8 years ago, the birthers were trying to convince the electorate of something else that wasn't true: that then Senator Barack Obama wasn't eligible for the Oval Office because he wasn't born in the USA.
Another presidential race, another Democratic candidate, another conspiracy theory.
CNN calls them "the new birthers." Take a look:
From Donald Trump and his top surrogates to the right-wing media and its engine rooms of outrage in the blogosphere, Hillary Clinton's opponents are ramping up efforts to sow doubt over the candidate's health.Just as with Obama's birthers and Kerry's swiftboaters, there's no evidence that any of it is true.
The campaign -- which goes back years -- has escalated to shouting over the summer, as Trump spiraled in the polls while mostly failing to connect with voters outside his base demographic. Now, as the race enters a crucial phase, there has been a growing push to fundamentally undermine Clinton's candidacy.
Much in the way "birthers" (Trump was among the most prominent) sought similar ends by questioning President Barack Obama's citizenship, the "healthers" are using junk science and conspiracy theories to argue that Clinton is suffering from a series of debilitating brain injuries.
A year or so ago Clinton's actual physician issued a two page report about her health. You can find it here.
A few weeks ago, echoing a fake Kenyan birther certificate that appeared out of no where, there was a "leak" of some Clinton medical records. These are also fake. In a response to those fake documents, Clinton's actual physician issued this statement 7 days ago:
As Secretary Clinton’s long time physician, I released a medical statement during the campaign indicating that she is in excellent health. I have recently been made aware of allegedly “leaked” medical documents regarding Secretary Clinton with my name on them. These documents are false, were not written by me and are not based on any medical facts. To reiterate what I said in my previous statement, Secretary Clinton is in excellent health and fit to serve as President of the United States.Again, that was August 16, 2016.
Part of their evidence?
Pillows.
That's right - the fact that there are pictures of Hillary Clinton sitting on pillows is evidence she's got a brain tumor and therefore unfit for the Oval Office. "Medical mudslinging," what Digby said.
Unfortunately, there's a local practitioner of this New Birtherism - the lovable libertarian, Dimitri Vassilaros. For the past couple of weeks on his nightly online talk-show, he's been offering up this latest conspiracy theory like it's, you know, news.
It's not and he should know better.
But let me ask you, Dimitri - if only to get a baseline on teh crazie: Did John Kerry deserve his Silver Star and those three Purple Hearts? Was Barack Obama born in Hawaii? And finally, is Hillary Clinton in good health?
For that matter, were the moon landings real? Is global warming actually occurring?
I'm hoping you think that the correct answer to all those questions is, "Yes." But, sadly, I am not so sure.
Remember when the Swifties made fake service records and gave them to a friendly News Outlet. They still claim that those documents are genuine
ReplyDeleteThe Swifties got Kerry to retract his Christmas in Cambodia story that was seared -- seared -- in his memory because of the minor detail of Nixon not being President on Christmas of 1968
Just like the New Birthers bullied acceptance of these debunked by Media Matters false stories
IRS targeted Conservative Tea Party groups.
ATF/DOJ ran Guns to Mexico
Hilary dodged Sniper fire in Bosnia.
"For that matter, were the moon landings real? Is global warming actually occurring?"
Is catastrophic anthropogenic climate change actually occurring? Are the Bush TANG Killian Memos genuine.
"correct answer to all those questions is, "Yes."
https://2politicaljunkies.blogspot.com/2007/09/dan-rather-story-it-aint-what-you-might.html