On Birth Certificate Release, Substance Trumps Politics for Obama

David A. Harris — April 27, 2011 – 4:49 pm | Republicans | Stop the Smears Comments (1) Add a comment

Originally Published in Politico’s Arena

The move today by the president demonstrates the seriousness of this man—and proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that substance truly trumps politics in this White House.

The politics of letting this issue drag on and on was primarily bad for just one side: supposedly serious GOP leaders, who had to contend with this non-issue at every turn. Polling continues to demonstrate that while a shockingly high percentage of Republicans buy into the birther silliness, Americans are overall largely turned off by this insidious issue. And birther advocates and those who flirt with the cause have only one letter after their name: “R.”

But the president opted not to view this through a political lens and chose instead to do the right thing for the country at this serious moment, even though some will, of course, never be convinced.

Indeed substance trumps politics for this president and this White House, and we saw proof of that today. Now if only fact could trump fiction within GOP circles where this and similar myths are concerned.

David A. Harris is the President and CEO of the National Jewish Democratic Council

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