April 27, 2011: Limbaugh: Polls Drove Obama to Release ‘Long Form’ Certificate

Conservative radio pundit Rush Limbaugh tells listeners that President Obama released his “long form” birth certificate (see April 27, 2011) because of polling data. “[E]verybody’s asking: ‘Why now? Why now?’” he says. “I think I’ve got the answer. I think it’s all about polling data. I think up ‘til now the polling data showed that it was a winning issue for Obama. The birthers were considered crackpots and the polling data showed as long as it continued that way, that there was hay to be made by Obama by not releasing the birth certificate and stoking these people. But then [billionaire television host and ‘birther’ enthusiast Donald] Trump comes along, and I really believe that the polling data, the internal polling data, the White House shows that the issue was starting to take place. You saw that poll yesterday, USA Today, 38 percent, 40 percent, whatever it was of the American people don’t think he’s born in this country. I think the polling data shifted, and it wasn’t all Republicans in that poll that showed that shockingly high number.” [Rush Limbaugh, 4/27/2011] Limbaugh is referring to an April 26 poll conducted by the Gallup organization for USA Today that says 38 percent of Americans “definitely” believe Obama was born in the US, 18 percent say he “probably” was, 15 percent say he “probably” was born in another country, and 9 percent say he was “definitely” born in another country. [USA Today, 4/26/2011] Progressive media watchdog organization Media Matters will note that for weeks, conservatives have demanded that Obama release the certificate (see March 23, 2011, March 24, 2011, March 28-29, 2011, April 5, 2011, and April 24-25, 2011). [Media Matters, 4/28/2011]