Number of 'birthers' is declining, recent polls show
The number of Americans who doubt that Obama was born in the US is declining, tracking the rise in his approval rating, recent polls show. Still, the number of 'birthers' is significant.
Orly Taitz outside the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, Calif., on May 2. A federal appeals court in California has heard arguments about a lawsuit challenging the US citizenship of President Obama, despite the release of his detailed birth certificate. Ms. Taitz argued that the lawsuit, which was dismissed two years ago, be remanded back to US District Judge David Carter.
Nick Ut/AP
Questions about President Obama鈥檚 place of birth 鈥� raised by conspiracy theorists, many tea partyers, and most prominently by Donald Trump 鈥� still exist. But the number of 鈥渂irthers鈥� is declining since Mr. Obama released his 鈥渓ong-form鈥� birth certificate last month, according to a Gallup poll released Friday.
Those who say the president 鈥渄efinitely鈥� was born in the United States jumped from 38 percent in April to 47 percent in May, with another 18 percent saying he 鈥減robably鈥� was born here, for a total of 65 percent. Those who say Obama 鈥渄efinitely鈥� or 鈥減robably鈥� was born 鈥渋n another country鈥� dropped 11 percentage points to 24 percent. The rest (20 percent) say they don鈥檛 know enough to decide.
鈥淧resident Obama's release of his long-form birth certificate appears to have significantly reduced skepticism about his place of birth, but by no means completely,鈥� writes Gallup analyst Lymari Morales. 鈥淎ll political groups are more likely after the release than they were before it to say Obama was definitely or probably born in the US.鈥�
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Nearly half of Republicans (49 percent) now say Obama was definitely or probably born in the US, up from 35 percent. Among independents, the number rose from 56 percent to 65 percent, and among Democrats the number gained another three percentage points to 81 percent.
鈥淪till,鈥� Morales adds, 鈥�13 percent of all Americans and nearly 1 in 4 Republicans continue to say he was definitely or probably born in another country.鈥�
In general, the number of doubters parallels geography (higher numbers in the South) and lower socio-economic status, as well as how respondents view the job Obama is doing.
The results reflect Obama鈥檚 increased approval rating 鈥� up six points to 52 percent 鈥� after the killing of Osama bin Laden last week. Gallup calls this a 鈥渞ally event,鈥� the first the polling organization has observed during Obama鈥檚 presidency.
Notably, Obama鈥檚 approval rating jumped 12 percentage points (to 21 percent) among Republicans and nine percentage points (to 49 percent) among independents. It stayed at 81 percent among Democrats.
A recent 海角大神 Science Monitor/TIPP poll conducted from May 1 (the day Obama announced the death of Bin Laden) to May 6 showed results similar to Gallup.
Of the 971 adults polled nationwide, 64 percent said they 鈥渁lways knew President Obama was born in the US.鈥� Nine percent said they鈥檇 had some doubts but that once they鈥檇 seen the long-form birth certificate they were 鈥渟atisfied that he was born in the US,鈥� for a total of 73 percent. Twenty percent said they 鈥渟till had some doubts about where he was born,鈥� and 6 percent weren鈥檛 sure.
Donald Trump, who took credit for forcing Obama to release the long-form birth certificate, has dropped the issue as he presses on with his potential presidential bid 鈥� this week in New Hampshire, where he emphasized the economy and trade.
But Mr. Trump is not totally out of the story. A copy of Obama鈥檚 birth certificate signed by Trump is being offered on eBay for $1,525.
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