Birtherism has heated up again this week, with Donald Trump making more claims against Obama's true birthplace.
He didn’t know he was running for president, so he told the truth (in regard to a biography written about Obama)... The literary agent wrote down what he said… He said he was born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia… Now they’re saying it was a mistake. Just like his Kenyan grandmother said he was born in Kenya, and she pointed down the road to the hospital, and after people started screaming at her she said, ‘Oh, I mean Hawaii.’ Give me a break.”
These attacks and assertions may hold some semblance of weight, depending on whom you ask, but more importantly, are short sighted.
Let's say an official federal investigation opens and finds that Obama was indeed born in Kenya and is officially ineligible to be President. At that point, current VP Joe Biden moves into Obama's former post. Is that good for the Democrats? Of course not. Biden is not particularly popular and didn't make much of a dent in the Democratic primaries back in 2007. But you know who did? Hillary Clinton.
With a 2012 election looming, assuming Obama was indeed tossed aside due to ineligibility, who is the most likely candidate to be pushed forward by the Democratic brain trust? Biden or Clinton? Seeing as they want to win in 2012, they will almost certainly declare the most popular politician in the White House right now, Hillary Clinton, as the official Democratic candidate.
Does that help the GOP in any way?
Sure the PR fallout will be negative should Obama be tossed aside. But how long would that last for once Hillary steps forward? She has the highest approval rating of her career right now. She has accomplished what is considered to be a great four years in the current White House as Secretary of State, and would be an immense upgrade over Obama (at least in terms of polls).
It is for this very reason that Birtherism, at this point, is foolish. Kenya, if true, would be much worse for the GOP than Hawaii.
