Would the Real Birthers Please Stand Up?

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Tuesday March 29, 2011

When the first GOP presidential debate gets held, there's one question that should be asked as preliminary screening to separate the sane from the cynical or crazy.

When the first Republican presidential debate gets held, there is one question that should be asked by the moderator to perform preliminary screening on the candidates to separate the sane from the cynical and crazy:

"Raise your hand if you have any doubts that President Obama was born in the United States."

Tim Pawlenty would not raise his hand.

Donald Trump would raise his hand.

Mike Huckabee should be able to keep his hand down, but he might not be able to contain himself if he starts talking about Obama's adolescence.

Michele Bachmann will have to raise her hand or else some of her recent staff hires might defect.

Newt Gingrich will be torn. He has shown he can be cynical before, but is he willing to go the full nine yards and say that Obama's “Kenyan, anti-colonial” mindset comes from being born in Kenya?

If the first debate is held in May then by asking the question as early as possible, you clear the air so that the issue is dealt with and everyone can move on to serious questions.

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