# Whitehouse releases Obama long form birth-certificate **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 27, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889 "2011-04-27T13:47:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/121 "2011-04-27T18:20:25Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Now they’ll start talking about his college grades instead. The stupidity doesn’t go away. > [@Magiver](#): > > you mean like they talked about Bush’s college grades? In case I was not clear, my point was that these people are convinced something about Obama is fraudulent, so with the birth certificate thing having been 2% more discredited than it was before, they’ll move on to his grades and other stuff. The point was not that a candidates’ grades are inherently off-limits (although it is a boring and stupid topic). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/122 "2011-04-27T18:33:48Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > The original certificate that he offered is legal and binding. It is the form I got when I applied for a passport. It was accepted . They did not ask me to obtain a long form, because it was accepted as proof by the US Government. It is always accepted as proof of birth. Is that hard to follow? > Obama did not owe anyone a look at the long form. Nobody has to show that, ever. The Health Dept. will give you a copy of the short form. that is what they always do. That is what you will get when you apply for one. Obama gave legal and binding proof. Why the hell isn’t that good enough? Not only is the one he posted years ago legal and binding the one he just got is not legal for much of anything. If you want a passport you get what Obama put out a few years ago. If you show up with what he now just released it won’t get you a passport. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/123 "2011-04-27T19:02:20Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > Didn’t he just claim two days ago that the birth certificate was [missing](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/26/donald-trump-obama-birth-_n_853782.html)? Well, two days ago, the Big Book of Birth Certificates was in someone’s office next to the photocopier. _Of course_ it was missing! ---
**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:** [April 27, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/124 "2011-04-27T20:01:58Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > If God came down from Heaven and announced Obama was born in the US, birthers would ask for His long-form birth certificate. You know who else didn’t have a birth certificate? Jesus, that’s who. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/125 "2011-04-27T20:18:40Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I haven’t followed this much since the election, but clearly remember a ‘certificate of live birth’ of Oboma being known about and accepted. The problem is that that certificate was not proof of birth in the states, just a recording of a birth was made in the states, and a “Birth Certificate” was the standard for those born in Hawaii at the time, while the CoLB was not the same thing as a BC (one with a BC could also have a CoLB, but some could only get a CoLB if there was no proof of birth in the state, or was born outside the states.. Or this is how I remembered the argument. Yes. One wonders if they noticed the heading on the document released today. Which, I’ll add, looks pretty much like the one I’ve got from Maryland. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/126 "2011-04-27T21:02:23Z")
The best item I heard on Tight-Righty radio today (Howie Carr to be specific): Caller: There’s been an American hero languishing in prison for two years. Why would Obama make Col. Lakin stay in prison when he could have taken care of this two years ago? (Now at this point, the proper response would have been: “Actually, Obama did take care of it before Lakin even got sent up. It’s Lakin’s own fault for being an idiot who refuses to obey lawful orders.” But that’s not what was said) Carr: Well, it’s because Obama is anti-military. And, say, what about that Connecticut Social Security Number, hmm? ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/127 "2011-04-27T21:07:36Z")
[http://www.theonion.com/articles/afterbirthers-demand-to-see-obamas-placenta,6866/](http://www.theonion.com/articles/afterbirthers-demand-to-see-obamas-placenta,6866/) > [@](#): > > “To this day, the American people have not seen a cervical mucus plug, let alone one that has been signed and notarized by a state-certified Hawaiian health official. If the president was indeed born in the manner in which he claims, then where is his gestation sac?” ---
**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 27, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/128 "2011-04-27T21:10:48Z")
The current hubub on the Freepers is about when you open the PDF in Adobe Illustrator there are text boxes, that the PDF isn’t a single graphic file. They don’t understand that the original file was scanned with some OCR program and it isn’t simply a picture of the file. [/print\_nert] They are more convinced of Obama’s malfeasance now. The complex PDF file is a lifeline for them. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/129 "2011-04-27T22:07:17Z")
I just listened to Obama talking about why he released his birth certificate. I got to agree that when the press ignores what he says about about his budget and focuses on his birth certificate, that something should be done. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/130 "2011-04-27T22:59:04Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > How do you know that people who touted the right wing line didn’t just go along with it out of disagreements with Obama’s politics, and saw a chance to reduce his influence or get him removed? Is it your suggestion that some people who complained that Obama hadn’t released his birth certificate were doing so not because they honestly believed that his place of birth was in doubt but because it might help “to reduce his influence or get him removed”? If so, that tactic is intellectually dishonest and should be condemned, not offered as justification. Would you agree? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/131 "2011-04-27T23:56:02Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > I got to agree that when the press ignores what he says about about his budget and focuses on his birth certificate, that something should be done. Yes, it should. And what should be done is that the press should grow the fuck up and focus on substantive issues instead of turning politics and the news cycle into one big braindead reality show. It’s disgusting development and it’s harmful for everyone- OMG I just heard the guy who is second in line for the figurehead throne of the UK is getting married squeeee! ---
**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:** [April 28, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/132 "2011-04-28T00:16:37Z")
The press focuses on what sells. That’s all they care about. The idiot from [ObamaCrimes.Com](http://obamacrimes.com/) called into a local news show and was saying that because Obama was adopted by his step-father, that meant he lost his U.S. citizenship. (Because Soetero was from Indonesia) WTF? (From what I gather, isn’t it near impossible to lose one’s citizenship?) ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/133 "2011-04-28T00:27:16Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > You know who else didn’t have a birth certificate? Jesus, that’s who. They couldn’t get the father to sign the thing! Deadbeat dad he is. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/134 "2011-04-28T00:59:32Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > If he was really Machivellian, he would’ve waited till the WH was about to have a bad news cycle and then release it, as I imagine silliness regarding his Birth Certificate will now dominate the news for the next 24 hours. He waited for Donald Trump and Ron Paul to enter the news cycle before releasing his birth certificate. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/135 "2011-04-28T01:02:08Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > (From what I gather, isn’t it near impossible to lose one’s citizenship?) One has to affirmatively renounce it. IIRC, a parent can affirmatively renounce citizenship on behalf of a minor, but I don’t think he’s claiming that’s the case. The rules are slightly different for naturalized citizens. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/136 "2011-04-28T01:15:14Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > One has to affirmatively renounce it. No, you can also lose it by action. If I, as a dual citizen, moved to Canada and gained a policy-making position in the Canadian government, the US would view that as an affirmative renunciation of my US citizenship. ---
**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 28, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/137 "2011-04-28T01:22:58Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > No, you can also lose it by action. If I, as a dual citizen, moved to Canada and gained a policy-making position in the Canadian government, the US would view that as an affirmative renunciation of my US citizenship. Are you suggesting that Obama lost his Indonesian citizenship by becoming a US State Senator? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/138 "2011-04-28T01:35:19Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Are you suggesting that Obama lost his Indonesian citizenship by becoming a US State Senator? 😃 In fact, a case could be made that Obama was a dual citizen, if not at birth, then after Kenyan independence. However, according to Kenyan law at the time, in order to keep his citizenship there, he was required at age 18 to _ahem_ affirmatively renounce his US citizenship and accept Kenyan. Having not done so, he lost that possibility and was stuck with being a mere US citizen. Of course, that has nothing to do with his being a natural-born citizen of the US, I’m just sticking a spanner in the works here. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/139 "2011-04-28T01:58:16Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > No, you can also lose it by action. If I, as a dual citizen, moved to Canada and gained a policy-making position in the Canadian government, the US would view that as an affirmative renunciation of my US citizenship. I’m pretty sure you would have to renounce your US citizenship to do that anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889/140 "2011-04-28T02:10:04Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’m pretty sure you would have to renounce your US citizenship to do that anyway. That would depend on Canada, and I don’t know. Due to my desire to keep both my citizenships, I would not accept a job that requires even as little as a security clearance in either country, and so I haven’t explored further. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitehouse-releases-obama-long-form-birth-certificate/579889.md?page=8)