I believe I know why the republicans are again pushing the birther issue:

[PCIntern]

I firmly believe that both McCain, born in Panama City, and Palin, whose non-child was almost certainly born to her daughter (at best) are in violation of the public trust. We KNOW for a fact that the Republican Playbook involves the projection of their sins onto the Democratic Opposition: Bush, Jr. was AWOL, thus Kerry's a traitor; Reagan was in relatively early stage of dementia so Mondale has intellectual faults; you all know the scenario here.

Now this is important because it would, if utilized properly, be a predictor of the attacks which are made against us and a pre-emptive strike on our part would be much more effective than playing catch-up which we always seem to have to do, even from the time of FDR's Truman's, and Stevenson's Presidential battles. Does the term "Egghead" resound with anyone? (Rhetorical question)

But noooooooo....not us. We're too "nice". I say: Screw it: let the American people know exactly what's going on on the other side of the aisle: if it doesn't come from the candidates, it should come from the supporters of true Democracy, American values, and the sincerely righteous.

That's us...in case anyone forgets.

[Gravel Democrat]

1. We're on different planets

On my planet every single (R)epublican that I see on my tv is running away from Trump as fast as they can. This even includes Coulter, and that dumbass Glennnnn Beck. You can see them visibly cringe when the topic is raised.

Even more hilarious, apparently the more Trump talks the more his ratings climb. This must be causing major and serious indigestion in (R)land.

This could be the most exciting election season in modern history, because Trump just doesn't care what anyone thinks, and when his jaw starts moving anything can happen. (not an endorsement- it's an observation)

A hand grenade with a haircut 2.0!

[quiller4]

12. Trump's ratings were climbing until he battled Cosby. Now

they are sinking like a stone.

[L. Coyote]

2. Simple, give mindless people an issue they understand so they don't pay attention to the real issues

Occham's razor

[JackRiddler]

10. Are you saying that "Occam's razor" is a simple thing people understand so they need not do the work

of figuring out the actual facts of often complex issues?

Because I'd agree with that.

[L. Coyote]

14. No, I'm saying there can be a very simple reason why the birther issue is promoted

and one does not need as complex a framework as the OP suggests.
I'm suggesting that a simple explanation, distracting simple minds, is the likeliest explanatory scheme, and I'm using Occam's razor as supportive of this ideation.

[JackRiddler]

18. Yeah, yeah I get it.

"Occam's Razor" is not a natural law, merely a heuristic for forming hypotheses in the natural sciences.

It has little application to human affairs, where deception and public relations and spin are routine factors. Saying "Occam's Razor" is not an argument. For anything.

[OHdem10]

3. Anything will be used to demonize or marginalize Obama.

Stop a second term by any means necessary. It is
that simple.

It may not be working as they had hoped. There
was only one motive--Make Obama a one termer.

[lonestarnot]

4. They are trying to gin up some legal bullshit to get a pic of Mr. President in Court defending

himself as an "alien."

[leveymg]

5. Another side of this is immigration and demographics. The Birthers are a threatened minority group

In some parts of the country, conservative whites are outnumbered by Hispanics, Blacks and recent immigrant groups -- who they identify with Obama and the Democratic Party. The GOP knows that within a generation they will no longer control the political process in many states.

This is also part of their effort to vacate the 14th Amendment and abolish citizenship by birth in the United States.

[Ikonoklast]

7. ^ This.

We are witnessing the apogee of the Republican Party and its inevitable decline due to demographic shift on a massive scale.

That is why they are going insane, it's their Last Stand.

[leveymg]

17. If it's their Last Stand, can't they just hole up in The Alamo or nuke Las Vegas, or something?

Just leave the rest of the country out of it, please.

I still think the Birthers, KKK and Nazis should be designated as a Native Indian tribe and given the panhandle of Idaho to shoot up. Let them have their own Galtland, and opt-out of the United States, along with SS, Medicare/Medicaid, public education and all the other socialist evils they despise so much. One rule: No WMDs.

[mulsh]

6. nothing will ever resolve this "issue" for its proponents.

it muddies the waters for dimwits and is a convenient, somewhat polite racist meme for average republicans. Let's not forget the role the fourth estate gets to play "catapulting the propaganda".

[Ohio Joe]

8. I see it as a bit more simple

They are racists.

[treestar]

9. Racist dog whistle

They can pretend they are concerned about where Obama was born but they are really simply in a state of hysteria. A black man in the WH is something they never believed would happen. It must be a conspiracy, in their eensy little minds.

[JackRiddler]

11. Yes, but do they really need more appeals to "the base"?

True, it's being used by the non-establishment candidates (Trump, undeclared Palin) to grab some base away from the real favorites (Mittens in front).

[Jack Rabbit]

13. It's not even that complicated

The fact is that only three and a half months into the latest cycle of Republican misrule, the Republicans have nothing to talk about. What successes they've had, such as depriving public employees of collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin, will prove to be their greatest liabilities. Mr. Ryan's budget is a cruel joke. The Republicans are nothing but a bunch of Koch snorters, bought and paid for by artificial persons and this time the real people are wise to them.

Please, do not tell me that by raising a ridiculous conspiracy theory about President Obama's birth they are just defending themselves from equally ridiculous conspiracy theories regarding the birth of Trig Palin.

[PCIntern]

15. I'm not telling you that...

I saying that the origination of it came from those two facts. Trump is revitalizing it because it is its own peculiar brand of dog-whistle. My point is that we need to go on the offensive rather than sitting back and waiting for these idjits to come up with another phony issue - to set them on THEIR heels for a change.

[eleny]

16. Egghead!

I was only about 6 during the campaign season and completely forgot about that. I remember my mom calling him a "Red". She and dad were FDR Dems all the way. But the propaganda of the times got to them. So they voted for Ike twice. After that they went back to voting Dem until they died.