Republicans and Birthers: A story of weakness, cowardice, and opportunism.

Republicans have mishandled the issue of President Obama’s place of birth. Prominent Republicans should have said something like this: “Obama might not be an effective President, but was clearly born in the United States. The issue isn’t whether he was born in this country, because he was, the issue is what is he is doing to this country, and the answer to that question is nothing good.” This should have been the response from the very beginning, and it certainly should be the response now. For some unfathomable reason it’s not. Donald Trump is just attempting to turn the Presidential race into a reality show, so we can skip over him. But even the supposedly serious politicians are still messing this one up. Michele Bachman said this week "I take the president at his word ... I guess it's over." She added that the birther question "is not the main issue facing the United States right now." She could easily say: “the President was born in this country.” Instead she says she takes him “at his word.” This is gamesmanship. This can easily be interpreted as: “I don’t really believe that he is a natural born citizen, but I’m not going to make an issue of it.” It is an obvious nod to the more radical elements of the Republican Party that actually believe Obama was born in Kenya, despite nary a shred of evidence. Even if I agreed with Bachman’s solutions to the problems facing this country, I would find this lack of honesty and courage quite unsettling. I don’t mind if politicians are wrong, they are human after all. I do mind when they don’t clearly state what they think and believe because it is not politically expedient. Many Republicans have mishandled this issue, and it should cast serious doubt on their readiness to represent and to lead.