On other point :) —
When you say Trump is just playing the birther crowd, that would be true only IF he genuinely has no interest in the birther issue or affirmatively knows it has been debunked. Otherwise, he is doing what politicians do -— emphasize issues that are resonating with the people he wants to vote for him.
You can be sure that had any other pol thought he could get away with it (not pay a political price), he (or she) also would have tapping into the birther crowd.
I think the real story here is not that Trump is playing the birther crowd, as you suggest, but that he’s showing signs of being able to peel off enough conservatives/GOPers to insure Obama’s re-election -— not so much because they believe the birther issue has merit, but because they are sick and tired of people telling them that there are things about which they may not question or criticize the POTUS on.
Trump isn’t using this to reach the birther crowd — he knows as well as you do that his background will turn off many conservatives. He’s using it to reach what he thinks of as the “plain speaking” crowd — as in, why the hell can’t I ask the President any question I please, if I have a concern about him?
That’s WAY more than the birther crowd, my friend.
“When you say Trump is just playing the birther crowd, that would be true only IF he genuinely has no interest in the birther issue or affirmatively knows it has been debunked.”
Donald Trump is 100% all about Trump. He has no interest in the birther issue except as a way to get publicity.
Same reason he had those high-profile spats with Rosie O’Donnell etc. IT IS ALL ABOUT PUBLICITY.
If you dont know that, you dont know The Donald. The Art of the Publicity Stunt!
He has no interest in helping conservatives. That is why his largest donations have been to Democrats like SChumer, Reid and the Democratic National senatorial Committee. Why he was a declared Democrat for the past 10 years.
He has no interest in helping Republicans. Check this out:
http://patterico.com/2011/04/12/trump-give-me-the-republican-nomination-or-i-will-give-obama-a-third-term/
“Donald Trump will “probably” run as an independent candidate for U.S. President in 2012 if he does not receive the Republican party’s nomination”
PREDICTION: TRUMP WILL PLAY THE “PEROT” ROLE IN 2012, SUCKER IN SOME GULLIBLE VOTERS WHO WANT A REAL “LEADER” AND HELP, BY DRAWING ENOUGH DISAPPOINTED ANTI-OBAMA VOTERS AWAY, TO RE-ELECT BARACK OBAMA.
I sincerely hope my prediction is false, but you can check in Nov 2012 and see what happens. Trump is laying the groundwork to be a real spoiler that helps Obama.