One in Three Birthers Supports Obama, Poll Finds

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Polling

(Credit: CBS/AP)

Now this is surprising: According to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, about one in three so-called "birthers" - those who erroneously believe President Obama was born outside of the United States - nonetheless approve of the president's job performance.

Fourteen percent of those surveyed in the poll volunteered that Mr. Obama was born in another country, a figure that rose to 20 percent when pollsters explicitly offered that as a possibility.

That means roughly one in five Americans could be considered a birther, according to the poll. It showed that about one in three conservatives and Republicans believe the president was born abroad. Fifteen percent of Democrats agree.

Yet it's worth noting that about half of these birthers cast their position as just suspicion, not a firm belief. The rest (about nine percent of Americans overall) say there is "solid evidence" that the president was born abroad.

As has been repeatedly shown, Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961. Birthers have suggested that Mr. Obama is not eligible for the presidency because he fails the constitutional requirement that the holder of the office be a natural born citizen.

Overall, 68 percent of those polled said without being prompted that Mr. Obama was born in the United States. Another nine percent said that was their "best guess," bringing the non-birther total to 77 percent.

People who have not gone past high school are far more likely to say the president was born abroad (24 percent say so) than those who have post-graduate degrees (13 percent).

In a CBS News survey taken last month, 58 percent of Americans said Mr. Obama was born in the United States, while 20 percent said he was born elsewhere. Just 41 percent of Tea Party supporters said Mr. Obama was born in America.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by ObamAcornLies October 6, 2010 10:28 PM EDT: Because it sooooo friggin obvious.

Here's the proof:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHzFIvCy_iQ; Reply to this comment

by ObamAcornLies October 6, 2010 10:24 PM EDT

It doesn't matter where Obama was born. He could have been born on the Whitehouse steps but could never be a "Natural Born Citizen". since his father was never a US Citizen.

END OF STORY!

Reply to this comment


by ObamAcornLies October 6, 2010 10:25 PM EDT: http://www.youtube.com/user/KenyanBornObamAcorn#g/u


by antoniof123 May 20, 2010 4:07 PM EDT: These people are some of the dumbest people on the planet why would anyone care what they say or believe?; Reply to this comment


by mmvale May 17, 2010 7:31 PM EDT: Sorry, I meant to say, when you hide all your records, it means that you have something to hide.; Reply to this comment


by mmvale May 17, 2010 7:29 PM EDT: When you hid all your records, it means that you have something to hide.; Reply to this comment

by Cuda-Driver May 16, 2010 11:56 AM EDT

John McCain is not a natural born American. McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone that was NEVER U.S. Property! We used land, but didn't OWN it. An NO, military installations were NOT considered U.S. Property. For God's sake! Look this stuff up! Start with a GOVERNMENT site, not a blogger's site. McCain was naturalized when he was 16. Natural Born and Naturalized are two DIFFERENT things. Again, look it up! Further more the Constitution states only "natural born" U.S. Citizens, "Born on U.S. soil" are eligible to run for president of the United States.

Reply to this comment


by jchip44 May 16, 2010 10:39 PM EDT: Dear uninformed,

John McCain was born in Panama Canal Zone, a legally an unincorporated U.S. territory until the implementation of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties in 1979. Children born of two U.S. citizens in the Canal Zone had been subject to the Naturalization Act of 1795, which granted statutory U.S. citizenship at birth. In addition, Congress first extended citizenship to children born to U.S. parents overseas on March 26, 1790, under the first naturalization law: "And the children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond sea, or outside the limits of the United States, shall be considered as natural born citizens." Another tidbit, McCain, born of a parent who was on active military duty outside the country (McCain's father was stationed at the Naval base in the canal zone)is automatically granted citizenship as if he were born at Walter Reed or any other US military hospital.


by Cuda-Driver May 17, 2010 9:07 AM EDT: Jchip44... If he was considered to be natural born than answer me this why did he need become naturalized at 16, look it up. (HE IS NATURALIZED not NATURAL BORN) and there for not eligible to run for president of the United States.

by Cuda-Driver May 16, 2010 11:39 AM EDT

The State of Hawaii (that has his original birth certificate in there archives) vouched for the authenticity that President Barack Obama is a natural born U.S. Citizen. The director of Hawaii?s department of health confirmed Oct. 31 2008 that Obama was born in Honolulu.

The Associated Press quoted Chiyome Fukino as saying that both she and the registrar of vital statistics, Alvin Onaka, have personally verified that the health department holds Obama's original birth certificate.
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands accepts both Certificates of Live Birth (original birth certificate) and Certifications of Live Birth because they are official government records documenting an individual?s birth.
Obama's birth has been verified by the State of Hawaii and reported by every news organization including Fox. Two court trials came to the same conclusion that he is a natural born U.S. American.
To all you birthers you want to see Obama's birth certificate complete with certificate number, raised seal, signature, stamp, and birth announcement, check out:

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html Its been on the web sense 2008.

Reply to this comment


by jchip44 May 16, 2010 10:50 PM EDT: Why does the SS# he (Obama/Sotero)uses now (I understand he has used many (some say up 39 different ones) like any typical charlatain) indicate it was issued in CT? (by code between 1977-79) I used to work in a college records office, so I'm not an expert, but we used to check the codes for authenticity when people applied for student aid. That was before illegals could buy them at a bodega for $150.00.


by Cuda-Driver May 17, 2010 9:18 AM EDT: Jchip44... Prove this, you birthers just repeat garbage that you here with nothing to back it up. So you give up the fact that he is a NATURAL born American citizen so now it's his Social Security number. You must be a teabagger, repeat anything you here on fox noise and believe it to be true.

by actornaught May 12, 2010 12:28 PM EDT

Still, 3 out of 3 birthers are crazier than a crap-house rat.

Reply to this comment


by earlysaid May 16, 2010 7:27 PM EDT: No way do I believe any birthers supports President Obama and his great work at fixing the mess that republicans left. They are crazier than baboons who will not believe the truth that intelligent people know is true. Our President was born in Hawaii. President Obama is working amazingly hard constantly and no republicans appreciate that except a few with intelligence and common sense.


by barbaram99 May 11, 2010 9:33 AM EDT: I am Maine born and raised..HI became a state in 1959. My roommate has been there. That was years ago before I met him. Ye know HI is a state, The Preisdent know know his own birthday and where he was born. He would know that he would have to be a certain age and be a citzen of this nation..Nat a nationalised,,As for his name well his parents gave it to him. He did not chose it,
Ye put bush in the office yet that was find was it not..Now a black person is in office ye don't like it..The founding fathers made it clear.; Reply to this comment

by barbaram99 May 10, 2010 4:44 PM EDT

Ye failed to see it The US Constution is clear on who is to hold the office of President of the USA...The President is the son of an American citzen and he also born in America..His father was not. His mother was. That is all he needed to became President and he is over 35.

Reply to this comment


by Zann-Zel May 11, 2010 10:27 AM EDT: Or maybe its time to start accepting the truth!

He's an American!
He's YOUR President!
And he's NOT going anywhere!
And his policies aren't going anywhere!