Quote from Epic:
Count on Mitt to make an absolutely pointless and lame joke at the most inopportune moment.
He makes a lot of progress and gets himself back in the race by just sitting back and letting Obama burn himself out, and then just when he is about to take control of the lead, true to Mitt Romney form, he makes a stupid joke that throws things off track.
That topic has absolutely no upside for him. The birthers are already going to show up and vote for him. I think it was great for him to try to cast himself as a native to Michigan, because winning that state would be a huge upset in this tight race. But the birth certificate comment created a stupid and pointless distraction for his campaign, and won't get him a single additional vote.
Mitt is swinging for the fences. He needs a grand slam to tie, and he knows it.