I'm guessing it will be less close than people think. We'll know tonight. I'm expecting that the FIVE THREE EIGHT writer, Nate Silver, is right and the swing states will give Obama another four years, just as voters did in 2004, when so many hated W.

I just don't get it. Someone, yes a presidential candidate announcing their candidacy, misspeaks about a long-dead Hollywood star. Sure, John Wayne is one of the biggest stars, but remembering where he was born more than a century ago while giving a speech is not a big deal.

And playing gotcha this way backfires, if people think that talking, writing, blogging, pontificating about this would change minds. No, it makes people feel sorry for her.

Now, I am more interested in misstatements on or about financial issues, such as receiving federal money for a family farm while boldly saying that you don't receive such help. That could be something, but if you link it together with a slip about John Wayne's birthplace, then the financial statement gets lost in what is really a petty attack. Must not be that serious, if they're lumping it together with John Wayne. More gotcha, lacking completely in any substance.

This attack (I'm using the word her supporters or general media-haters) on Michele Bachmann (read the AP story here) only helps her, I'm afraid. I don't like her ability to misstate facts about the war in Libya or oil drilling permits, but those substantial, true policy mistakes get lost when making fun references to John Wayne and John Wayne Gacy. It appears that the Fox News host, Chris Wallace, asking about her being a "flake" (a great moment of morning political talk news, I feel) has now swayed how others cover her.

The comments came in fast and furious and they were informative, informed, sharp and pretty much on target. Two postings on our Facebook page results in about 20 comments, and two versions of the AP story on Obama's release of his long-form birth certificate brought another 20 comments.

I liked the variety of comments from the community, a real highlight to my day.

Kenya? No. It looks like it's Hawaii.
Readers were split on Wednesday's release of the president's birth certificate, a hot button topic in the cable news political arena.
Barack Obama said he hopes the "silliness" of this debate ends so he and other leaders can focus on real problems, such as jobs, the economy, and the national debt.
But others believe that the subject of Obama’s Hawaiian birth, and subsequently his nationality, are real issues. Even Donald Trump, the possible Republican candidate and NBC reality TV star, claimed victory, pronouncing his pleasure at having finally convinced the president to release the long version of his birth certificate.
Here, though, is some of what you had to say, both on our story page and on our Facebook page:
- Liz Scott Waters: "Trump is a joke."
n Maria Christina Gusmano-Tomasino: "Nothing more important going on than this silly issue? I'm embarrassed and saddened by our priorities today."
n Venus Long: "It's a shame that we can not take the word of our president and he has to show proof!"
- Mark Steven: "Obama’s Dad was born in Kenya ... so Obama is not a natural born citizen. People don't even know what the Constitution says."
- Vq Videos: "Trump is NOT part of the political establishment and doesn't give a rat's behind what the media wants to say about him, AND HE GOT IT DONE ... FINALLY someone who's willing to stand up to the "get-along" political establishment."
- Vq Videos again: "How come "Mr. Transparency" has fought this simple, trifling matter for this long in the first place? Because he and other politicians think they don't REALLY answer to anyone?"
- Melissa Behm Marra: "It's really a shame when the president has to tell the politicians to stop being so immature."
n Diana Clark Davis: "If he wasn't hiding anything he shouldn't have had a problem with it."
- Ed Fisher: "I just wonder how many presidents have been harassed regarding their birth certificates? Is it because he is bi-racial, admitting to his father being from another country? Just curious is all."
- Joan G. Berndt: "I don't know what took him so long, but the whole matter is irrelevant. Let's get the economy solved and the dollar shored up. Since his mother is a native born American, the whole debate is absurd."
- rd rge: "To me it is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard of. Why he would have waited so long? Let's just hope no more taxpayer dollars are WASTED!"
- Big Boss: "If there was no doubt, it would have taken just a few days at best to produce, not a few years. Why did it take so long to show a birth certificate if the Obama camp knew this was going to be an issue?"
- Jim: "It's just more proof that Obama is a wimp who caves to right-wing idiots and extremists at every opportunity. He needs to grow a pair and fight instead of constantly begging the GOP to stop hurting him. "
- gg10: "I would rather see Donald Trump's tax statement and see how much money he hides in overseas banks or how many of his businesses have overseas addresses."
Stephen Frye is online editor at TheOaklandPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @stevefrye or @TheOaklandPress. Email him at steve.frye@oakpress.com. He also writes this blog.