Of all the scandals that have rocked this administration, perhaps none has resulted in as much discussion and speculation as the controversy regarding Barack Obama’s birth certificate.
As a recent Rasmussen poll indicates, a wide segment of the American population continues to express doubt regarding his citizenship and eligibility to hold the office of president.
Nearly a quarter of all those polled revealed that they agree with the assertion that Obama is not an American citizen. In total, four in 10 either say they are certain he is not or have some doubt.
As one might assume, political affiliation plays a part in how respondents answered the question. Among Republicans, more than 40 percent say they are sure he is not a U.S. citizen.
More than 20 percent of independents agreed, however, as did more than 10 percent of Democrats.
Republicans and independents responded similarly in expressing uncertainty about his citizenship, with more than 20 percent stating they are not sure whether he is an American or not. Just seven percent of Democrats are unsure.
Describing the citizenship debate as a conspiracy theory, Rasmussen included the question in a wide-ranging survey that touched on a number of other contested opinions.
Regarding another hypothesis about an American president, a full 32 percent of Americans reportedly believe that John F. Kennedy’s assassination was coordinated by more than just the one shooter historically blamed for his death. Less than half believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
While 57 percent of respondents reject the theory that the U.S. government knew about the 9/11 terrorist attacks ahead of time, 24 percent believe federal officials were aware of the threats and failed to prevent them.
Two in 10 respondents believe the crash reported near Roswell, N.M. in 1947 involved an alien spacecraft. Only 47 percent are willing to categorically state that the theory is false.
Of all the conspiracies included in Rasmussen’s poll, the one believed by the fewest respondents involved Paul McCartney’s death in 1966 and his subsequent replacement in The Beatles. More than eight in 10 Americans think that theory is unfounded.