# Has Obama spent a million dollars to hide his birth certificate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 9, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877 "2009-08-09T22:44:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/41 "2009-08-10T03:08:00Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > It was a joke, guys. But, hey, you’re invited to spread the story about the deathers further if you’d like. Is the the political version of Poe’s law? [http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/Poe’s\_Law](http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/Poe%27s_Law) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/42 "2009-08-10T03:10:41Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > There are birth announcements in two Hawaiian newspapers from just after his birth. The birthers don’t care. They can explain anything as being a conspiracy to cover up the truth. Hey, wait until you hear about the deathers. They claim that not only was Obama not born in the U.S. but that he died several years ago. They’ve found a death certificate that they insist is genuine. So not only is Obama not an American citizen, he’s not even alive anymore. I believed you. That’s how far things have gone, that I believed you that deathers were real. What’s the name of that internet law about the impossibility of saying something so outrageous that it’s obvious satire? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/43 "2009-08-10T03:11:42Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > In reply, I got no links, no cites, just a cryptic “Look a little deeper.” That’s what it’s all about. No matter what the evidence is, you just haven’t researched it enough. > [@](#): > > Dear Bro, > > If you had bothered to read the information I sent you, you will see that I have researched it far more deeply than you have. As you can see, you are clearly wrong. > > Best, > > **River Hippie** > > PS: Mom always said you were stupid. OK, the PS was mean. But if all he has is ‘Look a little deeper’, then he deserves the body of the letter. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/44 "2009-08-10T03:23:46Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I would have thought the Deathers were the ones who believe his visit to his grandmother in Hawaii days before her death was made to get rid of her before she TOLD ALL! I thought it was to generate sympathy votes? **Wendell Wagner** – at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised. Someone should float that idea to the Freepers and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/45 "2009-08-10T03:36:17Z")
I thought **Wendell Wagner** was being serious too - because it sounded a little like the accusation that [Obama has been using a Social Security Number belonging to someone born 119 years ago.](http://commonsense2020.com/2009/07/30/is-barack-obama-119-years-old/) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/46 "2009-08-10T03:44:06Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > What’s the name of that internet law about the impossibility of saying something so outrageous that it’s obvious satire? _points to the post directly above yours_ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/47 "2009-08-10T03:45:29Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > _points to the post directly above yours_ > > 🙂 Oops! I didn’t see that. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/48 "2009-08-10T03:52:31Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I thought **Wendell Wagner** was being serious too - because it sounded a little like the accusation that [Obama has been using a Social Security Number belonging to someone born 119 years ago.](http://commonsense2020.com/2009/07/30/is-barack-obama-119-years-old/) Even if that WAS true, aren’t all sosh #'s recycled anyways? I thought someone told me that. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/49 "2009-08-10T04:02:46Z")
I’m still waiting for the “okay, okay, SOMEONE named Barack Obama was born… wait… OMG OBAMA IS LIVING UNDER A STOLEN IDENTITY” one (or is that part of the SSN claim, it’s hard to keep up). ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/50 "2009-08-10T04:19:04Z")
What I don’t understand is why _where_ Obama was born matters in the first place: he could have been born anywhere in the world, and as long as his mother was American citizen Ann Dunham, he’d be guaranteed American citizenship, too. So why not just do a DNA test proving he’s related to his mother, and be done with the matter? Or are the birthers claiming that his mother’s not really his mother, or that she’s not an American citizen herself? \*\*The real answer, I know, is that you can’t reason with these people anyways, and the administration should just ignore him. I just don’t understand why all the focus is on the _where_ of his birth. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/51 "2009-08-10T04:22:32Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > What I don’t understand is why _where_ Obama was born matters in the first place: he could have been born anywhere in the world, and as long as his mother was American citizen Ann Dunham, he’d be guaranteed American citizenship, too. So why not just do a DNA test proving he’s related to his mother, and be done with the matter? Or are the birthers claiming that his mother’s not really his mother, or that she’s not an American citizen herself? > > \*\*The real answer, I know, is that you can’t reason with these people anyways, and the administration should just ignore him. I just don’t understand why all the focus is on the _where_ of his birth. From what I understand, for that law to take effect the mother has to have been a citizen for a certain amount of years or be a certain age (not sure on the specifics) and Obama’s mom wasn’t the didn’t meet the requirements by something like two years when she gave birth, so if she WAS abroad at the time that defense doesn’t hold. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/52 "2009-08-10T04:22:54Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > It might have something to do with this: [The RW has made much](http://www.americanconservativedaily.com/2009/07/obama-signs-executive-order-barring-release-of-his-birth-certificate/) of an “executive order” Obama purportedly signed to keep his BC concealed. Did you see the link they had in their update (the one that admits, grudgingly, that they misinterpreted the relevant statutes)? It’s [proof, ABSOLUTE PROOF](http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2008/07/atlas-exclusive.html) that the Certificate of Live Birth was forged!!!1! Frankly, said “proof” made my head swim. Which was probably the purpose. (Weird thing about that post - besides the above - at the end, they asked for Hawaii residents to look for contemporary newspaper birth announcements. Don’t they know about the one already found? Or do they not believe in it?) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/53 "2009-08-10T04:24:06Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > (Weird thing about that post - besides the above - at the end, they asked for Hawaii residents to look for contemporary newspaper birth announcements. Don’t they know about the one already found? Or do they not believe in it?) Even worse…there are TWO contemporary Honolulu newspaper announcements. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/54 "2009-08-10T04:32:01Z")
Obama’s mother and grandparents are dead, and even if he could, I am sure he will not be bothering any of his elderly white relatives for a DNA sample. DNA could prove he is related to his half-sister Maya, but I don’t think the birthers would be interested in that. As I understand it, the laws at the time Obama was born were such that he would not have been a citizen if he were born outside the U.S. Of course it’s irrelevant because he was born in Hawaii. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/55 "2009-08-10T04:41:07Z")
His sisters name is Maya? Which is the Hindu and Buddhist term for “illusion”? The dots are starting to connect! Oh, wait. No they aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/56 "2009-08-10T04:45:58Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > His sisters name is Maya? Which is the Hindu and Buddhist term for “illusion”? The dots are starting to connect! > > Oh, wait. No they aren’t. It helps if you cross your eyes. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/57 "2009-08-10T05:32:07Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > What I don’t understand is why _where_ Obama was born matters in the first place: he could have been born anywhere in the world, and as long as his mother was American citizen Ann Dunham, he’d be guaranteed American citizenship, too. So why not just do a DNA test proving he’s related to his mother, and be done with the matter? Or are the birthers claiming that his mother’s not really his mother, or that she’s not an American citizen herself? > > \*\*The real answer, I know, is that you can’t reason with these people anyways, and the administration should just ignore him. I just don’t understand why all the focus is on the _where_ of his birth. It’s all about [this.](http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/citizen.asp) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/58 "2009-08-10T05:34:09Z")
There’s also [this.](http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/passport.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/59 "2009-08-10T05:47:05Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I thought it was to generate sympathy votes? > **Wendell Wagner** – at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised. Someone should float that idea to the Freepers and see what happens. You know very well what would happen. It would be featured on Fox News in a week. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877/60 "2009-08-10T05:52:43Z")
> [@Dick\_Dastardly](#): > > Orly whatshername is a lawyer, a dentist and a real estate agent. I think that says it all really. And she doesn’t exactly have a midwestern accent herself, where’s her birth certificate? Look, it is obvious what is going on here. With her accent, she is clearly a Commie plant, deep cover, to be activated as soon as we got a president who wasn’t screwing up the country without any help. Especially good now they’ve got a KGB man running the place. Where does she get her money? Law - I think she’s tried one case. Dentist? When does she practice? Real estate agent? Get real? In this market? The money is coming right from Moscow, guaranteed. Feel free to copy and use this to respond to any birther email you get. Just call your Pubble friend a Commie stooge and sit back and enjoy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-obama-spent-a-million-dollars-to-hide-his-birth-certificate/505877.md?page=4)