bluntlyblue:arewepayingattention:
Leo Berman, a TX Republican in the state legislature, has made a crusade of the “birther” issue. Yep, he’s a redwhiteandblue American who just knows in his heart that our first black president cannot possibly be legitimate.
Well, yesterday, in what must surely be one of the lowest, saddest moments in U.S. political history, the President of the United States felt it necessary to release a long form birth certificate to prove he is actually an American citizen.
The news media headlines all said that Obama “put the issue to bed” by producing the document.
Right.
So is Patriot Berman satisfied? Of course not! Now he wants to know why the Hawaiian hospital where Obama was born hasn’t put a plaque on the wall commemorating the historic event.
Memo to clueless news media: facts don’t drive the birthers and facts won’t assuage them. This is racism, paranoia, xenophobia and hate. Their issue never was about a piece of paper, and they aren’t going away.
(emphasis mine, for spot on)
I believe that was the rationale behind not releasing the long form certificate sooner: it was a waste of time effort to convince a fringe who could not be convinced. Unfortunately, it’s become clear that it’s not only the fringe buying into this racist bullshit.