Born Stupid
I'm sure the Obama administration is glad the Birthers are challenging his citizenship. I've even heard an almost plausible theory that they won't release Obama's birth certificate just to keep the Birthers ranting, hoping the center will think they represent mainstream Republicans.
But here's what I don't get. Let's assume that someday, somehow, the Birthers actually proved Obama is not a natural-born citizen. What do they think would happen? Do they believe he'd just step down? Or the Supreme Court would order him out? He'd just continue being President, and nothing would change.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:06 AM
6 Comments:
Of course you're right. And legitimacy would go right out the window.
You mean the legitimacy of the birthers' argument, right?
So it's no problem to have the formal mechanisms of power ignore the formal mechanisms of power, right? I suspect you're worried about the wrong nutjobs.
The Supreme Court wouldn't order him out, but they'd surely prevent his name being on the ballot in 2012. My guess is that's the birther fantasy endgame.
Now that he's won once, would the authorities be estopped from removing him from the ballot?
No. Estoppel is a common-law doctrine and does not apply to federal statutory requirements. And even if it did, changed factual circumstances (i.e. newly-discovered evidence) is an exception to estoppel.
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