You know, I really hate to bring this up. Nobody likes the guy who says “I told you so.” But let’s face it, the question naturally arises, and after nearly 8 years of birther nonsense, why has it all of a sudden gone away? Why is it all of a sudden “That was then, this is now”? What could possibly be the fundamental difference between the citizenship of Mr Obama and Mr Cruz? Do you see any difference?

Obama was accused of being a Kenyan-born (of a non-American father), Socialist Muslim. That is, he was attacked as being an illegitimate candidate for President because he was allegedly born in a foreign country, had a controversial political affiliation, and was a member of an unpopular religion. The latter two are no reason not to be a legitimate candidate, the first is in dispute, some constitutional ambiguity does exist, depending on how we choose to interpret the text of the Constitution.

Cruz was born in Canada (of a non-American father), by his own admission, there is no dispute or question about it. He also subscribes to neofascist political views and fanatical Christian beliefs. Yeah, neither of those latter two should disqualify him for the office of President, although many Americans do find those affiliations distasteful.

I personally do not believe Mr Cruz should be disqualified, any more than Mr Obama should have been. As much as I dislike him and his politics, I see no constitutional obstacles to his candidacy. What I want to know is why isn’t there a hue and cry from the Right about Ted Cruz’s admitted foreign birth as there was about Barack Obama’s merely alleged origins? What is so fundamentally different about these men that they should be treated so differently by the same partisans. Why isn’t it all over Fox News and Rush Limbaugh?

There were people right here on the Zone who wanted to know “Why doesn’t Obama show us his REAL birth certificate? Why not, Huh? Huh? What is he afraid of? What is he trying to hide?” Even those on the Right smart enough not to join in the clamor did not speak up and tell their fellow partisans to shut up. They looked the other way and pretended nothing was happening.

And we all recall how Donald Trump led the charge about Obama’s country of origin, his citizenship. Now that he and Mr Cruz are competing for the nomination, will he attack Cruz using the same criticisms he leveled against Obama? Will it be as effective with Republicans as those same charges were when leveled at Obama?

What could be the difference between these two men? There’s no need to post their likenesses here, we all know exactly what they look like. What are their differences? Imagine you were looking at their faces. See them in your mind’s eye? What is it that it is so different? What sets them apart?
Why do their followers react so differently? What could possibly be that makes one man so vulnerable to the charge of “illegitimacy” and not the other? Think about it real hard.

I know that to some of you it may seem like I’m being really petulant and obnoxious about this, that it is childish and insulting to harp and finger-wag on this issue, to be so self-righteous and scolding. I’m really making a pest of myself over this, ain’t I?

I certainly hope so. That is certainly my intention.