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Donald Trump, the walking, breathing, one-man circus, attempted to titillate the media last week by announcing that he would make an announcement pertaining to Barack Obama on October 24. While most of the media put off an air of “Who cares about that guy?” there was a certain curiosity. Could this be an 11th hour shocking announcement that could put Obama on defense from now until the election? Could this put Romney over the top? No and no. Trump's announcement was and is merely an attempt to waste everyone’s time.

Trump's announcement was that he would give Obama’s charity of choice $5 million if Obama released his college transcripts and passport application. Why would Trump do this? So that people waste time wondering about Obama's grades and classwork in the 1980s and to also spur talk of birtherism all over again.

I could be wrong, but considering that Obama got into Harvard Law School after he graduated Columbia with a political science degree, and that Harvard got his transcript from Columbia, it is pretty safe to assume Obama's grades were pretty good. Though, I am sure there are some classes that Obama took on Freud and Marx that conservatives would find rather distasteful. But in the liberal arts, you've got to learn the most important thinkers. Perhaps this is what Trump is fishing for. While Marx is very much against the American way of life he is still an important thinker any student of political science should learn. However, Trump just wants a narrative saying, “Obama was indoctrinated by Marx at a liberal school!” to surface before voting day. Though it's doubtful independent voters will care about a school curriculum from the 1980s.

As for the passport application Trump is still just digging for inconsistencies in Obama's records so he can pin him as not having been born in Hawaii. Trump is a well known proponent of birtherism and he really just won't let it go. The passport application would has state of birth information and all that stuff that Trump thinks he can “stick to” Obama.

But Obama won't, and shouldn't, even acknowledge Trump's announcement. Trump is a reality television celebrity and a buffoon that nobody actually takes seriously. You do not seriously engage someone like that when you are president without lowering yourself to his level. Also, Trump doesn't expect Obama to respond, let alone actually agree to the terms. Trump's thinking is that even if Obama ignores him he can say that “It's because there's bad stuff in those documents, let's all be suspicious!”

At this point in the game we've got to look to independents. Are independents prone to being birthers? No, even Fox News says independents are “overwhelmingly anti-birther.” Do independents care about Barack Obama's college transcripts? I'm going to take a guess and say no. I do know that voters want a strong economy, good education, and fair taxes. Does anything Trump bring up affect those issues? No. If this election was going to be swung by listeners of conservative AM radio, Trump may be onto something. But it isn't and he isn't.