University of Florida
Professor of Law at the University of Florida and author of Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture
PROFILE
Mark Fenster
Guest
FROM Mark Fenster
Which Way, L.A.?
Obama, the 'Birthers' and the Anatomy of a False Accusation Barack Obama's birth certificate says he was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. Local newspapers carried announcements at the time. Recent investigations by mainstream media have confirmed that he meets the Constitutional requirement that the president must be a "natural born citizen." Today, CNN aired the conclusion of Dr. Chlyome Fukino, a Republican and former Director of Hawaii's Department of Public Health, who described the so-called " long form " birth certificate stored in a vault in Honolulu. Such "birther" claims may appeal to the right-wing base of the Republican Party, but the repetition of a demonstrable untruth could do more harm to Republicans than Democrats.
To the Point
The Birthers and the Anatomy of a False Accusation Donald Trump is among those currently making the claim that Barack Obama is not a "natural born citizen," as the Constitution requires a President to be. Despite all evidence to the contrary, polls show that some percentage of Americans believe Obama was not born in Hawaii, but in another country. It turns out the contention was first made in 2004 by Illinois Democrats. But it's Republicans and some of their leaders who are repeating it today. We look at the history of a false report, why some people cling to it and its possible impact on next year's presidential campaign.
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To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?