How can anybody take seriously a party loaded with birthers?

Setting aside the whole budge debate, I think the real problem with Republicans and Tea Partiers is credibility. When a third to a quarter of your party truly believes the president is a foreigner and the rest of the party silently goes along with their ravings, it makes the party look stupid and immature from an outsider's perspective. They may score points with the fringe voters but over the long run they lose respect among independents and (not that they could look any lower) in the eyes of progressives. They can stand by and allow the kooks to make outrageous claims and it won't harm them today, but mark my words, the history books will take a dim view of their silence and they will look incredibly racist and backwards for not speaking up and demanding civility from their peers. America will also take notice and decide if they want "that kind of party" running things in the future.