Was the Birther Conspiracy Theory Really Started by Hillary Clinton Supporters?

Nope
Wingnuts • Views: 72,033

Today I saw this tweet go by on Twitter, from a writer for conservative site The Federalist, blaming Hillary Clinton “minions” for launching the Birther conspiracy theory that now dominates so much of the right wing:

Since the first place I encountered this theory was actually National Review, this set off warning bells for me. I knew that some of the more, uh, zealous Clinton supporters in 2008 did circulate the Birther insanity, but did it actually start with them, as so many conservative writers now claim?

It turns out that this claim is yet another bogus conservative talking point; the conspiracy theory originated at none other than Free Republic, the well-known far right discussion forum, in a post dated March 1, 2008. Here’s that post:

I was told today that Obama swore in on a Koran for his Senate seat. I do not believe he did. Can someone clarify this for me? I am under the impression only a Congressman has so far sworn in on a Koran.

Also that Obama’s mother gave birth to him overseas and then immediately flew into Hawaii and registered his birth as having taken place in Hawaii.

Again, any clarifications on this? Defintely disqualifies him for Prez. There must be some trace of an airticket. While small babies are not charged air fare they do have a ticket issued for them.

Long time ago but there may be some residual information somewhere. Good ammo (if available and true) BEST USED AFTER he becomes PREZ (if that occurs) and it’s too late for Dems - except accept the VP.

391 posted on March 1, 2008 at 1:47:59 AM PST by FARS

Notice that this deranged comment was posted a full month before the chain email cited by Ben Smith and Byron Tau in this Politico piece: Birtherism: Where It All Began.

That theory first emerged in the spring of 2008, as Clinton supporters circulated an anonymous email questioning Obama’s citizenship.

“Barack Obama’s mother was living in Kenya with his Arab-African father late in her pregnancy. She was not allowed to travel by plane then, so Barack Obama was born there and his mother then took him to Hawaii to register his birth,” asserted one chain email that surfaced on the urban legend site snopes.com in April 2008.

Conservatives are now using this Politico article as proof that Birtherism was started by Clinton supporters, but Smith and Tau were wrong; it’s simply not true. This conspiracy theory that has taken over so much of the right wing, and is still being kept alive by the likes of World Net Daily, Donald Trump and Sheriff Joe Arpaio, originally came from the far right.

(Credit: I discovered the link to Free Republic in this excellent but obviously little-known post exploring the origins of Birtherism: The Secret Origin of the Birthers.)

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