I think someone is stretching the definition of birther a bit.
On his blog Friday, defrocked newspaper columnist Jon Ralston, stated: “Wayne Allyn Root, the state’s most famous birther, continues to be honored by state Republicans and may soon become an albatross for a congressional candidate.”
I thought the definition of birther was one who stated or believed Obama was born in a foreign country and therefore not eligible under the Constitution to serve as president.
Ralston, ever the self-aggrandizer, went on to write:
“MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow picked up on Root after I broke news of the invite this summer with Nevada GOP elected officials and House No. 3 man Kevin McCarthy. In her piece, Maddow played the clip of Root saying Obama was an illegitmate (sic) president who got into college as a foreign-exchange student with an Indonesian passport. Root responded in a bizarre piece in which he accused Maddow of trying to “defame and slander me.” (He also has had a lawyer contact me.)”
Wayne Allyn Root
Now I’m not defending Root, whose bombastic speaking style leaves me cold and whose columns I published under protest at the Review-Journal, but rather I question Ralston’s accuracy. I can’t recall Root ever claiming Obama was foreign born.
Root has “suspected” Obama, in order to get some form of affirmative action benefit, enrolled in college as a foreign exchange student, possibly using an Indonesian passport.
Here is what Root himself has to say on this topic:
“I believe Obama is a fraud. But it has nothing to do with his birth. Obama’s critics have it all backward. They are looking in the wrong place. He isn’t a foreigner portraying himself as an American. He’s an American who fraudulently portrayed himself as a foreigner. So because of his own fraudulent actions, Obama is actually the one to blame for starting all of this conspiracy talk.
“Months ago, MSNBC television host Rachel Maddow spent 15 minutes on her national show calling me a “birther.” I scratched my head, because I’m not — never have been, not for one minute. A “birther” believes Obama is a foreigner, not legally qualified to be President. I have never believed that.
“I’ve always believed that Obama is 100 percent American. There, I’ve said it loudly. I’m a leading critic of the President, but I’ve always believed him to be American-born. He is as American as P.T. Barnum. And he lies and exaggerates like Barnum, too. While Obama is no foreigner, he is a fraud.”
Root goes on at some length laying out the circumstantial evidence that leads him to this rather tenuous conclusion. A conspiracy theorist, sure. But a birther?
Accuracy in commentary, as with Obama’s so many broken promises, should never be allowed to get in the way of a good old name-calling tirade.
4TH ST8 
I don’t watch or read Ralston because he’s an irritant like fingernails on a blackboard but while Root may be on to something it will never come to anything. Obama will stay in office as long as he likes as the majority of the members of the Congress adore him and the policies coming out of the White House. Our very own Harry Reid recently opened another door for him on judicial appointments, not that it matters much as Obama doesn’t care any more about courts and judges than he does the Congress.
Wayne Allyn Root has made a bunch of questionable statements surrounded by logical arguments over the years. He is one of those who sound just good enough to be considered sane. OTH if one reads deep into what he says it all starts to come apart at the seems.
Ralston is doing the same thing in reverse, trying to make the coined word “birther” mean something more than being born to parents not citizens of the USA and outside the borders of this country.
Crazy is begetting crazy. Someone needs to clue both of those guys.
[…] Read more: Ralston labels Root a birther — fair or not? « 4TH ST8 […]
Whether Obama Bin Lyin’ been born in Kenya or Hawaii, IF his mom, Ms Dunham, is natural born American citizen from Kansas, does’n that make Barack a natural born U.S.citizen ? Just curious…BTW, John McCain was born in Panama and his dad is an Admiral in the Navy and was stationed in Panama canal. And, McCain did qualify to run for President in 2008. Any comparison here ? Just curious (an inquiring mind wants to know)
Tom
You are probably the only person still reading Ralston.
Somebody sent me an email. Otherwise, I’d probably have not seen it.
What’s a Ralston?
Sort of like a gnat that thinks it is a condor.
Eddie in liberty etc., McCain was vetted properly when he ran in 2008 and found to be a legitimate candidate, Obama was not vetted, he was just accepted at face value. Didn’t matter, I don’t believe McCain was a serious candidate, he was just a candidate because it’s traditional to have opposing candidates. Elections are crafted, there’s little guess work.
Hey Vernon, McCain was a serious candidate in the GOP primary elections and he won ! It was not a coronation…You still didn’t answer my question. If someone (a child ) was conceived by an American woman –whose American citizenship is still in good standing–that baby was “natural born American”. Both Obama and McCain have American mothers but both were born in foreign countries, if you believe that Obama was born in Kenya and McCain in Panama.