 "2011-04-23T02:27:45Z")
This whole birther thing is boring. For fun, Google “stanley ann dunham malcom X” for [proof](http://www.oilforimmigration.org/facts/?page_id=284) that Malcom is actually Obama’s father (athough most of the sites seem to date from 2008). ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/747 "2011-04-23T02:46:03Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > What I said was unrealistic behavior is expecting everyone who hears about the birth issue to immediately set about ferreting out the truth. > .. > Thanks for the breath of fresh air, **j66**. 🙂 Keeping in mind that I believe I disagree with you on most things, including whether or not Joe and Jane need to be hit over the head with a fact or two, back at you. > [@Harborwolf](#): > > Ya lost me. .. > I would be surprised if you were and had doubts since NPR and [Factcheck.org](http://Factcheck.org) crushed the crap out of the birth certificate nonsense back during the election. I knew the birth certificate had been viewed way back then and heard that during my ten minute drive to work. Have they changed their reporting that much? You really don’t read other’s posts, do you? I did not say I believed the birth certificate conspiracy, I said I never heard all the details, or cared to explore them. I did not care to explore the details because I trusted my news sources, that indeed assured me candidate Obama was a natural-born US citizen. And I would prefer you refrained from implying I am a liar. > [@samclem](#): > > Did you forget a smiley or are you serious? > > How would they have accomplished this? The Donald’s too smart to be taken in. Right? right? No smilie. Trump would be a yellow dog Democrat acting to disrupt the Republican primaries. I often suspect illogical ranting fools who play fast and loose with facts, and willfully misunderstand, and resort to implying others are liars, are actually working for the interests of their apparent opponents. I read Kurt Vonnegut at much too impressionable an age. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/748 "2011-04-23T03:09:28Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > This whole birther thing is boring. For fun, Google “stanley ann dunham malcom X” for [proof](http://www.oilforimmigration.org/facts/?page_id=284) that Malcom is actually Obama’s father (athough most of the sites seem to date from 2008). Oh, that can’t be true. After all, if it were, then Obama wouldn’t be a Kenyan, he’d be a citizen of the US of A, since both his parents were, and we all know that he really, really isn’t legally our president because he’s furrin! furrin, I tell you! [tongue planted firmly in cheek] ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/749 "2011-04-23T03:24:48Z")
> [@j66](#): > > Keeping in mind that I believe I disagree with you on most things, including whether or not Joe and Jane need to be hit over the head with a fact or two, back at you. That’s fine. I just didn’t see the need to argue over it. Clearly, they would benefit from additional facts. My point is simply that not taking action to seek out those facts does not equate to stupidity. I also have no problem with the fact that you disagree with me on other things. Such is the nature of politics. > [@j66](#): > > Trump would be a yellow dog Democrat acting to disrupt the Republican primaries. Nah, he’s just going for the publicity. “All publicity is good publicity”, and all that. At first I thought he might be serious despite the fact that this is the third or forth time he has done this, but all this birther stuff makes it obvious that he isn’t. [Here’s](http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2011/04/22/buzz-swirling-trump-bolsters-brand/?test=faces) a pretty good article explaining how he’s benefitting from all this. For those not inclined to read Fox articles, I’ll post a few of the salient points below: > [@](#): > > “I don’t think there’s any question it’s a publicity stunt,” said Dick Martin, a former AT&T (T: 30.68, +0.55, +1.83%) exec and an expert on public relations and brand management. “Part of his brand is being larger than life and being outrageous. This is perfectly in keeping with that. If anything, it’s going to make his brand stronger.” > [@](#): > > “Donald Trump is a master at publicity,” said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University. “He has an incredible ability to generate attention and do things that enhance his brand.” > [@](#): > > Trump can parlay an enhanced image into more profits at his sprawling business empire, which spans everything from real estate in New York and golf courses in Scotland to Trump-branded natural spring water and chocolate. > [@](#): > > “Our inclination is that he’s not serious about running for president. We think it’s a stunt,” an NBC exec told Entertainment Weekly this week. > > That would make sense as Trump is in the midst of negotiating a new contract for the show, which perhaps thanks to **Trump’s media blitz has seen its ratings jump as much as 20%**. [bolding mine] ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/750 "2011-04-23T10:15:07Z")
> [@j66](#): > > You really don’t read other’s posts, do you? No. I make up my responses completely on the spot. It’s simply by random chance that my posts have anything to do with the subject at hand. Fun fact: I also don’t know how to read and/or write/type english. I’ve merely memorized all these replies. I have no idea what they mean. > [@](#): > > And I would prefer you refrained from implying I am a liar. I’ll remember that for future discussions. Don’t see how it applies since I didn’t even do anything close to implying or calling you a liar. What I said was that NPR had crushed the crap out of the birther story and asked if their reporting had changed that much since the election. I also expressed surprise that anyone who listened to NPR would haev the view that there was some doubts there as that seemed to be the jist of your post. If it wasn’t, then I apologize. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/751 "2011-04-23T10:17:26Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > That’s fine. I just didn’t see the need to argue over it. Clearly, they would benefit from additional facts. My point is simply that not taking action to seek out those facts does not equate to stupidity. Laziness and willfull ignorance. I simply use the short hand terms because my wittle fingers get tired from typey typey. Except for you. You’re an idiot. > [@](#): > > I also have no problem with the fact that you disagree with me on other things. Such is the nature of politics. Fucking ha. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/752 "2011-04-23T16:01:45Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > No. I make up my responses completely on the spot. It’s simply by random chance that my posts have anything to do with the subject at hand. Fun fact: I also don’t know how to read and/or write/type english. I’ve merely memorized all these replies. I have no idea what they mean. > > I’ll remember that for future discussions. Don’t see how it applies since I didn’t even do anything close to implying or calling you a liar. What I said was that NPR had crushed the crap out of the birther story and asked if their reporting had changed that much since the election. I also expressed surprise that anyone who listened to NPR would haev the view that there was some doubts there as that seemed to be the jist of your post. If it wasn’t, then I apologize. You did appear to miss the point of his post, which was that as a single-source consumer of the news, just like the Fox-watchers brought up by the idiot you’ve been arguing with, there\* but for the grace of even minimal standards of journalism went he. \*“there” being “Birtherville” because of not being told that birtherism is bullshit. Like the people who watch only FoxNews. Not something that happens with people who use only NPR. Because of NPR having those standards of journalism I mentioned above, and far more than minimally, too. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/753 "2011-04-23T17:58:46Z")
Trump, Randy Quaid, Gary Busey and STARVING ARTIST, with a group, like that how can logic win? They just know stuff. Very impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/754 "2011-04-23T18:19:41Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Trump, Randy Quaid, Gary Busey and STARVING ARTIST, with a group, like that how can logic win? It’s the Four Horsemen of the Idiocalypse! ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/755 "2011-04-24T01:18:23Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > You did appear to miss the point of his post, which was that as a single-source consumer of the news, just like the Fox-watchers brought up by the idiot you’ve been arguing with, there\* but for the grace of even minimal standards of journalism went he. Indeed, which is why I finished with the apology. Also the single source example that I’ve been given has been based off of a misinterpreted ABC news article and the Drudge Report, which is a place that can only dream of having the integrity and journalistic credibility that Fox News has. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/756 "2011-04-24T03:22:48Z")
Could be an interesting discussion: “_Is consuming news from a single source ALWAYS a sign of willful ignorance, or is that true only of certain news sources?_” ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/757 "2011-04-24T04:29:32Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > It’s the Four Horsemen of the Idiocalypse! The only difference between me and the birthers is that I’m not a birther. One of these days I’m gonna learn to just make my major points and then move on, as trying to answer one lie after another after another after another after another only muddies up the water. I should have bailed along about the time posters started accusing me of trying to be all rational and shit. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/758 "2011-04-24T04:43:22Z")
> [@Kaylasdad99](#): > > You did appear to miss the point of his post, which was that as a single-source consumer of the news, just like the Fox-watchers brought up by the idiot you’ve been arguing with, Don’t watch Fox; never brought it up. > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Could be an interesting discussion: “_Is consuming news from a single source ALWAYS a sign of willful ignorance, or is that true only of certain news sources?_” Who knows? I get mine primarily from _Fox News_, _CNN_, occasionally _MSNBC_, and from mulitiple sources linked on _Drudge_. The cite in question however is from ABC News and it illustrates perfectly my attitude on cites on this board. If I don’t post 'em all I get is crap for not posting them, but then when I do post 'em, people deny what they say or act like it’s the only place the info is to be found (as if that, rather than its accuracy, mattered), or some other dodge. Hopefully someone will answer this and quote me in their response so that **Kaylasdad99** will see it, thus thwarting his cowardly practice of sniping at me while at the same time shielding himself from rebuttal by having me on his ignore list. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/759 "2011-04-24T05:00:59Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Don’t watch Fox; never brought it up. > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > I get mine primarily from _Fox News_, Wait, wot ? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044/760 "2011-04-24T05:05:33Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Wait, wot ? Sorry. I should have been more clear. I get news from Fox News’ website, but I don’t watch Fox on television - neither the news shows nor O’Reilly, Hannity, Beck, etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044.md?page=37) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-trump-is-now-a-birther/575044.md?page=39)