April 28 - May 1, 2011: Poll: Number of ‘Birthers’ Plummets from 2010

In the aftermath of President Obama’s release of his “long form” birth certificate (see April 27, 2011), the number of people who say they believe that Obama was born in another country has dropped by half. The poll is conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) of Princeton, New Jersey, on behalf of the Washington Post, between April 28 and May 1, 2011. Now, 70 percent of respondants say that Obama was born in Hawaii, up from 48 percent in April 2010. Eighty-six percent say he was born in the US, or call this their best guess. Only 10 percent say he was born in another country, down from 20 percent a year ago. Almost all of that 10 percent say it is only their “suspicion” that he was born elsewhere; only 1 percent claim “solid evidence” that he was born abroad, down from 9 percent a year ago. (In both the 2010 and 2011 surveys, 19 percent say they have “no opinion.”) Now, 14 percent of Republicans say Obama was born elsewhere, down from 31 percent in April 2010. Among the most conservative Republicans, the number drops from 35 percent last year to 16 percent this year. [Washington Post, 5/1/2011; Washington Post, 5/5/2011]