June 04, 2012 10:27 PM UTC

"Birthers" At The Gates

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• by: Colorado Pols

First there was Mike Coffman. Then Mitt Romney proudly hooked up with The Donald. And now, the San Francisco Chronicle reports from California’s U.S. Senate primary:

A novel California primary that premieres Tuesday was intended to produce moderates, but in California’s U.S. Senate race, it could yield a challenger who claims President Obama was born in Kenya.

Incumbent Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 78, running for a fourth full term, faces 23 challengers, including 14 Republicans, the best known of whom is litigious Orange County “birther” Orly Taitz, a Russian Israeli emigre who has appeared on national television with her claims that Obama faked his birth certificate…

The idea was to open the primaries to all voters, allowing moderate candidates to emerge. It was adopted by California voters with the approval of Proposition 14 in 2010. The system was aimed at district-level races for the state Legislature and U.S. House of Representatives, not the statewide U.S. Senate race.

“The law of unintended consequences has kicked in, and it’s kind of a mess,” said Bill Carrick, chief adviser to the Feinstein campaign.

Political analysts said Taitz’s name recognition and a potential surge from her base in Orange County, a state GOP stronghold, could put her in second place.

Adds the Orange County Register’s Martin Wisckol:

An early poll by another Republican candidate, Al Ramirez, and Taitz’s own polling show her leading the field but within the margin of error. In a field of unknowns, Taitz’s name is well-enough publicized to attract voters – including some Democrats who’d say Taitz would assure an easy November win for the incumbent and some Republicans aren’t sure why they’ve heard of her.

Could she ride that phenomenon to victory?

“Of course she could, especially if she gets these birthers, who are so intense about their issue,” said Cypress College political scientist Peter Mathews…

Worried local Republicans are spinning now that the possibility of fringe “birther” icon Orly Taitz actually prevailing in the California U.S. Senate primary is really only due to this new “open primary” system, which can, as both articles note above, be gamed. But can you really say after all that’s happened–both intended and “boneheaded”–in the last couple of weeks to legitimize “birthers,” that Taitz shouldn’t give her pet issue credit if she does win?

And if the Republican presidential nominee won’t even repudiate this crap, is it still fringe?