False Equivalence Watch: Marc Fisher On Obama's Birth Certificate and Romney's Tax Returns

Wow.

So, I have to disagree with Mr. Fisher's main claims in this piece.

First, I don't see that we've got anything like evidence of some general lack of trust in American society.

Second, no, there is no equivalence between the respective dust-ups about Obama's birth certificate and Romney's tax returns. The birthers are lunatics, driven by dogmatism and hatred of the President, who refuse to believe the absolutely conclusive evidence that has been presented to them. Those of us who would like to see Romney's tax returns have not been provided with the evidence. We're just asking to see the things. We're suspicious that he won't cough them up. And the request is perfectly reasonable and ordinary. Asking for evidence is not the same thing as ignoring conclusive evidence you've already been provided.

And, furthermore: MSNBC, whatever its flaws, is not the equivalent of Fox "News," and for the love of God, NPR is not the equivalent of Drudge. Jesus. The mind, it reeleth...

It's becoming harder and harder for me to resist the conclusion that the press is, in general, simply too gutless to even admit that crazy people and sane people are not equivalent. They're so afraid that the crazy people will call them unobjective that they're willing to maintain their equivalence axiom no matter how obvious its falsehood becomes.

It's really time that American journalists started acting like, y'know, journalists. Journalists elsewhere risk death to tell the truth. Our journalists are unwilling even to merely endure the scorn of lunatics and liars.