I thought this video of a birther-curious Rep Mike Coffman screwing the pooch (via) would be worth a watch as you peruse a story about the Donald’s latest birther noises. It’s clear that the local media pursuing Coffman understands that even the hint of birtherism is political poison. Yet Romney is still planning to attend a fundraiser with Trump next month.
Since a good part of that story covers Romney’s moron spokesman saying that Trump is more popular than George Clooney (whatever that means, and why go down that rathole?), I assume part of the reason is that Romney’s campaign is too stupid to understand that birtherism is toxic to 73% of the population. The other reason is that they think they can bluff and bluster the national media into treating birtherism like intelligent design: one theory among others about Obama’s origin, about which there’s legitimate disagreement by serious persons. They might pull the latter off, but Mitt’s going to face a few reporters like the locals in the video, and at some point he’s going to be squirming about sharing the stage with an asshole who thinks the President was born in Kenya.
Baud
Good. Keep birtherism alive. I want Mitt to have to face these questions in the fall and during the debates.
Villago Delenda Est
Trump is more popular than George Clooney?
WTF does that mean, indeed.
What Rmoney needs to say about Obama’s citizenship is to make a categorical, unequivocal statement, that “Barack Obama was born in Honolulu. Period. End of Discussion. He is a natural born US citizen and fully qualified on that basis to be President.”
What he does say is “I believe he was born in the US”, which uses the magic weasel word to give the birfers some hope..that he can indeed be persuaded if confronted with the right evidence that Obama is NOT qualified to be President on the basis of natural birth.
Any time he’s confronted by a birfer on the road, he needs to shut them down, completely. But he won’t. He can’t afford to alienate the crazies in any way.
At least John McCain had the integrity to tell his moron supporters NO on some things about Obama.
Betty Cracker
He keeps using that word “misspoke.” I do not think it means what he thinks it means. “Accidentally” saying “Barack Osama” is a dog-whistle that could be passed off as misspeaking, but Coffman going on an extended riff about what a menacing foreigner Obama is and claiming that he “misspoke”? Coffman is a craven liar, surprise surprise.
Regarding Romney and Trump, my first impulse is to be glad Romney is dumb enough to associate in a high-profile way with an obnoxious asshole like Trump.
But like you said, The Village may well decree that birtherism is just one opinion among many, and any rogue reporter who dares criticize Willard for his birther associations may offer him an opportunity to tee off on the evil, intolerant, liberal MSM, which can only redound to Willard’s credit in this painfully stupid political atmosphere.
Schlemizel
The poor GOP! They need to keep garbage like this alive in order to maintain control over the teabag moran brigades that provide the foot soldiers for their was on humanity. But increasingly people are aware that this is BS and pointless. Since they have nothing else the desperation should be palpable by Labor Day.
MattF
I think Romney is simply a coward. Oh, and a liar and a sanctimonious, soulless pr*ck. That about covers it.
Stuck in the Funhouse
Well, when you are trying to capture the highest public office in a government you don’t really want to exist at least for doing anything to help its citizens, your agenda is wide open for as much bullshit as you can think of to sling against the wall.
Birtherism is but one batch of bullshit, another might be writing insane books on the roots of Obama’s rage toward destroying America, and then televising it. And I am quite certain the barrel bottom will be fully scraped, for any and all memes, just this side of plausible. And when you have most of the money, a lot of crazy shit seems just this side of plausible.
The GOP can get away with this, for none other than the simple reason they look like most voters. And talk like them, and act like them. It’s a tribal free pass to the theater of the absurd, and democrats of all kinds just have to deal with that, pointing out the lies and keep telling the truth as much as possible. This is our burden, at least until human beings evolve past the turnip stage .
Welcome to The Funhouse.
Villago Delenda Est
@Schlemizel:
You know, at the rate their going, by the convention we will feel, in unending unmistakable waves, the desperation. If not by the 4th of July, mind you. The vibes are already there, and we’re not even at Memorial Day.
cathyx
We all know that Mitt is out of touch with 99% of Americans. He thinks all that kids have to do is borrow money from mom and dad to get a business started. So why wouldn’t he think that most of us go along with birtherism?
MikeJ
@Schlemizel:
For decades it seemed as if there was no such thing as too crazy or too much.
Are we maybe at a turning point in America where there is a point of diminishing returns? Are we, dare I hope, at peak wingnut? Which isn’t to say that they won’t *act* crazier, just that they won’t get the results they have in the past.
Anya
Trump is doing this so that the birthers would donate in droves. He does everything for publicity. He would prostitute his children if it would get him attention.
ed
It’s only logical that the Republican candidate for Leader of the Free World would appear with a vain-glorious birther shithead on the heels of speaking at God Hates Fags U.
Jackie
Please let them keep this up. Reminding people that you are either crazy or craven is a great electoral strategy.
amk
wow, finally some journalism from a young buck. Hey chucktoad, tapper the tool, andrea mitchell, the hack and other msm third rate, lazy bums. Invite this guy for a dinner and take his advice on journalism.
PoliticalHack
That Congressman = What a dick.
Southern Beale
LOL. Which statement does he stand by? That he misspoke or that “in his heart, Obama is not an American” …?
What an idiot.
Brachiator
First of all, birtherism is not political poison. It is the lie that won’t go away because it clearly works for some wingnuts in some situations. And even conservatives who reject this just sigh, shake their heads and move on to another topic when their friends and colleagues mouth this stuff. It is not fit for public consumption when questioned by a reporter, but is still perfectly acceptable for quiet conversation.
Trump is totally played out as a theoretical political candidate, but Trump the Celebrity Showman is still riding high. It’s not like NBC cancelled Celebrity Apprentice. And BTW, the Donald selected Arsenio Hall as winner of the latest installment of his ridiculous show, so clearly he loves all Real Born in America Black People(tm). I don’t see many celebrities or corporate buddies shunning Trump.
So Mittens loses nothing by palling around with The Donald. Or Cheney, who I think also has or recently had some kind of fund raiser. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mitt hanging out with Ted Nugent next.
Mitt and Romney belong to the same Rich Guy Club, a venue more exclusive than the Village. Much is forgiven here, and often political leanings don’t matter. These people want to hang out together, attend Vanity Fair parties, play on each others’ yachts in the summer, and be fawned over by “little people.”. A little birtherism is a piffle.
Citizen_X
What is this with the idiotic repetition of the stock non-answer? (“I stand by my statement, that I misspoke, and I apologize. I stand by my statement…”) Is this a thing, in Wingnutland, now? Some moron candidate in AZ named Jesse Kelly was reported on yesterday for doing this, when asked about endorsements from white supremacists. (Wonkette had this on their iPad version, but their web version seems to be stuck on Thursday.) Who though this would be a good idea? Why not “No comment,” instead of looking like a smirking idiot who thinks he’s being clever?
Anya
Is Andrea Mitchell on crack? She claimed that Dems are not enthusiastic about the President but the republicans are enthusiastic about Romney. WTF?
Brachiator
@Anya:
Yes.
Keep in mind that the political media loves a horse race, and so Obama and Romney must be neck and neck as they gallop down the field.
Amir Khalid
It’s amazing that this is flaring up now, just as the state of Hawaii has been smacking Arizona secretary of State Ken Bennett around for his own birther foolishness. Do these geniuses actually want to be publicly mocked and humiliated like Bennett?
Representative Coffman (I’ve never seen Kaufmann spelled that way before) is a small-time operator. Mitt is running for president, and he has no such excuse. His fecklessness about confronting birtherism, when even John McCain knew better than that, is bad enough. Worse is when Donald fucking Trump spouts birther nonsense a year after President Obama himself smacked him down hard, Mitt doesn’t dare distance himself from The Donald’s birtherism either. Mitt is simply not a big enough man for the presidency.
Wag
I’m proud of my local Colorado TV media and how they keep after politicians. a couple of weeks ago there was the reporter who refused to let Romney off the hook and forced him to answer questions about Medical MJ and gay marriage, and now this. Keep up to excellent work!
Judas Escargot, Your Postmodern Neighbor
I want this question to come up at the debates. Let Romney question BHO’s citizenship, to his face.
Chickenshit.
grandpa john
@Betty Cracker: Yeah since when did “mispoke” become synonymous with You caught me lying out my ass
grandpa john
@MattF: Yeah Matt I think that is about as good a description of the man that you can give.
Describes him perfectly in one short sentence.
Bruce S
@MattF:
Also a shame to his parents, given that his father’s consistent integrity and mother’s decency stand in stark contrast to the son’s relentless vapidity and opportunism.
Bruce S
The truly pathetic thing about Mitt Romney’s candidacy is that for any GOPer or “business conservative” who isn’t some combo of birther, racist and TeaBagger, the fact that Mitt Romney will reach out to any lowlife or echo any lunatic policy agenda and recant any belief he has previously affirmed – i.e. the fact that he is the ultimate in craven opportunism and would have to raise his standards of personal integrity and consistency considerably to be seen as a mere “flip-flopper” – is seen as a feature, not a flaw.
That there is no evidence Willard believes a word that comes out of his mouth, whether about budget matters or in praise of Donald Trump, is understood as perhaps his only redeeming quality.
Bruce S
@grandpa john:
Or more likely, you caught me exposing something I believe that I wish I’d kept hidden.
Crza
“Best show on TV right now: Breaking Bad or Game Of Thrones?”
“I stand by my statement, I misspoke and I apologize.”
“Think the New Jersey Devils can win the Stanley Cup this year?”
“I stand by my statement, I misspoke and I apologize.”
“Doggy-style or missionary?”
“I stand by my statement, I misspoke and I apologize.”
“I LIEK PIE.”
“I stand by my statement, I misspoke and I apologize.”
Patricia Kayden
What makes you think that the mainstream media will challenge Romneybot about Trump’s support for birtherism? Has the MSM asked Romneybot to condemn Nugent, Limbaugh, etc. for their over-the-top comments?
Conservatives get away with racist, homophobic, sexist comments that liberals are called out for immediately. Why President Obama felt the need to apologize for Hilary Rosen’s factual comment about Mrs. Romneybot is beyond me.