Why birthers believe

It's just the result of the way our brains work," he said. Westen mentioned the so-called "Swift Boat" attacks against Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in , which called into question the senator's service in Vietnam. Kerry "allowed his honor to be challenged and didn't respond for weeks," Westen said. People's feelings towards him had already changed. They wouldn't change back by that point. Along similar lines, Westen told CNN that if staunch Democrats or Republicans are presented with clear evidence of wrongdoing on the part of their party's nominee shortly before an election, they'll come up with "every kind of rationalization to explain it away.

Westen also brought up the explosive issue of race, one of the biggest political lightning rods in U. He insisted the birther movement never would have taken hold with a white president. It's not fair to call a large segment of today's electorate "s-style racists," he said. But some people are "unconsciously prejudiced in a way that predisposes them to not believing that a black man with a funny name could have really been legitimately elected president of the United States.

But Bill Mayer, a Northeastern University political scientist, took issue with the notion of race as the critical component of the birther movement.

Mayer cited a range of political conspiracy theories, including claims regarding the Kennedy assassination, involvement on the part of the Clintons in alleged murders, and George W. Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley noted that, back in the 19th century, questions were raised over the American roots of Andrew Jackson and Chester Arthur. But it was "nothing like this," he told CNN. This has become a ghastly scenario over the last month. Mayer suggested that Obama's release of the long-form birth certificate will "further marginalize those who insist the matter of his birth is an open question.

Just how long will the controversy drag on? Westen claimed the birther issue will continue to be political fodder until a critical mass of Republican leaders decide it's making the GOP look "foolish" and hurting the party among independent voters. A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, released a statement Wednesday claiming that the controversy "has long been a settled issue.

Share this on:. The 'birther' movement has repeatedly called on President Obama to release his original birth certificate. Box , Thompson St. Ann Arbor, MI Skip to content. Directory Newsletter Sign up. Portrait of a birther: White conservatives with political knowledge more likely to believe Obama conspiracy January 15, ANN ARBOR—White conservatives who not only have racial animus but are also knowledgeable about politics were the most likely group to believe that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States, according to a University of Michigan Institute for Social Research study.

The fact that more Republicans currently think that the president was not born in the U. The country may be divided about both facts and opinions. Moreover, given the persistence of these beliefs in the face of evidence to the contrary, not only are we likely to see more rumors emerge, but their effects may be long-lasting.

The fact that so many Republicans believe that the president was not born in the United States despite evidence to the contrary suggests that in the partisan-charged environment, it may be very difficult to dispel rumors and outlandish claims regardless of wins on Election Day. Respondents for this non-probability survey were selected from the nearly three million people who take surveys on the SurveyMonkey platform each day.

Carrie Roush is a Ph. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.