04-27-2011, 10:05 PM
PeterB wrote:
[quote=rjmacs]
[quote=Dakota]
After years of relegating the birther issue to psychopaths, they see the man himself elevate it to the highest level. Admit it, it was a big mistake.
I'm inclined to agree with you, Dakota. I think that President Obama has legitimated the birther movement by capitulating. Time will tell whether it pays political dividends, but i think you've called it right: he is playing their game, which makes it his game too.
I think you've got it exactly wrong. He didn't capitulate; he gave them what they wanted, just not the way they wanted it. By releasing the certificate, he's essentially just thumbed his nose at the entire tea party movement, by saying that they're kookbiscuits for wasting all of our time with this utter nonsense. In a certain way it was brilliant, because it will further marginalize an already kookbiscuity fringe element (and anyone associated with that element). If he hadn't have released this, there might forever be nagging doubts. By releasing this, anyone who persists is going to be marginalized and labeled a kookbiscuit, e.g., beagledave's link.
How did they want it? I'm not clear about in what way he isn't playing their game? Granted, he thinks that doing so will win over the mild skeptics and further marginalize the die-hards - but that's a political calculation. To me, it doesn't look like thumb-nosing, it looks like high-profile recognition. (Also, i don't think it's accurate to imply that all Tea Party members are birthers, or vice versa.)