One of the most important things to do, when wanting success, is to define your goals or requirements.
Just what are the qualities that we, as conservatives, want in a candidate?
My most important would be a desire and willingness to remove crooks from government, regardless of their political stripe.
I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the Republican opposition to the "birthers" stems not from a belief that Barack Obama is legitimate, but because of a fear that he isn't. If people believe Barack Obama to be legitimate, they won't worry about whether Congress upheld its duty to vet him. On the other hand, if people believe that Barack Obama is illegitimate, they would almost certainly come to recognize that Congress was grossly derelict in its duty to check his qualifications. For the rule of law to be upheld, the majority of Congress would have to resign in disgrace. A lot of people would rather muddle along under a possibly-illegitimate President than face the upheavals that would follow his exposure.
I understand Republicans' unwillingness to pursue such issues, but that doesn't mean I regard it as acceptable. As sure as night follows day, appeasing evil begets more evil. There's no way for the country to get out of its situation nicely, but continuing to appease evil won't create any better way for tomorrow. Instead, continued appeasement will make recovery even more difficult than it would have had to be.