Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy Theories
Posted on Dec 10, 2015
No, a college ID does not show Barack Obama was a foreign student at Columbia University
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Before this inevitably makes its way here through some individuals who will believe it I figured I'd pre-empt it.
No, a college ID does not show Barack Obama was a foreign student at Columbia University
Other Internet debunkers have looked at this before (Snopes, for one), but we wanted to take our own look.
It may not surprise you that it’s a sham.
Sorting out Soetoro
There was a time when Obama used the last name "Soetoro." Obama used Soetoro, the last name of his stepfather, while he was growing up in Indonesia. At age 10, Obama moved back to Hawaii, his birthplace, and stopped using that last name.
After two years at Occidental College in California, 20-year-old Barack Obama transferred to Columbia University in New York in 1981.
There are no records that suggest Obama ever went by his childhood alias while attending Columbia. In 1983, the university’s weekly magazine published an essay written by Obama. The byline reads "Barack Obama."
ID issues
Whoever took the time to make this image apparently didn’t take the extra time to change the number on the card. After the card made the initial rounds, Snopes revealed the card number belonged to another student, who appears to be caught up in this simply because he posted his card to the web in 1998.
The picture of Obama on the fake ID is definitely not of the president as a young college student. It looks like the photo was taken in 1999, when Obama was in his late 30s and a state senator in Illinois.
What’s more convincing is Columbia University didn’t even start using digital ID cards until 1996 — 13 years after Obama graduated.
"This is a fake," said Roger Hornsby, a spokesman for the university, to PolitiFact. "We didn't even have such IDs then."
Finally, Obama’s ID would not have said "foreign student," and not just because Obama was born in Hawaii. Hornsby said Columbia doesn’t even label student IDs like that.
Our ruling
A Facebook post makes ridiculous claims about a Columbia University ID that shows Obama was a foreign student who went by the alias "Barry Soetoro."
The post wants you to believe Obama isn’t really an American citizen. But the ID, and the birther narrative behind it, is not valid.
Obama stopped using his stepfather’s last name when he was 10. Columbia University didn’t even start using these types of IDs until the mid 1990s, long after Obama graduated.
The ID is a pretty bad Photoshop job. We rate the claim Pants on Fire!
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/dec/09/facebook-posts/facebook-posts-still-claim-obama-wasnt-born-us/
No, a college ID does not show Barack Obama was a foreign student at Columbia University
Other Internet debunkers have looked at this before (Snopes, for one), but we wanted to take our own look.
It may not surprise you that it’s a sham.
Sorting out Soetoro
There was a time when Obama used the last name "Soetoro." Obama used Soetoro, the last name of his stepfather, while he was growing up in Indonesia. At age 10, Obama moved back to Hawaii, his birthplace, and stopped using that last name.
After two years at Occidental College in California, 20-year-old Barack Obama transferred to Columbia University in New York in 1981.
There are no records that suggest Obama ever went by his childhood alias while attending Columbia. In 1983, the university’s weekly magazine published an essay written by Obama. The byline reads "Barack Obama."
ID issues
Whoever took the time to make this image apparently didn’t take the extra time to change the number on the card. After the card made the initial rounds, Snopes revealed the card number belonged to another student, who appears to be caught up in this simply because he posted his card to the web in 1998.
The picture of Obama on the fake ID is definitely not of the president as a young college student. It looks like the photo was taken in 1999, when Obama was in his late 30s and a state senator in Illinois.
What’s more convincing is Columbia University didn’t even start using digital ID cards until 1996 — 13 years after Obama graduated.
"This is a fake," said Roger Hornsby, a spokesman for the university, to PolitiFact. "We didn't even have such IDs then."
Finally, Obama’s ID would not have said "foreign student," and not just because Obama was born in Hawaii. Hornsby said Columbia doesn’t even label student IDs like that.
Our ruling
A Facebook post makes ridiculous claims about a Columbia University ID that shows Obama was a foreign student who went by the alias "Barry Soetoro."
The post wants you to believe Obama isn’t really an American citizen. But the ID, and the birther narrative behind it, is not valid.
Obama stopped using his stepfather’s last name when he was 10. Columbia University didn’t even start using these types of IDs until the mid 1990s, long after Obama graduated.
The ID is a pretty bad Photoshop job. We rate the claim Pants on Fire!
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/dec/09/facebook-posts/facebook-posts-still-claim-obama-wasnt-born-us/
Barack Obama
Conspiracy Theories
Columbia University
Republicans
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 18
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CPT Ahmed Faried Anything can be forged nowadays. The real question is, why is information on Obama's background so limited? That is new for American politicians.
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PO1 (Join to see)
It looks like the image comes from this: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Barack-Obama/David-Maraniss/ [login to see] 411
But, who the hell knows?
But, who the hell knows?
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SGM Mikel Dawson
CSM Charles Hayden The way I look at it, if a person is running for POTUS, then his/her life, past life should be an open book. The people have the right to know who they are voting for!
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I just have one question. If bush's college transcripts were made available to the general public, why can't BO's? There is one way to defeat the birther issue, produce the records and put the conspiracy theory out to pasture.
Executive Order 13489 -- Presidential Records
Executive Order 13489 -- Presidential Records
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PO1 (Join to see)
MSgt James Mullis - I think we both suffered from some misunderstanding. CPT Ahmed Faried was not saying that under no circumstances will a college release transcripts, just that they wont release them to anyone who asks without consent.
Also, to say that his comment was an overstatement in regards to Pres. Bush's unauthorized released is, I think, false. It is the same as when a company says "credit card information will not be released", but then a malicious actor releases it. His transcripts were released illegally (I think that is a wrong choice of word, more "against policy").
For the record, I have never had an employer ask. They just took me at my word. I have only released them when I applied for my master's. But my point was more, if I walked up to you and accused you of lying and demanded you release your transcripts, there would be some hesitation in your response, I am sure.
Also, to say that his comment was an overstatement in regards to Pres. Bush's unauthorized released is, I think, false. It is the same as when a company says "credit card information will not be released", but then a malicious actor releases it. His transcripts were released illegally (I think that is a wrong choice of word, more "against policy").
For the record, I have never had an employer ask. They just took me at my word. I have only released them when I applied for my master's. But my point was more, if I walked up to you and accused you of lying and demanded you release your transcripts, there would be some hesitation in your response, I am sure.
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SFC Joseph Weber
I thought the birther issue was resolved. If there was a video of President Obama being born in Hawaii and Jesus appeared and confirmed there would still be the tin hats who would say it's all fake.
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Cpl (Join to see)
BS, show the papers and the conspiracy will be put to bed. I'll even appear front and center to state the facts. And that is the issue, there is no facts, just conjecture.
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Did you see this?
A literary agent’s promotional brochure from two decades ago declares Barack Obama was “born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii”
A literary agent’s promotional brochure from two decades ago declares Barack Obama was “born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii”
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Cpl (Join to see)
PO1 (Join to see) people aren't supposed to believe snopes unless it promotes the liberal narrative.
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