# Romney "No one's ever asked to see my birth certificate" **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 24, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504 "2012-08-24T17:03:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/41 "2012-08-24T18:33:55Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > It’s quite disturbing the degree to which some people view everything through this prism of racism. > > Romney’s joke had nothing to do with race. Period. You don’t know that. It’s not as if race-baiting is unknown in politics. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/42 "2012-08-24T18:34:06Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > Romney’s joke had nothing to do with race. Period. Does birtherism have nothing to do with race? Period? And was Romney not bringing up birtherism? Period? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/43 "2012-08-24T18:35:49Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > You mean, a joke about a controversy that is entirely race-related? > > " Another unsupported assumption. He has a foreign dad and spent his early childhood in Indonesia. The birther issue would not have come up with Jesse Jackson, nor did it. Even Obama’s publicist thought he was foreign born. It was not a crazy thing to believe before it was proven that he was in fact born in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/44 "2012-08-24T18:36:58Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > It’s quite disturbing the degree to which some people view everything through this prism of racism. > > Romney’s joke had nothing to do with race. Period. Don’t dot that period quite yet. You don’t get to declare when the point is over for discussion unilaterally. Also, since you never answered me before, I’ll try my questions again: If its nothing to do with race to say that, then what is he implying by saying that its ok to ask to see Obama’s birth certificate, but noone has asked to see his? What is it that he’s trying to say about Obama with this statement then? What difference is he trying to illustrate between him and Obama? Is it a policy difference, or something else? I’d love to hear your, most likely tortured, explanation of his intended meaning with this statement. No period can be put onto this thread until you can at least answer these questions don’t you think? You can say ‘no he did not mean that’, but you should at least offer an alternate explanation then, right? He obviously meant something by it, right? What would that be then? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/45 "2012-08-24T18:37:12Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > Let me know when you’ve got your story straight. It’s straight. I admit I should’ve been a little clearer in my first sentence that I’m talking about the campaign at large and not just Romney, but I think we’ve cleared that up. All things considered I came down on the side of McCain _not_ using racial animosity. The Romney camp seems to feel that McCain lost because there were places he wasn’t willing to go. > [@BobLibDem](#): > > You can race-bait without being a racist. Yes. I didn’t think that was a particularly complex distinction. I think Romney’s running a racist campaign. How he feel himself, I don’t know. I’m inclined to believe he’s not a racist since his father was certainly against racism in the Mormon church, and nothing has ever come up to contradict Mitt Romney’s description of what a momentous and moving event it was for his family when the church officially abandoned its racist views against blacks. > [@adaher](#): > > In order to read racial dog whistles into it, you have to make some assumptions. No, you have to understand what he meant. We know what the literal words were. The irony of it is that Romney and Obama have very similar backgrounds as far as birth certificates were concerned: they were both born in the U.S. and so were their mothers. Their fathers were both born outside the country, and they both came from polygamous families that practice minority faiths (in U.S. terms). But of course, a chunk of people think Obama was born in Kenya and went to a madrassa or if he wasn’t born in Kenya his father was Malcolm X or some other thing, and of course _everybody knows Romney was born in Detroit_. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/46 "2012-08-24T18:37:14Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Another unsupported assumption. He has a foreign dad and spent his early childhood in Indonesia. The birther issue would not have come up with Jesse Jackson, nor did it. Even Obama’s publicist thought he was foreign born. It was not a crazy thing to believe before it was proven that he was in fact born in the US. So it _has_ been a crazy thing basically since 2006 or 2007 (or maybe even before). Not sure what your point is. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/47 "2012-08-24T18:38:07Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > If it’s for political purposes, it’s calculated to get the racists out to vote- so that they think Romney is really on their side. Oh yeah, that’s a big bloc to win. He’s not an idiot, you turn more people off than you gain. All the racists are in states Romney is going to win anyway. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying those of you who think he’s race baiting are necessarily wrong, I’m just holding you to the standard that has been set, which is that it is not fair to read between the lines of candidate statements. They must be taken literally and to read anything else into them is to make up a story where there is none. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/48 "2012-08-24T18:40:29Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > It’s quite disturbing the degree to which some people view everything through this prism of racism. > > Romney’s joke had nothing to do with race. Period. Just like there was an innocent explanation to Reagan’s first post-convention speech in 1980 being given in Philadelphia, MS. How many times do they have to blow the freaking dog whistle? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/49 "2012-08-24T18:40:50Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > No, you have to understand what he meant. We know what the literal words were. The irony of it is that Romney and Obama have very similar backgrounds as far as birth certificates were concerned: they were both born in the U.S. and so were their mothers. Their fathers were both born outside the country, and they both came from polygamous families that practice minority faiths (in U.S. terms). But of course, a chunk of people think Obama was born in Kenya and went to a madrassa or if he wasn’t born in Kenya his father was Malcolm X or some other thing, and of course _everybody knows Romney was born in Detroit_. Who was Mitt Romney’s dad? When Mitt Romney was born, what was his dad doing? Oh yeah, he was a big shot in the American auto industry, as well known in his time as Lee Iacocca. So no, no one would ever need to ask for his birth certificate. Might as well ask the Kennedys or Bushes for their birth certificates. ---
**Author:** ![csupp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@csupp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/csupp)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/50 "2012-08-24T18:41:39Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Oh yeah, that’s a big bloc to win. He’s not an idiot, you turn more people off than you gain. All the racists are in states Romney is going to win anyway. > > Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying those of you who think he’s race baiting are necessarily wrong, I’m just holding you to the standard that has been set, which is that it is not fair to read between the lines of candidate statements. They must be taken literally and to read anything else into them is to make up a story where there is none. I think you are backwards on this. If Romney’s comments are taken “literally”, it’s definitely race baiting. It’s only his tone and the benefit of the doubt (or “reading between the lines”) that even has one questioning the racist nature of the comment. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/51 "2012-08-24T18:42:53Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Does birtherism have nothing to do with race? Period? **adaher** does a good job of addressing this in the post after yours. Obama’s background is unusual to say the least for a presidential candidate. Crazy people believe crazy things. Look at the 9/11 or moon landing theorists who are out there. Obama’s background of living outside the US and foreign father are the reason for the birthers. > [@](#): > > And was Romney not bringing up birtherism? Period? It was one throw away line. A joke. He’s not bringing anything up. He was saying he and his wife were born there and he tossed in a joke at Obama’s expense. Based on the stories I’m seeing on Google News the crowd ate it up. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/52 "2012-08-24T18:45:33Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Who was Mitt Romney’s dad? When Mitt Romney was born, what was his dad doing? Oh yeah, he was a big shot in the American auto industry, as well known in his time as Lee Iacocca. So no, no one would ever need to ask for his birth certificate. Might as well ask the Kennedys or Bushes for their birth certificates. But it seems perfectly feasible that Ann Dunham went to Kenya when she was eight months pregnant. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/53 "2012-08-24T18:46:02Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > Obama’s background of living outside the US and foreign father are the reason for the birthers. I think you know better. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/54 "2012-08-24T18:46:09Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > It was one throw away line. A joke. He’s not bringing anything up. He was saying he and his wife were born there and he tossed in a joke at Obama’s expense. Based on the stories I’m seeing on Google News the crowd ate it up. And that crowd was obviously a randomly-selected cross section of America. This is going to make him look like a first class douche in the eyes of a lot of people who had previously considered voting for him. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/55 "2012-08-24T18:47:43Z")
No, I don’t think Romney was being intentionally racist. I don’t think he has the good sense that God gave a goose, but I don’t think he’s racist. Because he lacks good sense, its entirely possible that he thought he was making fun of birtherism. He was handed the script, and he said it. It may very well be that whoever wrote that shit was aiming low, but Mittens is so dumb, he might very well be innocent. And while its true that the Venn diagram of racists and birthers would show definite overlap, the one is not, by definition, the other. I give a pass. Please don’t make me do this again. I feel so…so _clean_! ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/56 "2012-08-24T18:48:47Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > **adaher** does a good job of addressing this in the post after yours. Obama’s background is unusual to say the least for a presidential candidate. Crazy people believe crazy things. Look at the 9/11 or moon landing theorists who are out there. Obama’s background of living outside the US and foreign father are the reason for the birthers. > > It was one throw away line. A joke. He’s not bringing anything up. He was saying he and his wife were born there and he tossed in a joke at Obama’s expense. Based on the stories I’m seeing on Google News the crowd ate it up. So is it a good or bad thing for our political discourse to pander to the crazy? And if the crazy is on your side, what does that say about your side? Also, I see that you are still not answering my questions. Do you need them reposted? Or perhaps rephrased? If he was not bringing anything up and it was a throwaway line, then why did he even bother saying it? What was his point? And why did the crowd cheer? How can you say with a straight face that this comment had no meaning. Both he and the crowd would have to disagree with you right? He must have had a purpose for saying it, and the crowd must have had a reason for reacting the way they did, right? ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/57 "2012-08-24T18:50:27Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > > [@Euphonious Polemic](#): > > > > “Mitt Romney” (aka Manuel Rodriguez) > > This contains much win. It worked for the Sheens. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/58 "2012-08-24T18:52:59Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > But it seems perfectly feasible that Ann Dunham went to Kenya when she was eight months pregnant. Definitely not, once that fact was known. When I first heard about the controversy I did a quick check and found that there was already documentary evidence of Obama’s American birth. His parents were in Hawaii at the time. As you say, they would have had to go to Kenya just to give birth. But if you didn’t know that yet, it would be reasonable to wonder given what was widely known about his background. And as I pointed out, crazy birthers weren’t the only ones to make the assumption that he was foreign born throughout his life. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/59 "2012-08-24T18:55:32Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > How many times do they have to blow the freaking dog whistle? You know what? You’re right. I’m convinced. [/sarcasm] Let’s take another look at the statements of all the people speaking that day in MI. [Wash Post Story](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/romney-jokes-about-his-birth-certificate-obama-campaign-accuses-him-of-embracing-birtherism/2012/08/24/bda35810-ee14-11e1-b0eb-dac6b50187ad_story.html) > [@Ryan](#): > > “Remember about four years ago when he was talking to a bunch of donors in San Francisco, and that he said that people from states like ours, we like to cling to our guns and our religion?” Ryan said. “I just have one thing to say: this Catholic deer hunter is guilty as charged and proud of it.” Listen to all that racism! “Four years ago?” Forty years ago the country was still making negros sit in the back of the bus! Clearly he wants to return to that. “Deer hunter?” Everyone knows african americans don’t deer hunt! He’s bragging about how white he is. Unbelievable! > [@Ann Romney](#): > > “Mitt and I grew up here, we fell in love here, and this is a special place for us, and we want to have a big ‘W’ next to Michigan in November,” she said. “I have to say, when I got on the stage, I didn’t appreciate how many people were here until I stood up here, and I got quite choked up because it’s amazing!” “Grew up here?” Yes, back fifty years ago when racism was rampant! You want to return to those times? Disgusting. “Big W?” That’s a big “White” code-word you racist upper class wasp. Outrageous. “I got quite choked up?” Obvious reference to lynching. I’m surprised she didn’t incite the mob to string up a colored boy from the nearest tree with that sort of hate speech. * * * Wow, all this and we haven’t even gotten to Romney’s words yet. It must be exhausting to get this outraged over imagined racism constantly. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504/60 "2012-08-24T18:55:33Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > No, I don’t think Romney was being intentionally racist. I don’t think he has the good sense that God gave a goose, but I don’t think he’s racist. Because he lacks good sense, its entirely possible that he thought he was making fun of birtherism. He was handed the script, and he said it. It may very well be that whoever wrote that shit was aiming low, but Mittens is so dumb, he might very well be innocent. > > And while its true that the Venn diagram of racists and birthers would show definite overlap, the one is not, by definition, the other. I give a pass. > > Please don’t make me do this again. I feel so…so _clean_! It starts out with an innocent, kind remark. The next thing you know, you’re tithing! 🙂 Actually, I agree with you here. He’s socially clueless in front of a crowd of regular folks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-no-ones-ever-asked-to-see-my-birth-certificate/632504.md?page=4)