How A Candidate Should Handle Birther Questions

By Jack Cashill

This past week, Texas Governor Rick Perry was hit with the "birther" question by Parade Magazine. Here is how it went: Governor, do you believe that President Barack Obama was born in the United States? I have no reason to think otherwise. That's not a definitive, "Yes, I believe he"-- Well, I don't have a definitive answer, because he's never seen my birth certificate. But you've seen his. I don't know. Have I? This, of course, created a microburst of concern, fake and real, over Perry's campaign smarts. "You associate yourself with a nutty view like that, and you damage yourself," said Bush strategist Karl Rove. When pressed, Perry predictably waffled: "It's fun to, you know, lighten up a little bit." He added, "I was just having some fun with Donald Trump." For Perry, like other Republicans tagged with this line of questioning, it has been all lose-lose. An open-minded response to the eligibility question alienates the establishment, and backpedaling alienates the rank and file. To spare future candidates the.... (Read Full Article)