"Right On": Conservative Media Applaud, Defend Romney For Birther Comment

By the MEDIA MATTERS STAFF

Conservative media figures are defending and applauding Mitt Romney for invoking at a Michigan rally the false conspiracy theory that President Obama was not born in the United States.

Romney Makes Birth Certificate Comment At Rally

Romney: "No One's Ever Asked To See My Birth Certificate." At an August 24 rally in Michigan, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said:

ROMNEY: I love being home, in this place where Ann and I were raised, where both of us were born. Ann was born at Henry Ford Hospital. I was born at Harper Hospital. No one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised. [Talking Points Memo, 8/24/12]

"Right On, Right On": Conservatives Cheer Romney's Birther Remark

Limbaugh: "Right On, Right On, Right On." On his radio show, Rush Limbaugh aired audio of Romney's comments and responded, "right on, right on, right on." From the August 24 broadcast of The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: Mitt Romney and Ryan, drawing a huge crowd in Michigan. And get this.

ROMNEY [audio clip]: I love being home in this place where Ann and I were raised, where both of us were born. No one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised.

LIMBAUGH: Right on, right on, right on. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 8/24/12]

Limbaugh: Romney Is "Test-Driving" Birther Line. Later in his show, Limbaugh suggested that Romney's "line is a test drive." From the August 24 broadcast of The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: Stay focused. Romney and Ryan in Michigan. Big, big crowd. And here is Romney, I'm convinced, test-driving something. I think this line is a test drive.

ROMNEY [audio clip]: I love being home in this place where Ann and I were raised, where both of us were born. No one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised.

LIMBAUGH: OK, now, as you c-- yeah, yeah, right on. As you can imagine, the media is in a tizzy. The media is in a tizzy. There's a tweet here from Jan Crawford at CBS. "At Romney event. Two reactions to his birth certificate joke. Reporters gasped, and the crowd of thousands laughed and cheered."

And there's a -- there's another tweet. Let's see, this is from a guy named Philip Rucker who offers the context of this. He says, "Romney spoke of his birth certificate just minutes after Ryan reminded the crowd of Obama's '08 cling to guns and religion quote."

So Ryan's out there talking about Obama and his bitter clinger quote. And Romney gets up to the microphone. It's his turn to speak, and he test-drives that line about nobody's ever had to ask to see his birth certificate.

I'm going to tell you what. You know, I'm gonna make a prediction for you. It's going to be fascinating to watch. The Obama-bashing at the Republican convention is going to be delicious. It's going to be five-star-restaurant type stuff. I mean, you're going to love it. You are going to eat it up, all the Obama-bashing. And I'll bet you what's happening right now is the networks are trying to figure out how they can avoid airing any of it.  . [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 8/24/12]

Hannity: "It Shows He's Got A Good Sense Of Humor." On his radio show, Fox News host Sean Hannity repeatedly broke into laughter over Romney's comment and said it proves "he's got a good sense of humor." From the August 24 broadcast of The Sean Hannity Show: 

HANNITY: One of the weird things that happened today. I mean, this is going to drive the Obama-mania media wild. Mitt Romney started cracking birther jokes on the campaign trail. [laughs] It shows he's got a good sense of humor. He was at a rally in Michigan on Friday and he took a swipe at the controversy surrounding President Obama's birth certificate. And Romney told the assembled crowd that he and his wife Ann had been born at hospitals a short drive away from the farm that the rally was being held at in Michigan. He said, "Now I love being home, in this place where Ann and I were raised, where both of us were born. Ann was born in Henry Ford Hospital and I was born in Harper Hospital," he said. "No one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised." And it's --  I mean, it's funny. Considering, "You're a birther! Birther! Birther! Birther! Birther!" I mean, why? Because the president wouldn't hand over his stupid birth certificate? [laughs] I think that is -- that is funny. The Obama campaign responded swiftly to the - "blasting Romney as having embraced the most strident voices in his party instead of standing up to them." "It's one thing to give the stage in Tampa to Donald Trump and Joe Arpaio, but Governor Romney's decision to directly enlist himself in the birther movement [laughs] should give cause [sic] to any rational voter across America." Now that's funny. I mean, we're so uptight about some of this stuff, you just gotta laugh. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 8/24/12] 

Jim Hoft: "Hah!" Jim Hoft promoted video of Romney's comment in an August 24 post on his Gateway Pundit blog:

[Gateway Pundit, 8/24/12]

Dobbs: "Many In The Lamestream Media Don't Have A Sense Of Humor." On his Fox Business show Lou Dobbs Tonight, host Dobbs downplayed Romney's comments, saying "some in the mainstream media are charging Governor Romney with reigniting the birther issue with those remarks" and claiming, "Many in the lamestream media don't have a sense of humor." [Fox Business, Lou Dobbs Tonight, 8/24/12]

Conservatives Defend Romney: Obama Made Birther Jokes First

RedState: "Obama Campaign Requested Birther Jokes." From an August 24 post at RedState.com:

So basically everyone, including Obama, is pretty upset about this incredible affront on Obama's birth in spite of Romney's continued and consistent position that he is in fact a citizen born in the United States.

But really, Romney was just following the Obama Campaign's own instructions as seen on their website store where you can purchase a coffee mug with Obama's birth certificate printed on the side. Their description makes clear that birther jokes aren't only ok, they wantpeople telling them.

MADE IN THE USA MUG

There's really no way to make the conspiracy about President Obama's birth certificate completely go away, so we might as well laugh at it -- and make sure as many people as possible are in on the joke. Get your Obama birth certificate Made in the USA mug today.

Thanks for having a good sense of humor OFA. I'm sure you appreciate Governor Romney playing along with your joke. [RedState.com, 8/24/12]

Malkin: "Romney Makes Birth Certificate Joke, Media Freaks Out." Conservative columnist and Fox News contributor Michelle Malkin highlighted the RedState post on her website and mocked "the Left and the Left Media" for being in "full freak-out":

Remember when all the journalists laughed and laughed at President Obama's birth certificate jokes at the White House Correspondents Dinner?

[video]

Well, it's not funny, anymore...now that GOP presidential rival Mitt Romney has made a light-hearted birth certificate joke of his own.

It's full freak-out time for the Left and the Left Media. Water-carrying business as usual.

Ben Howe at Red State notes that the official Obama campaign website is capitalizing off birth certificate humor with mugs that read:

MADE IN THE USA MUG

There's really no way to make the conspiracy about President Obama's birth certificate completely go away, so we might as well laugh at it -- and make sure as many people as possible are in on the joke. Get your Obama birth certificate Made in the USA mug today.

It's not funny...unless the Left gives you permission to laugh. [MichelleMalkin.com, 8/24/12] 

Dana Loesch: "You People Need To Stop Being All Uptight." On her radio show, CNN contributor Dana Loesch criticized "the left collectively losing their minds" over Romney invoking the birther conspiracy theory, saying that "he was just making a joke." From the August 24 edition of The Dana Show:

LOESCH: What is that shrieking that you hear? Do you hear that? What is that? I think Joe Biden would call it, like, squealing pigs, wouldn't he? That's the left collectively losing their minds because ZOMG, ZOMG-BBQ! Mitt Romney made a joke. He made a joke. The left doesn't -- the left likes to have a sense of humor except when it comes to conservatives. When it comes to conservatives, we are no longer funny. We have no humor after conservatives talk. He was just making a joke. The Obama campaign sells mugs with birth certificates on them on their website. Give me a break. You people need to stop being all uptight. Did you just say you people? [KFTK, The Dana Show, 8/24/12] 

Breitbart.com's Pollak Complains That Only Supporters Are Allowed To "Joke About Obama's Birth Certificate. In a blog post, Breibart.com editor-in-chief Joel Pollak wrote:

As trumped-up as the birth certificate issue was--and it began in the Clinton camp, not among Republicans--it became a reminder of the many facts about Obama that remain hidden and unknown. Obama's campaign has tried to turn the tables, pushing Romney to release more of his tax returns and accusing him of being "the most secretive candidate...since Richard Nixon." But Obama surpasses even Nixon for opacity.

Apparently, though Romney is now being pilloried by MSNBC as a racist, it is permissible to joke about Obama's birth certificate--but only if you donate to Obama. The Obama campaign website isselling coffee mugs emblazoned with the birth certificate and the slogan: "Made in the USA." The site goes on to encourage Obama supporters: "...we might as well laugh at it -- and make sure as many people as possible are in on the joke." 

It's worth a good laugh--even (gasp!) at Obama's expense--and Romney was wise to enjoy it, to put Obama's pretense at transparency in perspective. No, he was not questioning Obama's eligibility for office. He was pointing to the fact that Americans still do not trust Obama--not because of his origins or race, but because of his deceitful conduct. He promised to lead. He promised to unite. He didn't just fail--he did, and is doing, exactly the opposite. [Breitbart.com, 8/24/12]