Media Can No Longer Pretend That Trump’s Racist Birtherism Is Old News

[struggle4progress]

By Leslie Savan YESTERDAY 5:27 PM

Much of the mainstream media has had to face the inconvenient news today that, yep, Donald Trump’s racist birther beliefs are alive and well. Inconvenient because, although the MSM has given Trump’s presidential campaign extraordinary amounts of coverage, they’ve largely forgotten—willfully or not—that in his view Barack Obama is some kind of Kenyan-born Muslim. “Oh, that birther thing—that’s old news,” they figure. “We can’t take our eyes off the new, winner Trump” ...

Until last night, Trump has successfully built a great big wall to keep his ugly birther narrative from crossing into his current presidential run. His candidacy now turns on his racist immigrant-bashing. It’s not that the press has completely forgotten the birther storm, which peaked in 2011; they have brought it up occasionally since he began running this summer. But, led down various rabbit holes by the accomplished deal-maker, they only push so far.

In a Meet the Press interview last month, for instance, Chuck Todd asked Trump if he still believes Obama faked his birth certificate.“Well, I don’t like talking about it anymore. Because honestly I have my own feelings,” Trump said ...

According to a Public Policy poll earlier this month: “66% of Trump’s supporters believe that Obama is a Muslim to just 12% that grant he’s a Christian. 61% think Obama was not born in the United States to only 21% who accept that he was” ...

http://www.thenation.com/article/the-media-can-no-longer-pretend-that-trumps-racist-birtherism-is-old-news/

[customerserviceguy]

1. True, but

how does that change things regarding Trump's trajectory? All of the people who indicate him as their first choice on a poll are already aware of his birtherism, and have no problem with it. I don't see them suddenly turning around and asking why he didn't confront the questioner on his manufactured 'issue'.

And, yes, the media might finally spend a few news cycles talking about it, but it will have no effect on Trump's momentum heading into caucus and primary season.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

2. Who's going to press Trump

harder on this than Chuckie? IMO Trump can continue to refuse to talk about 'birtherism' indefinitely'. But his followers--and possibly his staff posing as his followers--can and likely will keep pressing this button to reinforce his support. See http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027184020#post32 .