Personally, I think that this is a “managed distraction”, in which the effort is to change the subject.
By analogy: “Today an unidentified senior Air Force officer said that “UFO believers are no longer investigating UFOs, but are instead focusing on weather balloon manufacturers.”
In other words, “They are getting too close, let’s change the subject of discussion.”
So if anyone wants to do some detective work, find out who started the idea that birthers have suddenly given up and decided to investigate Obama’s college transcripts.
I would give you good odds it did not start with a birther, Republican, or conservative, but instead was generated by some leftist AP hack journalist.
What's the difference?
Like "tea bagger" the term "birther" is a derogatory term used to demonize anyone attempting to find out the truth regarding America's first non-disclosure "witness protection" president.