Mitt Romney Attempts to Cash in on the Conspiracy Theorist Vote

By Michael Baker

“No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place where we were born and raised.” – Mitt Romney, August 24, 2012.

The now-official Republican nominee for President really has stooped to the lowest common denominator. The “birther” argument is probably the cheapest of all the cheap shots that one could take at Obama. What’s really shocking is how effective it is. I’m constantly amazed when I meet seemingly intelligent people who buy into the conspiracy theory that Obama was not born in the USA, and there are a lot of them. But now it’s not just coming from the fringes, it’s coming out of the mouth of the Republican candidate for President.

I really don’t think that Romney believes that Obama was born anywhere other than the United States. I also really don’t think that Romney doubts that he’s already got the right wing nutjob vote. So why bring this up? What’s the benefit? Keep in mind, this is coming from a candidate who accuses his opponent of wanting to talk about anything but jobs and the economy. This can only serve to further distract from any legitimate political discourse. And it’s only August. What’s next?