Reader: Barack Obama isn't Kenyan, he's British -- and definitely not American-born

If President Barack Obama thought he'd squelch the birther movement once and for all by releasing his birth certificate, he was wrong. Readers continue to post items like this one, which acknowledges that Obama isn't Kenyan, but argues that he's not American, either...

By Michael Roberts

June 16, 2011

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If President Barack Obama thought he'd squelch the birther movement once and for all by releasing his birth certificate, he was wrong.

Readers continue to post items like this one, which acknowledges that Obama isn't Kenyan, but argues that he's not American, either.

Dixt writes:

Not Correct! To become a U.S. President, one has to be a "natural born citizen" -- which means the "status" AT BIRTH is what counts (therefore, "natural BORN citizen"). America "accepted" Englands 1948 Act on citizenship---which applied to Obama AT HIS BIRTH, because of his Father being a "citizen of the Crown" -- in 1963 kenya won their independence from England, so Obama and his Father then became "Kenyan citizens." People on the left have been saying that since Pres. Obama DID NOT "renew" his Kenyan citizenship, then he was NOW a U.S. citizen. THIS IS FALSE! It's WHAT YOUR STATUS WAS "AT BIRTH"! Pres. Obama was a "British citizen AT BIRTH"!

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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