Gallup: Most still question Obama's birth

President Barack Obama in the Oval Office April 4, 2011

The White House called it "proof positive" of Barack Obama's Hawaiian birth but there still are significant numbers of Americans – tens of millions in fact – who don't believe the online image of a "Certificate of Live Birth" represents the full and open truth.

According to a new Gallup Poll reported by USA Today,
only 47 percent of those surveyed say they think Obama "definitely" was born in the United States.

An additional 18 percent say he "probably was."

Jerome Corsi’s new book, "Where’s the Birth Certificate?", is now available for immediate shipping, autographed by the author, only from the WND Superstore

But the poll, taken May 5-8 of 1,018 adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, shows that 5 percent say he definitely was born elsewhere, another 8 percent say he probably was born elsewhere and 20 percent say they don't know enough to say.

Extrapolated over the 300 million-plus population of the United States, that 33 percent would surpass 100 million doubters.

Gallup determined 10 percent of Republicans say Obama definitely was born elsewhere, 5 percent of independents and even 2 percent of Democrats.

Charles Franklin, a University of Wisconsin political scientist, told USA Today that the findings show the public no longer has faith in the "traditional" gatekeepers, such as the news media and top political leaders.

Obama released the image late last month, saying he had no time for such silliness as questions about his birth, then departed for an appearance on Oprah's television show.

Part of the doubt that remains could be attributable to a long list of analysts who have come out with statements casting doubt on the integrity of the online image posted by the White House.

Web document experts have questioned the document's authenticity, and a close inspection of the Hawaii Department of Health state registrar's official stamp on the birth records even reveals an apparent typographical error.

The stamp, affixed April 25, 2011, says "TXE RECORD."

Yet, on a copy of a Hawaii long-form birth certificate issued only one month earlier, the stamp says "THE RECORD."

Another recent poll reported by the Los Angeles Times revealed that the release of the White House image just weeks ago failed to convince a majority of Republicans.

That poll, by Public Policy Polling, said only 48 percent of Republicans said they believe Obama was born in the United States.

There, 34 percent said they did not believe Obama was born in the U.S. while 18 percent said they still aren't sure.

Another recent poll, by Zogby, said 16 percent still think Obama was not born in America.

Demographic groups besides Republicans expressing the highest levels of doubt about Obama's birth in the U.S. are conservatives at 34 percent, and those without a college degree, at 21 percent, vs. those with a degree, at 11 percent.

On April 26, the day before the release of the long-form birth certificate, a USA Today/Gallup poll revealed only 38 percent of Americans were convinced Obama definitely was born in the U.S. and another 18 percent said he probably was.

While the location of the birth has been drawing questions since before his election, a large number of people contend that Obama remains ineligible for the presidency even with a Hawaiian birth, as his father wasn't American.

They explain that the Founding Fathers, drawing from the writings of Emmerich de Vattel, believed being a "natural born Citizen," a constitutional requirement for presidents, is a citizen offspring of two citizen parents born on the nation's soil.

Under that definition, Obama cannot qualify for the office.

It was only a few months after Obama's inauguration that a WND/Wenzel Poll
showed that 51.3 percent of Americans said they were aware of the
questions raised about Obama's constitutional eligibility for office.
Only 18.7 percent said they were not and another 30 percent were
unsure.

At that point, 58.2 percent of the GOP said they were aware of the controversy.

Polls later revealed Americans to be increasingly skeptical of Obama's official narrative:

A survey by Angus Reid Global Monitor, a division of Vision Critical Group, in October 2009 found three in 10 people in the U.S. believed Obama to be a foreigner.
"While
only 13 percent of Democratic Party supporters believe Obama was not
born in the U.S., the proportion rises to 25 percent among independents
and 51 percent among Republican Party backers," the report said.
Then in January 2010, another WND/Wenzel Poll
revealed on the one-year anniversary of Obama's tenure in office that
fully one-third of Americans refused to believe Obama was a "legitimate
president," with another 15.8 percent saying they were not sure.

Barely half the voters, 51.5 percent, said they believed the president
legitimate even though he had not yet produced the documentation
proving his constitutional eligibility. Even 14.6 percent of the
Democrats said they did not consider him legitimate.
In May 2010, a WND/Wenzel Poll revealed that 55 percent of Americans wanted Obama to release all records
relating to his childhood and his education, including "college
records, Harvard Law School papers, passport records, travel records,
and other similar documentation."

"Asked what should be done should it be found that Obama does not meet
the qualifications to be president, 59 percent said he should be
removed from office, and 35 percent said all bills signed into law by
Obama should be repealed," the poll's analysis revealed.
By last June, other media were beginning to put their toes in the waters of the controversy.
A 60 Minutes-Vanity Fair poll revealed only 39 percent of respondents
believe Obama was born in Hawaii as he claimed in his book.

"A shocking 63 percent – very nearly two-thirds of us – went out on a
limb and stated for the record that we believe in the United States.
It's enough to make you proud to be an American – or 63 percent proud,
at any rate."

But that figure included those who said they believe he was born in
Kansas or some other unknown state, which still would conflict with
Obama's story.
Last August, a poll by CNN
said 6 of 10 people were uncertain Obama was born in the U.S. The poll
said only 42 percent believe Obama "definitely" was born in the U.S.

The CNN report said that, "Hawaii has released a copy of the
president's birth certificate – officially called a 'certificate of
live birth.' And in 1961 the hospital where the president was born
placed announcements in two Hawaiian newspapers regarding Obama's
birth."

However, the online image released by the Obama campaign during his
presidential race actually is called a "Certification of Live Birth,"
and those documents under the rules in the state of Hawaii were
available for children not born in the state.

While the numbers of those who believe Obama's story has risen following his release of the document image, the doubters still remain a significant part of the population.