The reason for demanding it is the same reason for demanding basic medical records proving Sarah Palin is the biological mother of Trig.I really thought Sullivan was smarter than this. Producing the birth certificate would not make the thing go away. It would just make it transmogrify into something else. The explanations for why Obama isn't a citizen are forever changing based on what's been debunked, but the conviction of these people doesn't wax or wane--it is consistent, regardless of how implausible their narrative gets, because they are convinced that Obama is a dangerous other on a level that cuts deeper than logic. Why would "proof" convince them? Do you really think Orly "Obama is like Stalin" Taitz will call everything off once Obama releases the certificate? And how easy would it be for her to say, "That's a really nice forgery you've got there?" if she sees the certificate? Sullivan seems to think that there's reason behind the madness, but there isn't. There's just madness.
Because it would make it go away and it's easily done.
And what standard of journalism is this? That one should have to answer the most deranged and ridiculous of one's critics, regardless of what proof they have or whether their questions have any merit? I suppose that if Scientologists started pondering whether Obama is, in fact, Xenu, Sullivan would have to insist according to his principles that Obama surrender himself to the nearest Scientology facility to undergo testing. And why shouldn't he? After all, that would make the rumors go away and I'm guessing it would be easily done. Because holders of public office have a responsibility to prove themselves innocent of everything Lou Dobbs insinuates, of course.
What I find even more interesting about this is that, rather than just admit that the Palin pregnancy theories were misguided, that there are simpler explanations (namely, that she had the baby in Alaska and her story was BS, which is a simpler explanation that is consistent with what we know of the woman) that he had reconsidered after the pressure of the campaign died down, Sullivan is using perhaps his least defensible preoccupation in the past few years--which even his underbloggers have admitted was deeply misguided--to indulge yet another indefensible preoccupation. It's like saying that the case for war in Iraq should be enough to go to war with Iran. If Sullivan has reason to believe that Obama is not a U.S. born citizen, let him present proof. If not, he can either try to find some, or he can keep quiet. But why the hell is the burden of proof on Obama to repudiate nutty rantings? Because no imposition is too large for a public servant. Gee, if that's the new standard, I can't imagine who would want to run for public office.
I don't know what has happened to Sully recently--perhaps Obama ran over his beagles?--but he lost a lot of respect with his Palin conspiracy theories, and he stands to lose quite a bit more if he makes common cause with the birthers.
