Birth certificate distraction out of the way.

Cartoon; Day by Day, by Chris Muir.

I have not mentioned the birth certificate issue in a long time, the last being to comment on the stupidity of not releasing it and putting the issue to bed where it belonged sometime last year. It was never going to grow legs to get anywhere.

The issue was first raised by the Clinton camp during the Democrat primaries, and spread from there. Then, Obama surrogates questioned McCain’s standing, as he was born in Panama. The McCain response was to release documents proving that he is definitely a natural born US citizen as required by the Constitution.

It is normal that during campaigns candidates are asked for documents and normally make them public as part of the disclosure that makes the process more open and honest. McCain released something like 1500 pages of medical details at the request of the other side. If a candidate were to refuse to do so, then the press would be all over him like a rash.

It was then noticed that virtually all documents relating to Obama were off limits and that he had no intention of allowing them to be released. The press were reticent to make an issue of this, firstly because they had signed on to the first black President thing, and secondly because of fear of the race card being played.

It seems odd to me that after spending millions in defending his right not to produce the document that he turns around and does so. I had the feeling that it would be released but after the GOP nominee was declared and some political capital had been used up on the issue, thus leaving the nominee without a feather to fly with.

I am reasonably certain that Trump forced the issue, and this may be the best service he could do the GOP, other than announce he is not standing. Obama has always been able to use the mainstream media as a firewall. He has never had to circle the wagons, while MSLSD and the NYT were there for him.

Trump however had the presence, articulation, bravado, and media savvy to crash through that barrier. The line, “I think he is born here, but why then does he need to hide the certificate? What is in it that he doesn’t want us to know?” was one they were unprepared for. People who had rejected the born in Kenya theme, started to take notice rather than write him off as a nutter.

Once Trump started gaining in the polls against a relatively weak GOP field, Obama had to do something to try to stop him getting up a head of steam.

Trump will not be the nominee. If he declares, he may get the big government RINOs and social conservatives, but the small government conservatives, libertarian elements, and the mainstream supporters of the party will be a problem to him. They tend to believe strongly in property rights, which is Trump’s weak point.

Few of them could support a man who has lauded the Kelo decision, is a supporter of the concept of unlimited eminent domain laws, and has a habit of using them to his advantage. Unless the Republicans come up with someone new and spectacular other than Trump, they will lose.

If they stand unsuccessful candidates from last time they will lose. There would be little point in giving the nomination to someone who was incapable of beating McCain for it last time.