# When does political speech become sedition? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 25, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-political-speech-become-sedition/623043 "2012-05-25T04:05:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-political-speech-become-sedition/623043/61 "2012-05-28T01:30:31Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > No, the birther part was the part of Coffman’s statement that was a lie. If you’re still “Just asking questions” about that at this late date, you’re trying to perpetuate a lie. The opinions on either side, who cares. Agreed. But having now read his apology, I disagree with those people that said it was half-hearted: > [@](#): > > Since the issues surrounding President Obama’s birth certificate began during his campaign in 2008, I have rejected the notion that he is anything other than American. > > I have been asked and I have answered hundreds of questions about where the president was born, and I have said what I believe — that President Obama is a natural-born American citizen. > > Last Saturday, at an event in Elbert County, I made an inappropriate and boneheaded comment. I misspoke and I apologize for doing so. I have never been afraid to admit when I am wrong, and I was wrong here. > > I have always viewed this matter as not only baseless, but as a distraction from the real issues facing our country. I believe that today. > > More importantly, I was also wrong in another respect. I should never have questioned the president’s devotion to our country. The president and I disagree on many issues — his approach to health care, jobs and energy independence, to name a few. But disagreeing on these issues was not license for me to question his devotion to our country. > > I believe President Obama loves this country and wakes up every morning trying to do what is best for our nation, even if I disagree with his approach. To question the president’s devotion to our country based on the fact that we disagree over policy issues was wrong of me and I am sorry. > > Elected officials have always been held to a higher standard, as we should be. > > The truth is, we are all human and we all make mistakes. This was my mistake, and I’m not afraid to own up to it. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-political-speech-become-sedition/623043/62 "2012-05-28T01:43:33Z")
Yes, I agree, his eventual apology retracted the whole shebang. Let’s hope people learn by his example. To actually address the OP: It becomes sedition somewhere beyond that, but I’m not sure where. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-political-speech-become-sedition/623043/63 "2012-05-28T05:20:55Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > [Coffman is] saying that the core of Americanism is individualistic achievement, and a President who constantly proposes programs designed to punish the successful and force them to pay for the unsuccessful clearly does not share that belief in American individual achievement. I am curious whether you are here trying to paraphrase the views of some right-wing extremists, or whether you, **Bricker** , agree with the “punish the successful” meme. > [@Bricker](#): > > Agreed. But having now read his apology, I disagree with those people that said it was half-hearted: 😕 😕 😕 I don’t think anyone here has claimed that the _printed_ retraction was “half-hearted.” But Coffman’s target voters do not read print. Did you watch the interview Coffman gave to a TV reporter? I didn’t think so. _That’s_ the “apology” for which even “half-hearted” would be an absurd overstatement. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-political-speech-become-sedition/623043/64 "2012-05-28T13:43:34Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I am curious whether you are here trying to paraphrase the views of some right-wing extremists, or whether you, **Bricker** , agree with the “punish the successful” meme. I was trying to capture the view of someone who would be motivated to call Obama non-American in his heart, and craft a defensible line of thinking that might motivate it. My personal view is irrelevant, but since you ask: I seriously doubt Obama wants to punish the successful; I suspect, given his own success, he knows what a poor idea that is. Where he and I disagree is how much responsibility the successful have for the unsuccessful. In other words, I can’t believe he has the slightest desire to punish, but I do believe he favors policies that impose a duty that seems to say, in effect, we’re all family here, and successful family members owe it to less successful family members to pitch in and help. And I agree that some such duty exists, but he and I draw the line for what help to provide in different places. But of course, I’ve never said an insulting word against Obama in my life, so my opinion isn’t at all relevant to this question. > [@](#): > > But Coffman’s target voters do not read print. Indeed? Cite? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-political-speech-become-sedition/623043.md?page=3)