True believers

In a conspiracy unrivaled in the annals of American politics, "President" Obama has pulled the wool over almost everyone's eyes, and has passed himself off -- successfully, so far -- as an American Christian. But -- in reality -- he is a citizen of Kenya and a Muslim.

Thus the cry of the "birthers" -- stating a firmly held belief impervious to certification from the State of Hawaii that Obama was born in Honolulu. Impervious to birth announcements within days of his birth in the Honolulu newspapers. And, it appears, impervious to the statements of the present governor of Hawaii, Neil Abercrombie, that he was a personal friend of Obama's parents, knew them at the time of Obama's birth, and has a firm recollection of Obama's parents' bringing him to parties within days of his birth. These "proofs" are merely confirmation to the birthers of the complexity, deviousness, and audacity of the conspiracy.

Gov. Abercrombie has had enough. He wants to end the debate by obtaining an exemption to Hawaii's privacy rules, allowing release of hospital records of the birth and of the original form of the birth certificate (a form that's not ordinarily produced as proof of birth).

Gov. Abercrombie means well, but such a release of documents will accomplish nothing. It will merely confirm in the birthers' minds that the conspiracy is even more far-reaching and diabolical than they first believed.

Erif Hoffer wrote a book called The True Believer, back in 1951. He pointed out that mass movements are not based on the truth or falsity of their beliefs, but on their adherents' psychological need to escape their own flawed personalities and unite in a collective whole.

He who is free to draw conclusions from his individual experience and observation is not usually hospitable to the idea of martyrdom... All active mass movements strive, therefore, to interpose a fact-proof screen between the faithful and the realities of the world. They do this by claiming that the ultimate and absolute truth is already embodied in their doctrine and that there is no truth or certitude outside it. The facts on which the true believer bases his conclusions must not be derived from his experience or observation but from holy writ.

Hoffer was interested primarily in mass movements that embody a complete philosophy of life or, at least, political life -- fascism, communism, nationalism, and certain religious movements. But his observations regarding unwavering adherence to a belief apply as well to a belief coalescing around a single alleged fact -- such as the existence of UFO's and alien abductions -- when belief in that fact similarly satisfies the believer's need to escape himself and merge into a collective movement.

If Gov. Abercrombie is able to obtain release of further documentation regarding the president's birth, that will be useful, and perhaps reassuring to any conservatives who are tempted by the birthers' position, but are open to persuasion by factual data. But the governor should have no illusion that anything he or anyone else can do or say will affect the belief of the hard core of true believers.

Obama's a foreigner, and that's that.